The Portland daily press., 1894-03-01
PERILs OF THE SEA.
The Story of the Derelict Schooner
Robert P. Chandler.
Long Series of Disaster-A Mate who
z thinks He was aJonah-shipwreck, Fire
and Yellow Fever.


Some days ago the PRESS published
an account of the erelict schooner
Robert P. Chandler, which was passed
by the British steamship North Angela,
750 miles east of Bermuda. We have
received from the mate of the schooner
the following account of the clrcum-
stances attending her loss. 1t is sao
tale of misfortunes following one another
in rapid succession;
The r. 2. Chandler sailed from mobile
with a cargo of hard pine on the lsC OIL
July, 1898, bound to Matanzas. we had
a very heavy deck load. On the oro OF
.July was taken with malarial fever,
but did not go off duty until p. M, on
the the 9th. There was a fresh south
west wind blowing, all sail was set, and
continued all night with a short, choppy
sea breaking over her Just abaft the fore
rigging. At 1880 sighted MORO Light,
Havana. We were beating down the
coast. lacking every two hours. did
not go on deck during the night, as |
had two bad chills. At m. | was
sitting at the cabin table, when the
cook came aft with some hot tea for the
captain, and went forward again, and
in about 20 minutes came aft and sald
the galley was full Of water. l could
hear the water then under the cabin
floor. told cook to go upon deck and
tell the captain. He did so. The cap
tain came down into the cabin. Inc
water was over the cabin floor, the vessel
was full. He went on deck and lowered
the spanker down, put the wheel hard
up, but she would not steer, having lost
her Roadway So she lay III the trough
of the sea. We started the pumps, but
had to abandon them, as the deck load
was all adrift and fouling the pumps.
We got everything out of the cabin OF
any value and put it on top OF the after
house. She commenced to keel over to
starboard and in less than twenty five
minutes she was over on her beam ends
and everything went overheard ID con-
fusion. The deck load on the port side
went up under the main crosstrees Ike
a shot. The sea would strike her bilge
and break clear over her, so it was with
difficulty we could hold on. Water Was
pouring down on us screening not; ana
the sea around the vessel was fairly alive
with sharks. so if one of us lost our hold
we knew our destiny. Our only boat
was at the stern davits standing on It's
end one half under water, but we nnally
got it clear. got the water out OF y, ana
all hands got in. We had neither food
nor water that we could get at. AT III
a. m. saw a little white schooner,
Cuban coaster, standing towards us. We
made singnals to her, an she came down
on us. The Captain OF the Chandler
concluded to abandon her, SO we went
on board of the Maria, Spanish vessel
bound to Matanzas from Havana. Cap
tain Kelly offered the Spanish captain
500 to land us at Havana, but he would
not do 1t, SO we had to go to MataDzas.
Captain KelIy's intentions were to get
a tow boat and go out from Havana and
tow the Chandler in. We left her about
25 miles east southeast from Havana.
We got ON board of the Maria about
D. m. on the 9TH of July, and arrived at
Matanzas on the 10th, Sunday. at . p. m;
Capt. Kelly, the cook and myself went OH
in our boat to sthe schooner Lena SGorer,
and stopped all night. Capt. Kelly told
me he should take the train and go to
Havana and get a tow boat and go Tor
the Chandler. We all landed at Matan-
zas destitute.
The Chandler is all right in my opin-
| ion, and if some one would tow her IN
| he would get fine prize, as she is new
| and as staunch craft as ever was built
| of wood and iron. After the captain got
ashore in Matanzas he gave the Chandler
| up and took charge of the old schooner
! Hannah McLoon to take her to Delaware
Breakwater, her captain being just alive
| in the hospital with yellow fever, and
she had no first mate ON board. | went
! on board on the 18th as first mate with
| two of the Chambers sailors as consuls
| men. We sailed on the 18th, and on the
| 10th had four men down with fever.
| On the morning of the 18th the captain
| and cook were taken sick. / gave them
| every attention and care possible The
| captain failed slowly and died at a. m.
| the morning of July 25th. AT LA. m. II
| miles south of Cape Henlopen / took a
| tow boat and lowed to quarantine at
| Delaware Breakwater. At pm. took
| the captain ashore land buried him at
| the hospital burying ground, Lewes.
Del We were quarantined 10 days.
| had the chills and fever all through
this trouble, and was sick four weeks
after | got home | write this to show
what unfortunate men Captain Kelly
and myself WERE Just fourteen months
previous to the loss Of the Chandler
| Capt. Kelly lost the beautiful schooner
Ethel Hawley of Bath, and with her he
lost everything. So the poor man was
| about broken hearted before he took the
| yellow fever.
| Thirteen months previous to this
| wreck I was mate of the ship st. Charles
| of Bath. Three days out from Nanimo,
| British COUNT ia, for San Francisco,
| the whole top of the ship was blown on,
| the captain was killed, second mate
badly burned, and also three seamen.
We abandoned the ship, saving nothing.
| Cape Foulweather bore east from the
ship about 1856 miles, We landed there
| after being in the boats about 40 hours
so l think Capt Kelly and myself can
Justly be called Jonahs | have followed
the sea for over 80 years. L can now non
estly say am afraid to go to sea. Ihere
|. is not money enough to pay me to go an
poorer, if possible. than when ] started.
t hope that this will catch the eye of
some of my nautical friends and fellow
sufferers, who can sympathlze with a
poor old retired mate. -
po0- STEVENS.
Music in the Public Schools.