The Portland daily press., 1895-04-08
IS THE BESSIE AN OLD BRIG OF ,4e.

A Question Raised that Old Salts Are Dis
putting Over-The Nova scotis
Schooner Bessie Was Formerly the Port
land Brig Mechanic But There Are Two
Mechanics-Why Captain Lewis Was De
tained-Rushing the Cargo of the EN-
| bree to Berlin FalIs-News from the
| FishermenvT The Last Trip of the Mary
| w. Libby on the Old Line.
The paper manufacturers at Berlin
Falls will feel better now. that the Jasper
Embree and the long delayed Bessie are
both in, the one. with IT'S, and the other
with 2s4 tonsfbf Nova Scotia wood pulp.
There was some excitement Saturday
evening when to the surprise of every
body the Emb bree showed up very sudden
ly. Mr.. A.W. Hammond of the Berlin
Falls paper mills was at once notified.
official permission was at once given to
discharge cargo, Major Shorey was sent
for, men were got together, and by the
time she was docked Mr.. Hammond had
his arrangements all made for a special
train, and the cars were backed down
and made ready for the long expected
freight. "We'll have one train at the
Falls in the morning." said Mr.. Ham
mond," we'll workssall the men we can
and we ought to discharge her in eight
hours.n
There was some doubt whether cer-
tain Kelley would or would not arrive
in time to help. but Kelley was there be-
fore the first bit of freight was hoisted
up. The work was kept up though the
nignt and by morning the last OF the IT'S
tons was started for Berlin Falls.
Then the Bessie came in, and may be
said to have received an ovation. She
was welcomed by old friends who knew
her in her younger and gayer Gays for,
according to all accounts the Bessie was
beauty once, saucy Maine craft, the
pride of the Harpswell man who built
her, but who oubtless died long ago,
for the Bessie is very old craft, vet
eran SO they say of the golden days of
40, and the very brig Mechanic in which
the famous Portland party made the trip
to San Francisco, in the days when San
Francisco like its harbor, according to
an old Californian, was mostly all bar. "
The first man to recognize in the dull,
worn. if still strong Bessie, with her
fore house gone and her once ample and
handsome cabin transformed into cabin,
| forecastle and cooks quarters, the once
| stylish Mechanic, was an ancient sailor
now returned, but who forty years ago
| sailed before the mast in her when she
was commanded by old Captain Cook, a
famous captain in those days. Then
looked her over until one almost won
dered if the ancient mariner himself, or
| a mem ber of the crew of the Flying
Dutchman should come down if he
wouldn't say, "B'y gosh there's the old
Mechanic. / sailed IN her fifty years
ago."
Then still more ancient sailor than
all who had gone before him told long
story of how he went "round the Horn
| in that old brig when she was a real
| brig and not what she is now." which led
man who isn't an ancient mariner to
explain that she wasn't the Mechanic al
all, at least not the Mechanic of 40, but
more recent Mechanic, that George S.
Hunt & Co. once owned her, and that
she was sold and went "down east"
Captain Lewis said that she was the
Mechanic, and that she went ashore
years ago at Louisburg when laden with
scarp iron, and that she was bought and
changed over. The question whether
she is the Mechanic of 40 is yet unset
tied, with the weight of evidence up to
date in favor of her being actually that
ancient and all but forgotten craft. One
sailor who claimed to remember her,
based his claim on the ground that he
knew the very shipyard where she was
built. "They built them vessels there by
the mile then,", said the old sailor, "an'
cut 'em off any, yilength people wanted.
ought'r know, for I've helped to cut of
any number of them briggs"
Captain Lewis explained his delay in
reaching this port by saying that he en-
countered very bad weather. After be
had made portion of the run he was
held in friendly port until fiercs
snow storm was over.
/ Deering, Winslow & Co., report the
arrival of the schooner Celia F. witt
$50. 900 feet of hard pine lumber from
Jacksonville, Fla. Other schooners fol
the same firm are on the way.
| The Cumberland Rowing Association
Will soon assert their right TO be in evi
dence on the water. front. The big raft
ill be in place today if they can get
time to take it over from the Cape side
The Cum berlands will probably be repre-
sented this season at the New England
regatta by senior and junior four, ant
by junior and intermediate single. Iht
members expect to do some good work
this year.
The fishing schooner Robert and Carr
arrived yesterday with $4,000 pounds O
| ca