The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-31
FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH.
Capt. Mclean, Of Schooner Jones, Mar
row Escape.

Was Washed Overheard During q Storm
His Life by Grasping Rope EndWhich
Went Overheard With Him-A Thrill
ing Story.
Captain William Mclean of the sohoon-
er William Jones, which is now disoharg-
ing coal at Randall & McAllister's Is, has
good reason to be thankful that he is
alive and we'll today. On his trip here
from New YORK, Capt. Mclean he'd
about as close call as man ever had
and came as near going to Davy Jones's
locker as a man could and not go.
happened in this way: The William
Jones loaded with coal at New York and
sailed for Portland from that place q
week ago yesterday. Hardly had the
schooner stuck her nose outside the Hook
when it began to blow great guns. and
by nightfall the sea was running very
high and the schooner, heavily laden as
she was, had her decks washed about
all the time. 10 make matters worse, q
fierce, binding snow storm get In and
it was impossible to see vessels length
ahead.
About II O'Clock at night. when the
schooner was off Fire Island, all hands
excepting the steward, were on deck,
and had their hands full In keeping the
vessel on her course and bit OF sail on
her. At about noon this time the fore
staysail was badly torn and Capt. Nc
Lean sent the mate and all hands for
ward to furl the sail. The captain took
the wheel himself and after waiting
sometime without hearing anything from
the men in the forecastle, he feared that
they might have been washed overheard.
Capt. Mclean secured the wheel a mo-
ment and ran forward as far as the fore
mast to see what had become of the men.
He saw that they were all right and at
work securing the sail and started.to
run back to the wheel again.
just as Capt. Mclean reached the main
rigging a big wave boarded the schoon-
er and before he had time to realize what
had happened. washed him over the low
rail and into the sea. Capt. Mclean had
on heavy sea boots, pair of mittens and
two big overooats. These weighed Capt.
Mclean down like piece OF lead. but
by vigorous kicking succeeded In getting
his head above water very quickly.
When he came up Capt. Mclean saw
looming above him the black hulk OF
the schooner She was to the windwar0
of the man In the water, and Capt. Nc
Lean believed his last minute on earth
had come. just at that second Capt.
Mclean felt something touch his hand.
With the dispair of q drowning man he
grabbed it ana found it to be a rope. In
another second the rope was jerked short
~ and Capt. Mclean still hanging on to
it like grim death, was swung in by the
schooner's side. A big wave lifted him
upwards at just the right time. Capt.
Mclean threw his arm over the vessel's
rail and swung himself onto the vessel
deck. Tue whole transaction lad not
taken half as much time as 1t will take
to read this, and Can't. Mclean S esoap o
was most miraculous one. The coil of
rope which saved Capt. MoLean's life was
the main peak halliards, which had been
washed overheard at the same time as
Capt. Mclean and had possibly become
entangled around him in the water.
None of the crew of the William Jones
knew that their captain had been
washed overheard. and had it not been
for the rope, Capt Mclean would have
gone down without an effort being made
to save him by the men on the schooner.