The Portland daily press., 1894-06-23
"SAVE ME GEORGE.
That Was Captain COndon's Cry As
He Sank
ONLY TWENTY FEET AWAY BUT
FOAMING WAVES

Ran Between Him and the Men who Were
Struggling For Their Own Lives in the
Icy Waters--The Thrilling Story of the
Sinking of the Smack Monterey by
George e. Webber-How the Two Sur
vivors Escaped.
George Q. Webber, one of the survivors of
the Ill fated schooner Monterey of this city,
"hich was run down by the steamer Var
mouth OF Yarmouth, N. s., while she was on
her passage from Boston to that port, was
seen yesterday by representative of the
PRESS.
Mr.. Webber told the following story:
Iuesday"June 20,about 1.30 insthe morning
we heard a steamer whistle three times.
Captain Condor stationed me at the main
rigging with torch, while he went forward
with the horn. which he constantly sounded,
we were at this time about fifty miles west
oy south OF Seal Island in the Bay of Fundy,
and were running in thick fog. Suddenl,
the steamer hove In sight, running east by
tnree quarters south. and going at full
speed. sang out to the captain that the
steamer was going to strike us and he
sprang aft to join US. The steamer struck
Us forward of the fore rigging, aad aft of
the 1oremast, and cut us completely in two.
charles b. Orne was at the Wheel and
we three were all that there were on board.
1t was less than ten seconds after we
sighted the steamer before we were struck.
The fore port of the schooner was carried
away on the steamer, and the aft part was
gradually sinking, carrying us all to a
watery grave.
We
JIJMPED FOR THE nnPv
which was already partially af1oat and were
pushing her off the schooner when she sud-
denly keeled over, the mainsail shutting
down over the dory and rapidly forcing it
under water.
Captain Condor and Orne jumped INTO the
sea, the captain seiZing the fore companion
which gave him practically no support as
he was forced constantly under water Orne
was unable to reach any wreokage, and he
had to depend only on his own unaided
efforts. jumped for the main rigging and
succeeded in catching hold, while looking
around for some piece of wrecakge which 1
could lay hold of when forced to take. to the
water, saw the dory float out from under
the ma1nsail, bottom up. jumped into the
water and seized it, and was fortunate
enough to lay hold of a deck broom, by the
along side of the dory. 1 tLen shouted,
Captain the dory is clear" He shouted
back,
"sAvE ME GEORGE
save me.''
This was impossible for US to do as We
could not move that overturned dory foot
much more the twenty which separated us.
The sea was running fearfully high and %
Of hraa
prevented our swimming that distance even
if we had have had the strength to have
made the attempt.
We were nearly exhausted and Orne said
''We have got to drown George and it may
as we'll be first as last" l replied 1 know
it Charlie but we may as well die trying to
save ourselves as not. He replied Il am
willing to try
We then attempted to right the dory by
rolling it towards us. A heavy sea suddenly
struck the dory turned it completely over
and leaving it bottom up as before.
When the dory went over 1 was carried
underneath. it and three times 1 rose
twice striking my head against the gun
wales, but the third time I felt my foot
strike against the side and gave myself a
push and foated on the top of the water,
and a few strokes carried me to the dory
and Orne steadied the boat while I was try
ing to regain my strength
We looked around to see the captain, but
he had disappeared, and we knew that he
must have sank, as he was nearly under
when last we saw him. We
LOCKED OUR HANDS
across the dory, one on each side, and in
that position prepared to await the end that
was not far distant,
Suddenly we heard the whistle of a
steamer, which proved TO be sthe same one
that ran us down. she having stopped to
clear away the wreck from her fore chains.
We took turns in shouting, and it seemed
that young lady on the steamer heard our
cries and reported to the pilot house, They
swung around in a circle and lowered a
boat, which picked us up.
. We're were taken on board the steamer
and after being given warm drinks and dry
clothes we were provided with state rooms.
The people on the steamer stated that
they failed to see the light of the torch or
to hear the sound of the horn. They also
stated that we were in the water only
thirty-five minutes from the time the
steamer struck us until we were taken from