The Portland daily press., 1894-02-05
A CREWS GOOD FIGHT.
Peril Of a Gloucester Fisherman in
the Late Storm.
A DANGEROUS LEAK AND HOW 1T
WAS STOPPED.

When the Big Wave Came Aboard it Took
Off a Man-Stopping a Leak With Bed
Clothes-A Captains Happy Plan for
Making His Pumps Work.
The Gloucester schooner James and
Ella arrived in this port yesterday after
noon and grounded in the dock at Com
mercial wharf after a most hazardous
and memorable experience. The perils
which the captain and crew related to
the PRESS last evening were not OF that
dramatic kind that appeal to the imagi-
nation SO strongly in the typical ship
wreck; but they were all the more trying
tests of endurance and bravery because
their cause was at first obscure and
finally had to be overcome by battle In
the bowels of the ship itself.
The James and Ella, which is two
masJed fishing schooner of eighty-slx
tons, built ten years ago, halls from
Gloucester. She left that port January
25th, commanded by Captain j. II.
Diggins, young, but resolute master.
The crew were eighteen in number, and
because of the gallant fight they made
for their vessel, deserve to have their
names recorded. John Lyden of Boston,
Thomas Raoin, Peter Car, Rupert Isner.
William Diggins. VIM. Roach, John
Clancy, Thomas Diggins, Peter Doyle,
Albert Conrad, Michael O'Neill, John
Murphy and Ed. Kelley of Gloucester
and Anthony Nunan, Pat Mahoney,
Michael Mackey and Lawrence O'Neill OF
Boston, and Aleck Hemlow of Var
mouth, MS.
The schooner was bound direct for
Georges Bank, to fish for haddock, and
arrived thereon the afternoon of Friday,
the Goth. and about 8 pm. anchored. as
there was fresh breeze northeast
checked by east. On Saturday after
noon they got up anchor, but the weather
continued bad until Monday, when they
managed to fish until 1 pm. At that
time the wind was about east, and the
barometer was giving most disquletlng
indications, having started on long
drop from 80. As to %. IS. Every sailor
knows what this means. By Tuesday
afternoon at p. m., the wind had
hauled around to WSW. and was blow
ing heavy gale. This was the same
storm that ragged SO violently in this
vicinity Monday night and through
Tuesday. As Tuesday wore away the
gale increased to hurricane force, and by
11.3O o'clock that night the Jam mes and
Ella, which was then riding at anchor,
parted her chain and broke adrit. The
storm was then at it's worst on Georges,
but the crisis did not come, for Captain
Diggins and his crew, until about forty
minutes later Then, or about LILO
O. clock Wednesday morning heavy sea
struck the James and Ella, sweeping
clear over the decks.
The watch on deck chung to whatever
they co uld grasp but Mike Mackey was
washed across the deck to the lee rail and
overheard. His watch mate, Lawrence
O'Neill, was also thrown to the lee rail,
but chung there, and from that point
was able to throw line to Mackey as he
was brought nearer when the schooner
rose on the wave. Mackey was pulled
back over the side and rescued with
f>bO1A
some difficulty.
The damage done on the deck was con-
siderable. The curry kid" large
square box which sits on the deck. was
washed overheard and away, portions of
the bulwarks were stove, and other
minor damage was done
At first the worst seemed to be over,
Init very soon it was discovered that the
schooner was making water, and alarm
ingly fast, too. Before the crew could
get to work fairly the water was within
six inches of the cabin, and forecastle
floors. With an energy born of despair
the two pumps, manned by two men
each, were put to work, while all of the
remainder of the crew that could be
spared from the wheel and the ropes.
turned to bailing with buckets in the
forecastle and cabin. By hard fighting
the water was kept back for time; but
after several hours it began to gain
steadily. The survivors told the PRESS
last evening that finally there was two
feet of water over the forecastie floor.
An inspection showed that this was
probably not tar from a correct estimate.
The water reached the fire in the fore
castle cook stove, and the steam and
smoke that were thus let free made the
work of those handling the buckets all
the more difficult. All the provisions,
with the pots and pans, were floating
about in the fore peak on the forecastle
floor.
By this time the vessel was rolling
heavily and nearly waterlogged. One
of the crew, panic stricken at the situa-
tion, cried out: She is sinking by the
head!" Happily this proved to be un-
true, but it was evident that unless
something could be done Immediately
the James and Ella with all her crew
would 90 down in very short time.
It was when the situation was BLACKLIST
that Captain Diggins in some way be-
| came convinced that
The Principal Leak
was somewhere aft around the keelson
| and under or astern of the cabin floor.
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