The Portland daily press., 1889-11-21
An Old Time Land, Water and Ice
Express from halifax
To New York and Montreal by the
Way Of Portland.
An Episode In the History Of the At
Iantlc and st. Lawrence Railway.
lHon. William Goold.1


road to Island Pond, II all Canada would |
assume like responsibility for their part.
When it became apparent that the road
would go through and Judge Preble was
---A .. 49, a.. " me PORTLAND insoIvss w
negotiate with rich land company Of Can
ada which was interested, Boston stepped
in and claimed that their port was the only
proper place for the railway to connect with
the steamships to, and from Europe. To
prove their claim Of a shorter distance, and
more favorable route to Montreal, the Port
land directors hurriedlyprojected an express
from Boston to Portland by rail and across
the country to Montreal to carry the news
by the January steamer from Liverpool, but
owing to the deep SHOWS. the Boston ex-
press arrived first at Montreal. The failure
of course had bad effect on the Portland
interests which must be wiped out II possible.
At the assembling of Parliament in Febru-
airy, the Queens speech was looked for with
more than ordinary interest. The important
measure of the "corn laws" was the first
business to be considered. Sir Robert Peel
was at the head of the cabinet, and every
word he uttered in Parliament was consider
ed of the utmost interest to the people Of the
United States and Canada. By accident the
Portland directors of the railroad learned
that there was much interest felt in New
York as well as in Portland in the news
which the Cambria would bring to Halifax
and Boston. The proprietors of the New
York Sun and Tribune resolved to run a
Joint express from Portland to Annapolis
and Halifax to obtain the news for their
papers in advance Of their cotemperaries
Then there was no Press Association, but
each newspaper had its own machinery Of
private messengers, agents and news-boats,
to obtain the earliest news from Europe.
Portland was then as now the clearest Of
ice of any port east of New York, and has
been since 177S when the French king
directed his frigate. la Sensible" to
land here with the treaty acknowledging the
Independence Of the United States. .a..
Capt. Thomas b. Sanford of New York
was the owner Of the Peoples Line, an oppo-
sition line of boats running from Boston to
the Kennebec, and made Portland his lying up
port for his steamers, and of course was IA
miliar with the harbor. He did not hesitate
to contract to run boat to. Digby Gut, and
If possible, to break through the ice Of An
napolis Basin to that port.
Capt. Sanford's newest and fastest boat
was the Kennebec which was laid up at
Portland. He soon was seen on board OF
his vessel and as the success of the expedi-
ton depended upon secrecy he pretended to
the sheathing of her bows with boiler iron
was for no one could find out, nor could any
one guess what Mr.. Beach OF the Sun was
with him for. Soon Capt Nathaniel KIM
peared on the wharf, and teams with coal
dumped their loads on to the steamers deck
| at low tide. Extra spars, anchors and cord
| age were put ON board, and it became evil
| dent that the vessel was being fitted for a
| risky winter voyage.
To correct the bad impression in Canada
| by the failure of their first express the
| Portland railroad men, asked to be and were
| admitted to share in Beach's newspaper ex-
| press by paying share of the cost, and
| maintaining secrecy. The present narrator
unintentionally revealed the secret of the
| boat express, which put the Boston people
ON their guard. l then lived in Portland
and saw the fitting. out of the Kennebec.
rector, ! suspected that the destined port
was Halifax and so wrote to my relative Mr..
| S. L. Clark, the financial editor and one Of
the proprietors of the New York Express
| He printed my letter claiming that he did
cSeeS cSs eS bV MY he @fa Boston Po which Ta pa
them on their guard. Besides Capt
Kimball the master of the boat
Capt. Sanford. the owner, went in her tc
Annapolis. The express messenger who wa:
to go to Halifax overland was Mr.. Ira YALE
of Boston. The Kennebec was got away
from Portland as quietly as possible; and
as blind, she was headed west for the frs
ten miles, and then she bore away for tn,
Bay of Fundy. With much difficulty from
ice, she reached Annapolis. Mr.. Yale left a
once for Halifax in sleigh, 1872 miles, ar
ranging for relays Of horses for his return
he proceeded.
4 Before the Kennebec left Portland for An
napolis, the revenue cutter Morris, under th,
command Of Capt. Walden, was by the col
lector put at the disposal of Hon. John Mus
He, with Capt. Moody of the Portland OBJ
servatory, and Captain Kimball of tn
steamer, arranged a code of signals to obtai
the earliest news OF the success or failure 0
the enterprise: Capt; Walden was to cruis
off Seguin and Half Way Rock. Night sig
nal that the steamer was in sight was to be
lantern at each yard-arm of the Morri:
which was to be repeated from the observa
tory. All was arranged in the most minut
and thorough manner. Some OF the director
slept each night at j. w. Dyer's on Indi
street. to be on hand at night
On the arrival of the Cambria on the 17tl
at Halifax, her agent there informed he
captain of the letter in the Boston Post. an
the suspected express agent for Portland
and no one was allowed to board the ship
but Yale was equal to the occasion. He sa'
a boy leave the steamer with package {
newspapers and walked with him to quie
place, and for sum of money he obtaine,
Of him one copy Of Wilmer, and Smith
Times" With this and nothing else,
got into his sleigh for Annapolis.
Yale says in letter to the Portland pal
ties from the steamer, that he could not oil
tain an English paper for them, but he ha
copied for them the Queens speech and s
Robert PeePs speech on the corn laws,
| these were of the most Importance
Canada"
The signal OF success agreed upon, Cap
| Kimball hoisted on the Kennebec. Th
| steamer was seen from the Observatory
of success flying, which was repeated fro
the Observatory This brought an enthus
+ astic crowd to the wharf to meet the messe
| ger. A railroad locomotive with steam nj
was standing on the Boston track. whit
Yale boarded, and was off for New York, a
ter an interview with the Portland parties.
This express covered more ground and Wi
run under more difficulties than any befo
or since in New England. 1t was in Il
coolest and most clustering month Of vel
cold winter. Every Portlander looked upC
1t as If the credit of the city was at stalk
one express to Montreal had proved a ia
ure. When the Kennebec entered the ha
Dor with the signal of success flying sho
after shout went up from the excited CROW
at the wharf. She crashed into the ice sol
Y left her, walking on the ice with his pou'
over his shoulder.
|. A fleet horse belonging to DR.. oumn
Cummings stood harnessed to sleigh {
y India street, which Hobbs, an old sta
| driver, boarded, and was off with his p0u'
| slung to his back, from Gray, New Glouce
| ter, Paris, Woodstock, Rumford to Andove
!. | IA miles. Bodge then took the package al
I drove to Sherbrook, 90 miles. Grover Watt
+ house was the messenger from Sherbrook
Montreal
All these messengers were old stage dri
ers, and each was presented with an elega
i silver-mounted whip.
The Sun and Tribune printed the news
4 the Cambria many hours ahead of their co
Q | temporaries. The Portland papers we
= | furnished with copies In manuscript by NJ
Yale, which they published the next MOI
/ ing.
T BY request the first officer Of the Cambl
d | furnished Mr.. Tucker of the Tremo
l. House, with copy of the ships log for
18th, which showed that at the time of t
It arrival of the express at Montreal the 81
$ was 63 miles broad off from Cape Elizabe
/ going IL knots by the log.
o Judge Preble, a director Of the railwa
IS was passenger on the Cambria, but
knew nothing of the express.
The following is copy of Mr.. Yale's
port to his principals of his trip as Il
b nished to the railroad officers at Portland /:
d Exclusive express from Halifax N, S. for
d | New York Sun and Tribune.