The Portland daily press., 1898-11-30
MANHATTAN ARRIVES SAFELY.
saw Nothing of Portland But Much
Wreckage.

Saw Nothing OF portland But Much
Wreckage.
At s. 30 o'clock yesterday afternoon the
steam er Manhattan of the Maine Steam
ship line, came sailing into port and
awaiting her on the dock was crowd of
interested spectators who gave the crew
and passengers warm welcome and at
once made inquiries touching the events
of the trip. Capt. John Bennett who
commands the steamer, was asked by a
reporter of the PRESS what incidents
occurred during the passage and made the
following very interesting statement:
when the hour of sailing, p. M. on
Satur day. arrived, it was blowing a
henvy northeast gale in New York and
there was a binding snow storm. We
laid over until Sunday morning when at
ten o'clock we sailed for Portland. We
proceeded down into Long island sound
where we found the gale SO heavy and the
snow so thick that we thought it best to
return TO City Island where we anchored
and laid until p, nj. that day and then
got underway and proceeded on the trip.
The wind at the time, was blowing
heavily from the north, northeast, al
though the snow had lighted up little.
We came along all right until reaching
Sow and Pigs lightship, when we found
steamer ashore on the reef We laid by
four hours and forty minutes in hopes
that We might save some of them after it
r<nf dow 1irh R,r+ xr,nn 10 hxcE "a
crew from the life saving STATION boa rded
here. The steamer proved TO be the Fair
fax of the Merchants and Miners Trans
portation company. We next travelled on
over the shoals and found the Tarpa uline
lightship gone about four miles from her
station and the Pollock Rip lightship al
SO gone, SO it was decided to turn round
and proceed back to the Vineyard and
we anchored there Monday noon.
About four clock Tuesday morning
we got underway again to Portland
where we arrived without further delays
at g. 10 p. m. From where we got UNDER
way at City Island to Tarpaulin cove We
saw seven vessels ashore and one steamer
the Fairfax. At the Vineyard we found
forty sail ashore and some had lost all
hands. They were all piled up in heap
and we're mass of ruins.
One vessel broke away from Falmouth
and striking on the Middle Grounds
capsized and all the crew were lost. An
other vessel, belonging down on the Ken
nebec went ashore to the south OF Cottage
City dock and all were lost
"A three masted schooner, loaded light,
went through the steamers dock at the
head of Vineyard harbor and landed on
the beach, high and dry. The barkentine
Slade was seen in the harbor of Vineyard
with her bows all stove in, while five
vessels lay in the hurbor sunk and with
all their masts gone.
'sFrom the Vineyard up it was clear
sailing, but four vessels were seen ashore
at EGgartown on the beach. At about o. 80
a. M, Tuesday we were abreast of Peaked
Hill bars just about nine miles from
Highland lighthouse near which the
steamer Portland was reported to be
wrecked. At the time there was heavy
easterly swell, but no vessels of any de-
scrip5ion were in sight. and nowhere
around could there be seen the slightest
evidence of any wreckage. This is h bad
placs. Peaked Hill has the reputation of
drowning as many people as any spot on
the face of the sea. 1t is hard sandy,
gravelly bar, and there are some places
on it where the water is very shoal
having depth of only about three feet
1t may be this is the very spot where the
Portland met with her disaster, after
which she was driven by the fury of the
gales to the Highland light. This is
very likely, especially if she had the cur
rent out and it was ebb tide, she would
most naturally have drifted right down
against the cosst near the lights.
s'Not so much as q board did ne see in
the vicinity just named, though we kept
a sharp lookout there for men in boats
who were lucky enough to get away fro m
any wrecks.
after passing Highland lights on our
way to Portland, we saw one fisherman
with sails gone in part trying to get to |
Cape Ann as was supposed. Another |
fisherman with sails gone was being |
towed by one of the ocean steamers whose |
name could not be learned. These were
the only sails we saw after leaving High |
land lights until we reached Portland |
when we passed large feet of vessels |
sailing into the harhOr ~