Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-11-16
FOLLOWED BY Ill LUCK.
Weird Story Of Belfast Ships Career Told
by Congressman Miliiken.

A The death of'Austin Carter, one of Bel
last most prominent and respected cit
zens, recalled to Congressman Milliken S
mind the history of "a vessel built by q
firm of which Mir. Carter was member
This firm Of Columbus p Carter & Co.
built exactly 100 large vessels and the
story IS of the last of these vessels 1t
was large vessel and cost when COM
pleted about 1925, 600. 1t was ship, and
was regarded as one OF the best, if not the
best, turned out by the famous firm of
ship builders, says the Portland Press.
She was on the stocks at the time of the
death of Mr. Columbus P Carter, and
he had intended that she should bear his
name, but after his death his interest was
purchased by B. Il. Hazelton, and was
named after him The command was
given to Capt. Hartman, zone of the best
sea captains, said Congressman Mill
ken, "who ever sailed from this port =
From the first day of the voyage the
ship was unlucky. She went on rock
and was got off with great difficulty on
her way out. and again on her voyage
home The same i'll luck went with her
on her second trip, and on his return the
captain said to Mr.. Mllken, THE ship
is bound to be unlucky. There's dead
man at the wheel. and he's steering her
for every rock in the ocean. I'm going to
take her one more trip and then leave
her"
He started, but the same i'll luck went
with him. When off a South American
port the ship struck u rock laid down in
10 chart and went down. The crew had
just time to take to the boats, saving
nothing. Capt Hartman was in charge
of one boat, his son of a second, and the
mate of the third. The captain and mate
reached the shore in safety, but the young
man was not heard from for months, and
then only when he reached Portland
Oregon.
Capt. Hartman returned home and
while some of the owners blamed him for
the loss of the ship, the late Mr.. Austin
Carter did not, insisting that he was not
to blame for not knowing the location of
rock laid down In no chart. The cargo
of the ship was valued at Si00, 900, and
the captain went down to South America
in the hope of raising her. He took with
him wreckcr, who thought there was
more money to be made by blowing her
open and getting at her cargo, and so, it
was allcQed arranged with diver they
sent down, to make a false report, of the
condition Of the ship. Capt Hartman
had set his heart on taking her back to
Belfast, and when he was told that she
could not be raised, he threw up his
hands, gave one cry. and then those who
were with him were struggling with II
man violently insane, and insane he
remained until his death. He was taken
to England, and then back to the United
States, and died in an asylum for the
insane.
Mrs. Hartman died, and so did their
daughter, and there remained but one in
the family, the son who escaped when the
ship went down, and who with great
difficulty reached home, having been
picked up after the B. r. Hazelton
foundered, but not until all in the boat
had undergone all but the last extreme of
suffering He went to sea again, this time
with Capt. Snow of Bucksport and cap
tain, crew and vessel were never heard
from after they sailed.
Certainty" said Congressman Mill
ken, "a long train Of disasters followed
everyone who bad anything to do with the
Tooth vessel built by the firm. In Austin
Carter, Belfast has lost good citizen and
good man