The state herald., 1898-12-02
VESSELS WRECKED.
GALE ON NEW ENGLAND COAST
Seventy Lives Know to Have Been Lost
Many Tugs and schooners Thrown on
tho Rocks.

tho Rocks.
| Boston, Nov. 2S.--It is known detin-
itcly tonight that more than seventy
lives have been lost In the wrecks of
tugs, sclOOners and coal barges dur
Ing the storm OF Saturday night and
Sunday morning. and If the steamer
Portland has also gone down, as now
seems possible, the list of casualties
will rise to 40. with over 100 vessels
Of all descriptions ashore, two score of
them to be wrecks and an unknown
number probably beneath the waves
of Massachusetts bay.
There is scarcely bay, harbor or
inlet from PenObscOt to New London
that has not OH It's shores the bones of
some staunch craft, while all along
Massachusetts bay. and especially
Boston harbor, the beaches are piled
high with the wreckage of sch0Oners
and coal barges.
The record. although hourly length
ening, is still incomplete, for that
TO be heard from.
The annoyance and Inconvenience of
the railroad and street car embargo,
covering the whole of southern New
England. sunk into insignificance be-
fore the story of destruction wrought
by wind and wave, yet 1t will he many
d day before tile full import of the
disaster Is known or even realized.
The islands of Boston harbor are
without exception strewn with wrecks
and wreckage; no less than 20 vessels
are ashore at Gloucester; over 90 in
the supposed safe harbor of Vineyard
Haven parted their anchor chains yes
terday and are high and dry on the
beach; Nantasket beach saw two
schOOners and II coal barge dash TO
pieces on its sands: the rocks of Co
hasset claimed staunch fisherman;
Scituate. Il well known pilot boat:
Manchester. II down-east lumbermnn;
while one tug and three barges, known
to have been between Cape Cod and
Boston. are unaccountcd for and prob
ably lost.
The upper harbors of Boston, Ply
mouth. Salem. Portsmouth, Portland
and other places where vessels We're
supposed to be comparatively safe.
were the scenes Of numerous collisions
between the ships and the wharvcs.
Every life-saving crew performed
deeds OF heroism In rescuing crews
from stranded vessels, and tugboat
captains riskcd life and property in
their endeavOr TO save life.
Tugs returning to this city Mt noon.
after tour of the harbor. report about
thirty-five vessels Of all sizes ashore
or sunk in and near Boston harbor.
Seven large schooncrs and two Balil-
more coal bargcs are completely wreck
ed. II is estimated that between TWEEN
ty-fivc and thirty lives have been lost.
Only one body has yet been recovered.
More than dozen are reported In the
surf at Hull. and efforts are being
made TO recover them. The steamer
Ohio of the Warren line. is high and
dry on Spectacle island. 1t is doubtful
II she can he hoated until channel
has been dug.
The management of the Portland
Steamship Company announced at noon
to-day that they had no information as
TO the whereabouts OF the steamer
Portland which left this city Saturday
night for Portland. She had ninety
seven souls on board
Not until dayligh, did the awful hay.
oc wrought by the storm In Boston har
bor and It's vicinity become apparent
Not since 1852 has storm caused such
Of property and loss OF life
so near the city.
The tugs that started early to-day 10
explore the harbor and offer assistance
where II was needed. found condition
of Affairs almost Unprecedented In the
marine history Of Boston. On every
shoal ana reef In the harbor was
found some wrecked craft over which
a wild sea still dashed, carrying the
vessel higher up on the shore or slow
ly grinding II TO fragments.
Many wrecks were covered with ice.
and this and the fact that terrible
sea was running made 1t impossible to
learn their names.
The raging waters also prevented any
attempt 10 recover bodies known In
he In some Of the wrecks. II N probn-
BILE that II will be several days before
a complete list OF those lost can bc OBJ
tanned.
Al Hull beach. where two largcs and
two schooncrs went ashore. more Than
a dozen bodies were visible In the surf,
hut II was impossible 10 get at them.
Beyond Deer island lies the blg WI.
son liner Ohio and the steamer e. 4.
White Of Taunton, ashore on Spectacle
island. II Is u matter Of surprise To
harbor pilots how the Ohio reached her
present berth. She stands M boldly
without the semblancc Of II list. upon u
hard gravel bottom. In water which N
Hood Hide this morning hardly came To
u level Of the propeller shaft. That she
should bc In such shallow water X due
10 the fact that the tide In which she
went ashore was fourteen feet above
the usual flood tide. with her power.
ful screw churnlng the mud and scv.
eral powerful tugs strained at haw.
scrs over her stern NJ flood tide today
there was no ircmor Of the vessel to
ward the open water.
According to some Of the wrecklne
masters. the only way Ia save III, lin.
or Is by dredging channel for mo
Ohio 10 deep water, hut even this mns,
he done quickly, Ms another gale would
do Incnlculablc damage.