The Portland daily press., 1898-02-07
PURITAN'S HARD LUCK.
Runs into Two Sunken Wrecks in
Portland HarbOr.
NOW CAREENED AGAINST PIER ON
THE CAPE SHORE.

Started to leave Portland Yesterday
Yeste rday when She Ran Into a Sunk
en- scow and the Submerged Wreck OF
the Arco.a-Damage Will Re $500.
Schooner Puritan of Gloucester, Capt.
G. w. Geel, which came into port last
Friday with her flag at.half mast over the
loss Of one of her crew which happened
in the recent storm, an account of which
was given in AN issue of the PRESS,
yesterday added another chapter to the
list of misfortunes which seems to be
pursuing this Inflated schooner. SO much
SO as to lend force to the captains sug-
gestive remark that disasters come to
vessels not less than to individuals, not
singly, but in heap For the past few
days the Puritan has been laying at
Custom House wharf unloading a fish
cargo, mostly halibut, which was sold to
John Willard, and about O'Clock yester-
day morning she set sail for Gloucester,
Mass, having on board about 1000 or
1900 pounds of salt fish and 35 hogsheads
of salt, besides a big lot of ship provisions.
There were II men in the crew, and be-
fore the schooner had got fairly started
on her return trip, when under1 full sail
and moving at the rate Of about four
knots an hour, she struck the southern
end of the old scow which for several
days past has been laying just off the
slip on the Cape Elizabeth side of the
horhor TT wac pearIv hfoh lido of tho
time and the scow was submerged with
no buoy to markSits resting place.
The Puritan struck on the starboard
bow with so much force as to fairly lift
the bow and for two OF three minutes
was actually pinned to the scow. She
then backedi off and began to rapidly fill
with water, and later Investigation
proved that as result of the strike she
had stove hole in her bottom nearly as
large as barrel head and in addition had
broken two knees.
The captain saw at once that the safety
of Gil on board depended on beaching the
schooner without delay, and having sails
already set, with favoring winds, made
for the Cape shore. So rapidly was the
vessel at this time filling with water that
the cook, who had come on deck to find
out what had happened, on returning be-
low found himself in water above his
knees.
The Puritan made good headway but
Just before reaching Lewis, Chase &
WhIttens wharf, near the ferry landing,
she plungodsinto the hulk Ascola, another
submerged wreck. The bow got pinned
into the old wreck and an att -mpt was
at once made to get her on even keel by
stretching halyards from the nasts to the
wharf near by on one side, and to the
mainland on the other. This was in.
effectual and with the receding tide the
schooner listed, careened against the pier
and there she remains.
At the moment of the accident the ferry
boat Elizabeth City blew it's whistle and
the fire tug Cornelia FASTENED to the
scene 1t was decided that any attempt
to pump the water out of the schooner
would be useless as she would fill again
on high tide. The crew saved most CT
their clothing and it was taken Off the
vessel and packed away in the store
house near the wharf. The cargo was of
course all water soaked. Besides the cap
tain those on board were Dite Simmons,
Simon Perry. Fred Geel, Sam Decost,
Charles Dickinson, Charles Gustavason,
Howard Martin, Luger Amero, James
Lynch, Paul Potta and Simon Merchant
The Puritan is eaton schooner and is
owned for the most part by Cunningham
& Thompson OF. Gloucester, Capt. Geel
being a fourth owner.
Capt. GeeI, who was seen by repre-
sentative of the PRESS at the Eagle
hotel last evening, ..had no definite infor-
nation as to the amount OF insurance.
He estimated the damage, however, at
S140o or $500, as the schooner is severely
strained from stem to stern. The captain
thinks that after patching the bottom
the schooner will be taken to the railway
for repairs and in the meantime, awaiting
instructions, he has furled sails and cleared
decks, leaving two watchmen in charge.