The Portland daily press., 1894-01-22
WAVE HUNG OVER THEN.
Then It Broke and Swept the Decks
Of the Schooner Hodge.
MASTS, ANCHORS AND MATCHES
WENT BY THE BOARD,

And Edward Stevens, Who Was in tho
Cabin, Was Buried Under Ton of Pig
Iron Ballast-The Schooner Was On
Her Beam Ends and Her Crew Waited
for Days Before Aid Came to Them
New York, January 21.-Steamer La
Bretagne from Havre, arrived this eve
ming and brought in Captain William
Harmon and the crew of fifteen men on
the Gloucester fishing schooner Susan L.
Hodge, II. IA tons burden, rescued at sea
Friday in latitude 4S degrees, 90 minutes;
longitude so degrees "a minutes The
Hodge left Gloucester for fishing trip
December IS.
On January 1S, in latitude "A degrees
30 minutes; longitude 81 degrees, 20
minutes; furious gale swept down on
the little schooner. At first the wind
was southeast, but it soon hauled to
west-northwest and rapidly increased
in violence. The schooner was hove to
under a storm trysail and all hands
lashed on deck to prevent the heavy seas
washing them overheard. While they
were thus Drawing the storm, an enor-
nous wave bore down on the craft 1t
seemed to hang overhead for second,
and then, as Captain Harmon uttered
warning Hold fast, men," it broke
across the deck with the force of "a
Niagara, swapping off both masts closs
to the deck, breaking the bowsprit short
off, carrying away everything movable
from the anchors tothe companion matches
and heavlng the schooner on her beam
ends. The crew, though half drowned,
waited for the boat to right, but she
maintained her listed position, and it
was evident that the ballast had shifted.
Cries of anguish issued from the cabin
and when Captain Harmon and two men
made their way aft on the almost perpen-
dicular deck to the hatchway they found
Edward Stevens, one of the crew, with
over ton of pig iron ballast piled on
him. Blood was issuing from his eyes,
nose, mouth and ears. AS quickly as
possible, the ballast was lifted aside and
the injured man carried to his bunk. No
bones appeared to be broken and he was
able to tell between his gasps sthat the
ballast had broken through the floor
when the boat keeled over and caught
him. 1t was impossible to replace the
ballast to bring the vessel to an even
keel From Saturday to the following
Wednesday night, the sixteen men saw
nothing of a vessel. On that night, the
far off gleam of a steamers masthead
light appeared and shortly afterwards
Torches and lanterns were lighted and
every effort made to attract attention,
but to no purpose. The steamer never
slowed her enignes. On Friday after
noon, the smoke of a distant steamer was
seen but she did not approach near
enough to see the Hodge A about nine
that evening, La Bretagne hove in sight
and bore down upon the wreck The
big liner stopped and in few minutes
boat was lowered and manned and pulled
to the rescue. 1t was necessary to make
two trips to take off all the men. Captain
Harmon and men express the highest
appreciation of the pluck and kindness
of Captain Rupe of the La Bretagne and
his officers. Stevens, the injured man,
is able to stand. but is still very sore
and weak. His eyes are much bloodshot
and his face bruised as if pounded.
After the masts went by the board,
the crew chopped away the tangled rig
ging and tried, without success, to rig
jury masts All the boats were swept
overheard as well as all the beef and salt
pork, and most of the water supply
There was nothing on board to eat but
brine soaked biscuit. This the men
subsisted on five days and nights. While
the torch signals were being prepared at
half past nine Friday night, a Kerosene
oil can exploded, and in an instant the
happened amidships and by the merest
chance none of the crew were hurt. The
flames gained headway too rapidly to be
extinguished. 1t was at this point that
the Hodge was seen by the officers of La
Bretagne. Captain Harmon and crew
saved only the clothing they wore when
rescued