The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-09
THE BERTHA WARNER.
Lively Rescue of the Crew of a Portland
Vessel.

| The rescue of the three masted Port
land schooner Bertha Warner by the
Louis River Life Station crew is thus de-
scribed by the New York journal:
| The Bertha Warner was esp;ed by one
of the beach patrolmen who criel out to
his companions. "She's a three masted
schooner, George" yelled Bill Rogers,
peeping under his palm, while his men
were quickly preparing to launch the
boat. "Her foresl and mainsI were
| reefed, but they've been split into
ribbons Looks as though they let go
she was driven on her beam ends before
they could make the downhauls. Jump
in, some of you fellows, and shove her
off, you others!'
Rogers sprang into the lifsboat and
took the tiller, two patrolmen grabbed
oars, four others showed off the boat until
she was jumping like huge cork on
the breakers until she was afioat Then
they, too, sprang in and all six stoutly
bent to the oars. The spray drenched
them, freezing as it struck, but after
hard fight they gained the lee of the
stranded craft.
Seven men were aboard her.
"Three o'you at a time, yelled
Rogers. eve can't take moro in this
seal
"All rightl'' shouted man on board.
But for God IS sake hurry; we're froze!"
Three men lowered themselves from the
schooner into the life boat. The danger
Gus return to shore began; the ship
wrecked were landed. Three times the
life savers made the journey.
They got the seven ashore safe, but
badly nipped by the frost. Their clothes
were stiff as boards. They were taken
to the little station, under the beach
hills. There they had warm breakfast
while the surfmen divided with them
their supply of dry clothing. Then,
seated in Bill Rogers's snug quarters,
the captain OF the Inflated schooner told
his tale of the wreck.
She is the Bertha Warner, Captain E.
b. Rumill. Of $50 tons burden. owned at
Portland, by j. S. Winslow & Co. She
was bound from Fernandine, Fla, for
Carteret. N. j., laden with 653 tons Of
phosphate rock, and has been twenty
days beating up the coast.
Shortly after leaving Fernandina, she
sprang aleak that kept the men at the
pumps most Of tho time. She had bad
weather south Of Hatteras, but the latter
part of last week WIS fne, aud Captain
Rumill thought he could make this port.
Last night the wind had been off shore,
but changed gradually to the northeast
The snow was binding. Captain and
crew were worn out, fighting the leak for
twenty days, and she struck.
She lies now nearly parallel with the
beach, her bow to this north and her jibs
still set just as she struck. When she
went ashore she carried reefed spanker,
whole Inainsail. stay sail and Jihs. She is
less than quarter of a mile from tho
fashionable Berkley Arms Summer hotel.
After striking, the breakers began to
roll over her and added to the leak. She
was soon water logged. At. g 30 o. clock
yesterday afternoon q Merrill wrecbing
tug appeared, but Inspection soon showed
that she had broken In two and the tug
steamed away.
The shipwrecked crew are mate, John
Forsyth, Mills Hendricksen, Joseph
Petersen, William Holste, Edward Scott
and Henry Allsop, colored, the steward.
They will be sent to New York tonor
row. The Warner was built at East Deer
ing in 1883. She measures 140 feet keel,
80 feet beam and Is feet depth of hold.
Railway Conductors Ball