The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-02
SWALLOWED UP BY THE SEA
Not n Life Saved From the Steamer
Portland-The Gate City II -Othel
Wrecks by the Storm

Wrecks BY the Storm
Philadelphia, November 3o.-Tne
barge Ocean Belle, which was aoan-
doned November 9th il a sinking con-
dition, ten miles southeast of Winter
Quarter shoal, has been lowed into the
Delaware Breakwater by the tug
North America When the steamer
Orion left the Ocean Belle at nchor
on Sunday it was thought she would
be a total loss.
Boston, November 30.-There appears
to be little basis for apprehension as
to the safety of the steamer Gate City,
Of the Savannah Line. in spite of the
report which reached here last night
hat a life preserver bearing the name
of the steamer had been picked up on
Cape Cod. The steamer Chatta-
hoochee, which arrived here last night
reports having passed the Gate City
off Montauk point, Long Island, at
$3.50 o'clock Monday afternoon and that
there was nothing amiss with the Sa-
vannah Liner, as far as could be OBJ
served. The storm was over at the
time the Gate City was seen by the
Chattahoochee, and in all probability
SAA~ a. S1A% NAA ANA NASAAs
Savannah, Ga, at this time.
The Cromwell Line steamer Hudson,
from New Orleans, November 23rd, ar
i've today after a very stormy pass
age. She reports that she sighted a
Savannah Lin steamer bound south
| yesterday at 3 o'clock p. m, about
thirty miles south of Sandy Hook.
This may be the steamer Gate City,
| which sailed from Boston on Saturday.
The steamer Orion, Captain Smith.
reached here this morning, after an
eventful voyage from Newport News,
during which she lost the barges Ocean
Belle, for Providence, and the Enos
Soule, for this port. The crew of the
Ocean Belle, four men, were saved. The
fate Of those on the Soule is not
known.
The Orion, with her tow, ran into the
heavy blizzard on Sunday morning
about twelve miles south-sOutheast
from Winter Quarter shoal and, being
buffeted about for some time, the
Ocean Belle. opened in the seams and
began to fill rapidly. The steamer sue
ceeded with difficulty in taking off the
four men. In the meantime the Enos
SOule had drifted away and although
the steamer searched in the vicinity for
some time, she was unable to locate
her.
Boston, November 3O.-The steamer
| OllO. NllIcH went ashore OH spectacle
island during Saturdays storm, was
f1oated by five tugs this afternoon and
brought to her dock. 1t is thought
she is not badly damaged.
THE WRECK OF THE PORTLAND.
Provincetown, Mass, November 3d.
The steamship Portland, plying be-
tween Boston and Portland, was sWal-
lowed by the sea in last Sundays
storm off High Head. Of all the ships
company of about 120 souls, not one
| survives and the story of the disaS-
ter will never be told. Sixteen bodies
have come ashore and it is not likely
| that many more will be recovered.
One feature of the disaster is the
absence of any fragment of a life boat
or life raft among the varied mass of
! wreckage from the Portland which has
been washed ashore during the last
three days along the beach from High
Head station to Chatham. Up to a
late hour today no n had reported
finding any of the POrtland's boats.
Several pieces of white painted oars
were picked up at various points.
One theory is that the boats and
life RATS were carried far out to sea
and were not blown anywhere near
this coast. Old mariners say they can
not understand why the steamer
which about 9 o'clock Saturday night,
just before the gale broke out in it's
| full fury, was sighted between
Thatcher's island and Eastern point,
Cape Anne, by the schooner Maude S.
did not put into Gloucester harbor
when it was apparent from the fall of
| the barometer that a violent northeast
storm was approaching. Why the Port
land ever left Boston at all Saturday
night is what puzzles men IN the Cape
| Cod shore.
1t was off Thatcher's island hat the
Portland was last reported before she
went to her doom. There are many
theories offered in explanation of how
the vessel reached a point near the
tip enc of Cape Cod. Although the
exact location of where she went to
pieces will probably never be known.
1t is generally believed here that the
wreck occurred at a point about ten
| or perhaps fifteen miles north of Peak
| ed Hill bars, which would be from
forty-five to fifty miles from where
she vas sighted by the Maude 5. The
tremendous seas which she must have
encountered off Cape Anne undoubted-
ly damaged her and when Captain
Blanchard saw that he could proceed
no further eastward, it was thought
by some that he resolved to make for
the open to avoid the dangers along
the coast.
The watches found ON the bodies
had nearly all stopped between 10 and
IL o'clock.