The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-07-31
WRECK OF THE ADA MELMoRE.
True Tale of the Sea from the ROckbound
Coast of Cornwall.


Have l sailed?' said one Of the hard
est looking of a knot of scribes loung-
ing in a corner of the Press Club Eyes
have, and | often think of the wreck of
boat off the coast of Cornwall that
only my hardness saved me from being
aboard Of"
Tell you about it? All right"
"Of course everybody blamed the
pilot. They said he was drunk and
mistook Pentire Point for Trevose
Head. He had been washed overheard,
however. Whether he was drunk or
sober mattered then but little.
ada Melmore was the barque's name.
1t was her first trip. She was loaded
with steam coal and bound for Alex
andria. She had come down the coast
from Liverpool, and when the gale
struck her was off the coast of Corn
wall, between Tintagle Head and Pen
tire Point Trevose Head and its light
house were Just below, across the
mouth of the camel, and there is where
the trouble came in.
Somebody erred. Somebody didn't
know the two heads. And in a few
minutes the Ada Melmore was on her
beam ends in a spot from which to all
appearance no power could bring her
out
"With the first sea that broke over
the deck went the pilot and two men.
Then She drifted-at the mercy of the
gale.
1.-The captain rallied his men. Every
anchor was thrown out and every chain
but one snapped like Irvine. And just
when big wave would have dashed the
Ada Melmore against those cruel. black
Cornish rocks she was checked and hung
there, right in the Jaws of destruction,
the lives of the twenty-five men on
board all depending on the strength of
the weakest link in that solitary chain
''When the coast-guardsmen found
her she was still on her beam ends.
The seas were pouring over her deck
and not a living thing could be seen
save big black dog, who chung to the
slippery planks and looked pheous and
forsaken.
"All that night she lay there. The
chain held out. In the morning the
Port Isaac lifeboat, the '.Albert Ed
ward, sent some men on board.
IF the pilot had not been drunk he
would have felt lonely in that crew.
From captain to cook every one was
LOADED to the guards" They realized,
though, that the gale had abated and
that their chain had not parted. The
barge was, however, still on her beam
ends, and in all proba bliity would never
again sail the seas
1.-The captain was obstinate when the
life-boat crew insisted on taking every
soul ashore. lie dared any of his men
to make the attempt, but discipline was
over. The men went Every soul
deserted the captain, and it was only
when rocket life line had been made
fast to the ship from the shore that the
life boats crew left the drunken cap
tain and his barque.
THAT day passed. Allnight the crew
of the barque and the coast guardsmen
watched for signal from the captain.
They believed that he would soon see
the folly of remaining on the ship and
make up his mind to desert her.
Morning came. The Ada Melmore
still hung over the destructive rocks.
The captain was not to be seen. Noon
came. The captain was on deck. In
half an hour he was ashore and was be-
ing warmed and dried, and forced to
drink many cup of hot coffee.
GsrThar bo ANNA 70 +ba aJoo % +l,o Il; ~
and looked down upon the Ada
Melmore.
poor fellow. Even the eyes of the
rough sailors and tough, hardened
wreckers and fishermen were not entire
ly dry as he talked of his ship, and
apparently to her alone.
"He commenced in a plaintive manner,
and when he reached the end, wound
up with tragic gesture and a tone of
voice that as it rolled over and over the
rugged cliffs echoed and vibrated as il
the rocks and hills were in sympathy
with the wretched man.
His father had been a sea cap
tain. His ship, called, too Ada Mel
more had been lost with all on board
After many years, his wife-after whom
the ship had been named succeeded in
fitting out new Ada Melmore Her son
was in command. This was her first trip.
There" shriekeG the captain, as he
pointed to the barque, is the Ada Mel
more All have and all my mother
has is in that ship. If she goes on those
rocks she goes to, and if she goes !
go with her
"His appeal made few minutesla later
to his men had it's desired effect All
the men. save one, a grizzlcd old sailor,
agreed to go on board. A tug was to be
sent for and an effort made to save the
barque.
"And as two days later the old sailor
who had declined to continue the voy-
age looked at the fast reccding sails of
the Ada Melmore and heard somebody
remark How beautiful she is he
turned and said: Yes, she's beautiful
She's too beautiful for the seas She'd
make nice mantel ornament, but she's
too narrow. One of these days she'll
make a beautiful coffin for lot of good
fellows
1.-The Ada Melmore was sighted as
she passed Lands End, but to this day
has never been sighted again.
'And that's twelve years ago" -