The Portland daily press., 1896-12-28
ON ALDEN'S ROCK.
The Robert Ingle Carter a Total
Wreck.

Vessel and Cargo Valued at S4o0OO-The
Captain Mistoolz the Buoy--The Affair
Occurred in Broad Daylight-The Crew
Saves Their Effects.
In broad day light and in a compare
lively smooth sea the handsome three
nasted schooner Robert Ingle Garter,
Capt. Nathan Towne. struck Alden's
rock, off the entrance ofthis harbor,
early yesterday morning and sunk in
few minutes. She will plnve total loss.
| The gessel was valued at 600 but it Is
not known whether she was insured OF
not. She had on board 1900 tons of coal
valued at about $751; consigned 10 A.
r. Wright & Co, which was fully in
sured. All hands wore saved from the
| i'll fated schooner.
The Robert Ingle Garter arrived oil
this pore Friday night after quick and
uLeventful passage from New York. In
the vessels hold was 1900 tons OF coal
consigned to A. r. Wright & Co., of this
city and Capt. Towne of the schooner
| knew that this firm wanted the coal as
| soon as possible but he decided not 10
attempt to run into the harbol during the
night and so lay off the coast three OF
four miles and waited for daylight.
Capt. Towne has been sailing il and
| cut of Portland harbor for many yeRrsland
he knows the way into this port like
book. Over prudence prevented him
from sailing in during the night and the
mistaking Of an ice covered buoy in the
morning occasioned the loss Of his YES
sci. The wind was light at sun rise and
the sea was not very rough. 1t was in
| fact an ideal winter morning but little
cold. After the whistling buoy is picked
| up on the way in from SEQ the shipmas-
| tiers sight the buoy on Taylor's reef and
| then little further in they pick up the
buoy on Trundy's reef and then stand
out little to make the chip channel.
| Capt. Towne knows the location Of all
of these buoys we'll but when he picked
up the buoy on Taylor's ledge Saturday
he mistook il for the one on Trundy's
reuf and headed out to sea little. This
was a fatal mistake for the vessel
brought up all standing on Alden S rock
| a wicked place whsre many other vessels
have laid their bones in times past.
| Tho schooner was bowling along at q
fine rate Of speed when she struck and
had three head sails and her main and
foresails set. The speed with which she
was travelling sent her high up on the
submerged rock and the sea began to lift
and pound her down upon the ledge un-
| til the schooner filed and went down by
the stern SO that every wave broke clear
over her.
The crew of eight men had time to get
their belongings out of the foreoastle and
| put few stops on the vessels sails be-
fore they were Obliged to leave her. The
| man in the POI tland observatory and the
| lookout at the Cape Elizabeth life saving
station saw the schooner bring up on the
ledge ana at once telephoned the office Of
| the Central Wharf Towboat company.
The Demaresu was OF once started for
| the scene, but abe did not have chance
to assist for. the Belknap was lying off
Portland head, and Capt. MoDuffie saw
the accident and hustled to the spot
with all possibi speed, rendering great
service
The captain and crew Of the vessel were
brought to this city and Capt. Towne
telegraphed the news of the loss Of his
vessel to the schooner's agents, j. B.
Peaks & Co, Of Newport, r. [.
The Carter was comparatively new
vessal, having been built at Boston in
1890 and was owned by Newport, r. l.,
parties. She was S2S tons register. 1870
feet long and 85 feet beam and was
valued at $50, 600. She was largely
owned in and around Boston and there
| is great doubt whether the vessel was in
sured in any way. Capt. Towne was very
reluctant to talk about the disaster and
took the 1oss of his vessel very much TO
heart. He said that he could have made
this port in safety Friday night in the
dark bat to have lost the schooner in
| broad day light anC in comparatively
calm weather seemed too much for q
man to bear.
Capt. Trundy and the life savers
sighted the Carter rs soon as she struck
on the ledge and put of to the assistance
Of the vessel but their aid was not needed.
| During the afternoon the Belknap went
out to the wreck again and succeeded in
! saving a few articles.