The Portland daily press., 1897-04-10
HOW THE TUCKER WAS LOST.
Capt, S. q. Cakes Tolls About the Wreck
of Fine Portland Barkentine.

SHpUhlu .. ". OAkeS bOlu II ni7o To-
porter yesterday afternoon about the loss
Of the Portland barkentine Payson
Tucker, which went ashore on Spanish
Point, Barbuda island on January 2lst
Captain Cakes has only recently arrived
home from the West Indies and the full
particulars of the wreck Of the barken
tine have never before been published.
The Payson Tucker was largely owned
by J. S. Winslow & Co., aud within five
minutes of the time they heard of thu
fuckers loss, telegram to this firm also
announced the loss of the Isaac Jackson
on the Sound.
Captain Cakes in telling of the loss OF
his ship said: "The Payson Tucker
sailed from Dsmerara on January 16
loaded with sugar and bound for New
York. From the very first day we met
with very disagreeable weather with
frequent squalls and heavy sea and also
great deal of rain. Owing to the bad
weather had been unable to take an
observation. The strong currents and the
heavy sen which had been running all
Any oAA onAdaAJ SVsht pOb Abc SOAolhCluD1
of my course, but did not know that
until afterwards.
Darkness set in early and it was one
of the nastiest nights have ever seen.
1t was as black as indigo, and We were
unable to distinguish objects from one
past two o'clock in the morning the bark
entiDe struck on reef two miles and a
half from the shore of Barbuda island,
ana within twenty minutes the vessel had
broken in two. The sea was making a
clean breech over her decks, apd we were
obliged to take to the boats. The small
boat which hung at the davits was
smashed and after great difficulty we
were allie to launch the big boat which
we carried amidships. In this we made
for sound beach some distance from the
reef on which the Tucker had struck, and
hours afterwards. We got ashore a little
before daylight and found hut in which
a negro lived. He told me that there
were seven hundred negroes on the Island
but only two white men and that the
town was twelve miles away. The negro
took horse and went for assistance, and
came back with plenty Of food aud help.
1T was two days before We could get off
to the wreck of the ucker, but we sue
ceeded In saving 900 odd bags of sugar
out of the cargo. The barkentine broke
up rapidly and in few days there was
very little left of her. The crew went to
Antigua in sail boat and from there
took one OF the Canadian steamships for
New York. They also sent cablegram
to ]. S. Winslow & Co.. which announced
the loss of the vessel.
con the island of Barbuda which is
one of the English group there is no light
house and hundreds of vessels have been
wrecked there within a few years. With
in short distance of the place where my
vessel went ashore, He= Majesty's ship
Grin was lest few years ago. and the
reefs about the island are lined with the
about this island are very treacherous,
and as the island is not very high above
the water it is difficult to distinguish
it in the night time. even when little
distance away. light house should be
built on this island to warn nayiRators
Of it's position on dark mig hts"
Captain Cakes is one of the best known
| master mariners this coast and has an
excellent reputation as a navigator and
successful master. More than that he
comes from a family which has furnished
many captains for Maine vessels and he is
himself, a most courteous and pleasant
gentleman.