The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-16

were out on the beach at Simonton's
Cove, and found the shore strewn with
wreckage. These men knew that a wreck
had occurred not far away and the news
spread rapidly. By seven O'Clock the shore
was lined with people. From all parts of
Willard and the Cape came carts and men
and the wreckage was gathered into piles
and hauled away for fire wood. Some of
the men went out in their dories and
rowed about the Ship channel picking I'D
the floating masts, and heavy timbers,
towing them to the beach, where they
were hauled up high and dry to be con :
verified into fire wood later on. All day
long the work went on along the Cape
shore. By dark every man had big pile
of drift wood which was guarded by
small boys who took great delight in the
way the piles grew. Despite the drizzle
and the heavy fog great many people
Journeyed over to Simonton's Cove to get
look at the beach. The fog was SO thick
that 1T was impossible to discern the
shores of Cushing's island across the
channel, but the mass of planks and
bers floating in on the heavy seas
showed the direction in which the wreck
lay. Dories moved as shadowy outlines
through the fog seaward. Every point of
rocks bore its pile of broken timbers and
all along the shore men were hard at
work hauling out of the water the large
pieces of wood from the wreck and piling
it up beyond the reach of the tide. The
scene at Simonton's Cove where several
of the larger spars were drawn high and
dry upon the sand with the whole shore
line strewn with wreckage was a most
grewsome one and had depressing effect
upon all who Sd " it..
At about eight O'Clock Captain Trundy
of the life saving station at the Twin
lights, was notified of the wreck, and
with one of the large surf boats placed on
wagon hurried along the muddy roads
to point opposite Cushings Point. Here
the surf boat was launched and the life
savers pulled across the channel to the
opposite shore Little was left to mark
the spot where the Susan P. Thurlow had
met her end. Captain Trundy and his
men hurried around the island to the
wharf on the Portland side and landed.
They went up to the scene of the wreck
and did all they could to secure the bodies
of the drowned men. About this time
the tow boats from the city began to put
in an appearance. Among them was the
Cornelia, and her crew performed va liant
service in getting the bodies. Two other
bodies, making five in all, were found by
the time that Captain Trundy and his
men mad reached the island. The bodies
were taken across the island in cart and
placed in Captain Trundy's boat and
brought to this city.
When the life saving boat rowed up the
harbor through the fog and rain about
two O'Clock yesterday afternoon big
crowd had assembled on Custom House
wharf to get view of the bodies of those
who were lost. lit was the worst sight
I ever saw in my life,' said one of those
who saw this scene. ''It made me sick
and faint and even stronger men than l
am who were on that wharf will never
forget what they saw there.
Undertaken Rich was on hand and by
orders of Mayor Randall took charge of
the bodies Of Captain Helgersen and his
crew.
The scene in Undertaken Rich's rooms
after the arrival of the five bodies, in the
afternoon, was one of impressive sadness.
Side by side on a stretcher lay the bodies
of ~ Mate Mclean and Seaman Largade,
the former almost entirely nude and the
latter clad in thick clothing and suit
of oilskins. The seaman's oilskin has
was still tightly held in place by the strap
beneath his chin. One foot was enoased
in rubber boot the other boot had eth
er been torn off by it's contact with the
rocks, or removed by him in his attempt
to free himself from it's encum brance.
The mates trousers and stockings, torn
almost to shreds, were turn wrong side
out over the boots and they, too, were cut
and torn His left arm was broken above
the wrist.
Near them was third stretcher bear
ing the corpse of Seaman Philip Mead.
He was dressed in heavy wooden clothing
and pair of overalls. His boots had
been removed in his hastyspreparation to
struggle for his life.
In the workroom adjoining were the
corpses of Capt. Helgersen and Cook
Nickles. Both were entirely naked when
taken from their watery graves. All the
bodies were more or less bruised. but
those of the captain and cook Jared the
worst. Both bones in the captains right
leg were fractured, just below the knee.
There were several bad cuts in his head,
one of the wounds penetrating the skull.
There were also few slight wounds on
his back and shoulders. He was a robust,
WE'LL built young man.
The cook, the Oldest member of the
crew, was small of stature and wore a
full beard. The top of his head had evil
IDENTIFY come in frequent contact with the
jagged ledge of Cushing's point, for the
skull was punctured in many places