The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-26
MOURNFUL Times.
Weeping Widows and Orphans at
South Portland.
TRAGIC DROWNING OF CHARLEY,
THE UNKNOWN.

Thrilling Story Told by Captain Wilson of
the Schooner K. Bowers-The Narrow
Escape of the Monticello-Other Events
of the Storm.
The schooner R. Bowers. which ar
rived in this port yesterday forenoon
from Brunswick, Ca, with a cargo OF
hard pine, brought a shipwrecked sailor
and sad story of another tragedy of
the sea. The Bowers is commanded by
Captain w. M. Wilson, of Thomaston,
Me-, fine specimen of the sturdy and
manly young Yankee sailor. Captain
Wilson related to the PRESS yesterday
afternoon the particulars of his sad adj
venture. It was last Monday, in the
midst of severe hurricane that ragged
off the region of Cape Cod. Some ac-
cident had happened to his vessel, so
Captain Wilson had put her before the
wind until repairs could be made. When
about forty miles off No Mans Land a
small mackereling schooner was dis
covered drifting before the wind and APP
parently in great distress. Capt. Wilson
at once put his vessel alongside the
laboring craft to render all assistance
possible. 1t was the little sloop fisher
man Maggie, of Newport, R. l., and
aboard there were two men, Clarence
Ford, the captain, and a man whom he
had picked up in Newport, and whom he
called Charley. He did not. know
whether he had another name or not.
The Maggie was anchored off No Mans
Land when one of the flukes of her
anchor broke and let her drift to sea.
Previously the mainsail of the Maggie
had been carried away, SO her captain
could not beat to windward. His only
resource was to run before the hurricane
out into the ocean. This he did, and
when he was sighted on Monday the
Maggie was laboring terribly and both
men iwere in an extremity Of fear. At
this time the Bowers OPPORTUNITY hove
in sight and came alongside the Maggie.
Captain Wilson thinks that if the two
men had remained cool both might have
been saved. He thinks that there might
have been chance for their little craft
to have weathered the gale, for while it
was even worse than that of Thursday
while it lasted, it abated very quickly.
But the two men were convinced that
they were in imminent peril, and the
moment rope was thrown to them from
the forward deck of the Bowers, each
fastened to seize it with all the despera-
ton born of mortal fear. Capt. Wilson
was at the helm, and the whole crew
were forward. The line was at once
hauled in and the two men with it. Then
began a desperate struggle Tor life. As
the Bowers would rise on the great
waves, the men would be pulled out of
the water and would hang down by the
side of the schooner. Then as the vessel
would plunge down again they would be
thrown under the seething water. Of
course the crew of the Bowers were
pulling in on the line as fast as they
could, but it was necessarily quite slow
work. Both Ford and Charley chung to
the rope with desperation; but Ford was
fortunate enough to get turn of it
around his arm which materially as
sisted him. Half dead he was dragged
within reach of the deck, and was pulled
aboard. Poor Charley was not SO for
tunate. The waves had nearly exhausted
him, and when one Of the sailors of the
Bowers finally reach him. he was unable
to help himself. The sailors hold was
not SO firm that a 1urch of the vessel
could not tear it away, and Charley fell
back into the sea and drifted rapidly
astern. Capt. Wilson. from his post at
the wheel saw the man coming and run
ming to the side threw to him the end of
a rope. Charley managed to grasp it,
but it was with a nerveless grip that did
not hold a moment. He foated away,
and though Capt. Wilson put his vessel
about and made all possible search,
nothing more was seen of him.
Ford was brought to this city and last
evening MIR. Coyle forwarded him to
Boston on the boat.