The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-10-25
ON HER BEAM ENDS.
Rough Experience of Missionary Yacht
Alert.

Capt. Aliens interesting Letter to the
PREsS-This Missionary's Path Is
Rough and Stormy Indeed,
Readers of the PRESS will remember
that Capt. Allen of the missionary yacht
Alert was in this harbor recently and
spoke at the Second Parish vestry week
ago last Tuesday The following letter
from him to the PRESS explains itself
So. Gouldsboro, Me-, Oct 2lst
Mr.. Editor:
Dear Sir though I would write you
little account of my trip down here as
it was one of the hardest that | have had
since that great gale of the 18th OF April
'94. This is as it is in my log book.
Portland, Me-, Oct. 18th;
Wind S. W. At 9. Is a. m. got unoer
way Set mainsail jib and gan tospaii
Passed out of harbor at 8 30 a. III. Az
10. 80 passed Half Way Rock light, ~ III.
passed Seguin. AT IL 20 a very heaHS
squall struck. l had taken IN the Jlp
and gait -topsail and lowered tne Iha!n s,a,l
with such force that the boat was Oh nor
beam ends.
NV wife was in the cabin. She was
tbrown an the floor. Great sheets OF
water were blown over the stern ana tbe
small boat filed at the stern. IL iastea
20 minutes and then l got the yacht OH
before ii and ran across the bay to Pema-
mid Point Under the lea of that
reefed the sails and got the water out OF
the boat l made Port Clyde that night
and anchored In the night it blew my
tonsaiI from the mast while at anchof
FRIDAY, at p. H.. I made sail and ran
to Widows island ia Fox Island Thor-
oughfare AT 7.20 a. m. L got under way
with double reefed mainsa1l and bonnet
off jib and started for South 5o9iasporo.
When T nassed Bass Harbor Head, it was
quite smooth, but it breezed up and be-
fore 1 could round Bakers island, /
thought she would swamp with me-
Larger vessels were soudding under
double-reefed foresails. We arrived here
at 1. Is D. IN. I have been going to sea ~
wears of my life, the most OF the time,
and for all that time, don't remember
of ever seeing the sea make so quick as
If did last Saturday There was not a
place on the boat. but that was covered
with water and the boy, without any oil
clothes to keep him dry had to stand by
the haIliards to settle the sail away when
the scuall would strike hard and then
when the wind would lull, my wife
would take the wheel SO as for me to
null up the sail again to keep the boat
going a1oaQ IdSU 6iiuuSu w hCoI spib SCeho
from running on to her stern and sinking
her.
While going up Frenchman's Bay, the
water was blown ten feet up on our
mailsail The people were on the wharf
to receive us and we received a hearty
welcome.
On Sunday afternoon and evening. the
school house was filled at both meetings
I fell and hurt my back in the squall and
have been SO lame that could do no
work SINCE came here, except to hold
my meetings, but praise God | am here
and alive. For me to live is Christ and
to die is gain. There will be no sailing
there and no storm nor cold nor wet to
face.
now while I 90 in the boat so we are
to how vet along along as cheap as We can wish
that if anyone has anything to give us
that they would send it to us here at this
'--'e CAPT. HARRY j. ALLEN,
Yacht Alert, South Gouldsboro, Me.