The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-01-14
a RACE TO THE RESCUE.
The Crew Of the Ada Barker Reach
Land at Last.
The WoodburY's Crew and the Life
Saving Crew no the Work.

Yesterdays PRESS announced that six
shipwreckedIsailo were on "Junk of Pork"
Green Island, aud that they could not be
reached until yesterday morning, owing to
the fierce breakers aud terrible, If then.
Shortly before 4 a. m. the revenue steamer
Woodbury., Captain Fengar, left the wharf
and steamed down to Green Island, there to
await sunrise. When the sun rose there
were the men on shore and the steamer
whistled to cheer them with the assurance
that help was at hand.
The boats were all ready for launching,
and, at the same time the white life boat OF
the life saving service from Cape Elizabeth,
was seen. manned by its sturdy crew, with
Captain Trundy in command, each man with
life preserver belted about him, and not
more than two hundred yards to the south,
bound for the island. Captain Fengar called
the men forward and ordered care In hand
ling the boats, which were Immediately
launched, Captain Fengar having procured
two dories from the fishing schooner Dough-
ty. Lieut.. Rowland, experienced in whal-
ing. was In command Of the white cutter.
with Cadets Scott and Van Cott-both of
whom CALAMITY volunteered-each pulling
an oar, Bostswain George Peters, Seaman
Louis Oelkers and A. Danforth. One dory
was manned by Seamen Dave Haskell and
John Gross, and the other by Seamen Ed
Morey and j. Mcintyre. In the life saving
boat was Captain Trundy. Seamen S. N.
Dyer, j. w. Pillsbury, w. p. Staples, S. B.
Angel, j. S. Jordan, NJ. G. Jordan and j. A.
Barker.
Then came race to the rescue. The dory,
manned bp Haskell and Gross reached the
wreck, as the life boat glides over the break
ers and just escapes the jagged rocks The
others follow, right behind. The ship
wrecked crew. half frozen, wet and hungry
were transferred to the life boat, and all the
boats pulled back to the revenue steamer
where hot coffee and food was all ready
for them.
The crew belonged to the schooner Ada
Barker of Boston, Captain Willband from
Port Liberty for Portland loaded with coal
for the Maine Central. Captain Willband
told this story of the wreck. He left Port
Liberty week ago and had good weather
until he reached Wood Island about 3 o'clock
Sunday afternoon. He made Cape Eliza
beth about dark. when 1t shut in thick. He
Kept standing off, trying to make Portland
Head light. About o'clock he sighted the
light on Half Way rock and stood westward.
Then all at once his foresail blew away and
soon his mainsail followed. His vessel
struck the Junk of Pork" about 10 p. m.
The crew narrowly escaped by crawling to
the rock on the foremost, which fell in just
the right position and broke in three pieces
few moments after they had reached the
rock. The schooner went to pieces in less
than an hour. The crew saved nothing but
the clothes they had en-. They crouched on
TIE rock all night, hoping for the daylight.
IL Iained considerable and the waves broke
over the rock, drenching them all to the skin
1t was not very cold, otherwise they would
have persisted in few hours, but the icy
water benumbed their arms and legs and
they had to keep moving about in order to
keep their blood circulated.
Monday morning they crawled over the
edge of the and secured small piece OF sail
that had been left there by the wreck. They
managed to hubble together under this and
SO got partial shelter. They lay SIS close
together as they could, to get the warmth
from one another's bodies, but their feet
would get cold and they would then have to
get up and stamp about. The captain and
mate kept the rest of the men moving, when.
ever they observed any signs of lethargy.
They were all anxious and discouraged until
soon after noon. when they sighted the cut
ter Woodbury. and knew she had seen their
eli lie MO oh nd ho ho
steamed around them and they knew that
they would be rescued as soon as ii was pos
sible. They realized that no boat could reach
them and felt pretty bad when they saw the
cutter leave them last night. But the wealth
er was not then severe, though they were
afraid it would grow so, and they knew the
cutter would return in the morning. 1t was
tedious night, colder than the preceding
night and day, but they made the most of
their fragment of sail, budding together un-
der it and arranging it In the form of a rude
tent. Butthe hours dragged slowly along
and they were terribly anxious as to their
fate. When the day broke and the cutter
and life saving crew came, it seemed as if
they had been exposed for weeks instead of
hours.
The mates name is Corey Hamilton. and
he belongs in Eastport. The steward is
Charles Hersey of Boston. The crew con-
sisted Of two Germans. Henry Trede and
Otto Maear and Swede, John Benson.
Trede's hands and feet are so badly frost
bitten that he will have to stay awhile at
the Marine hospital. The captains han Is
are also slightly frost bitten. but not enough
to cause him much Inconvenience. They all
speak in the highest terms of the treatment
they received on the cutter. Woodbury..
1t was gallant act, the rescue, and re-
fleets great credit on the Woodbury. and the
life saving station crew. ~ 49,