The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-11
The Magnificent Steamer Puritan
Stuck Fast.
STRUCK IN A FOGG AND A GALE
WILL MEAN HER LOSS.
Passengers and Freight safe-An Efforts
to Move Her Yesterday Without Avail
he Savad

|
New London, November 9-The sound
| steamer Puritan, with nearly 20U
passengers and large quantity OF
freight, is on Great Gull Island, a dozen
section of Long Island sound which is
dreaded by mariners except in the most
4 favorable conditions of weather. To
navigate it successfully requires the
cunning of a master hand at the wheel.
The splendid steamer, one of the best OF
the Fall River line, and as handsome
and costly a craft as travels the sound,
went on ut O'Clock this morning when
the fog was intensely dense and when no
sound except that of the wind -thrashed
sea could be heard.
| Nothing ashore could be made out to
assist the mariner in determining the
whereabouts of the craft. She was speed
| ing along at good pace, for in times OF
dense fog it has been proven frequently
| that the only safe course is to keep
steamers going under sufficient speed to
overcome any effect strong tide may
have on her, that she may not be carried
out of her course by conditions that
originally would not affect her.
| The tide was running strong at 8
O'Clock for it was nearly high water when
the Puritan reached Great Gull The
whistle on the island had been listened
for long before the boat got up to the
island, for the course on which the
steamer had been running was assurance
that she was nearing this port, where
Great Gull should bear but short
distance ahead No sound was heard,
| though the bow watchman and the officers
the wheelhouse were on the alert to
detect it. In the dense darkness the
| Puritan struck with terrific force.
The great frame of the powerful era It
| quivered when she brought up, as the
monster engines Of the boat were sending
| her along at speed that made things
| quake. There was excitement for while,
| but the passengers behaved admirably
under the circumstances. The whistles
of the majestic craft shrieked out for
assistance and were heard far across the
sound. The City Of Worcester Of the
| Norwich line followed the Puritan out OF
New York and kept on down the scuns:
| behind her. When Captain Miner heard
the hoarse groans of the Fall River boat,
ne was fearful of what had happened.
| "1 hats the Puritan" he said to his
ssShe's in distross, probably has gone on
big Gull"
He dare not put the Worcester in where
the Puritan had gone. 1t was dangerous
ground to traverse.
The Worcester kept on in here as fast
as she could come and Captain Miner
gave information of what he had heard
| ~ hon
whistle on Great Gull was net heard
while the Worcester was off this island,
but that after she passed the sound of the
whistle was distinguished.
That this was the case with the Puritan
and that she had not heard the danger
blast from Great Gull was feared. 1t
seems likely to have been the cause Of the
disaster that has come to the Fall River
boat Before any assistance could get to
| the Puritan, boat from the unlucky
steamer came ashore at New London. 1t
/ contained the first officer and eight OF the
crew Of the boat.
They were after tugs and lighters to
assist the Puritan and they got them
| from Captain Thomas A. Scott, who
hurried them off by 10 o'clock TO the
steamer. :,
| The mate of the stranded steamer SAID
the Puritan was lying easy and that only
| the outer shell of her hull had been
broken. She was not making any water,
and there was no danger.
Their effort was to be devoted to
getting the boat off, aud to do this there
mist % be no delay. The fear is that the
wind may get into the northwest and
blow with great force, condition that
would be dlastrous to the Puritan, for
her position would then be greatly ex-
posed one.
This evenings advices from the Puritan
are that the vessel hasssmall chance OF
getting of for several days She is hard
sI and fast on the rocks and it is said the
boulders project through her bottom
we'll forward. Her passengers were
brought here late this afternoon by the
steamer Manhanset, which went over
with Superintendent Gardiner OF the
company. He remained on the vessel ana
will not come back till his mind Is made
up as to how to get the steamer anoaS. a.,.
and a tug followed with one lnvaNo
woman. taken on a mattress. All pro-
ceeded to their destinations by the Boston
train Mt 4. 40. Captain Scott has two tugs
and lighters at the Puritan and Will saKe
off all the baggage and bring 1t mere.
The Puritan is making little water Gnls
evening and lies easy on the north sloe OF
Hio Gull. She is two feet out Of water
forward. with fourteen feet OF water al
the stern, the vessel lying east and Yves
| on the shore. 5. =.
praise for the way they were treated
while on the boat. A northwest gale
would break up the Puritan SO re-
doubled effort will be made to float her Ia
before the prevailing wind can shit,
hard north west being the worst possible
condition in which the unfortunate craIl
could be placed. captain Davis accounts
for the misfortune to the Puritan only Dy
reason Of his inability to hear the Dell or
Great Gull because of the dense Iog anu ano
the well-known atmospheric conditions 1
around Great Gull during the tnioS !,
weather. A great deal OF anxiety Is Iell
for the Puritan as it is believed change
in the wind cannot be far off as the foq
now holds on as dense as it has been tne
mast three days. If the weather permits
Gaptain Scott will:bring his lighters ovel
with the Puritans freight tonlgnt A
the Puritan went on at about high Watel
the tide win have no effect on ehe vesse
to aid in floating her. Co,,n,
The steamer Puritan is among oount
steamers what the City of Paris Is amonl
ocean racers, one OF the Latest greates
and best. III, +o H.