The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-12-01
The Exact Number Not Known, but Is Es-
tlmated at Over One Hundred.
Not a Fragment Of a Lifeboat or
Liferaft Among the Debris From
the Inflated Vessel Which Has
Been Washed Ashore - The
Theory Prevails That They
Were Carried Out to Sea and
Not Blown Anywhere Near the
Coast.

lowed by the sea in last Sundays storm
off Highead. OF all the ships COM
pany of over 100 souls, not one sur
vived, and the story of the disaster will
never be told. Sixteen bodies have
come ashore, and it is not likely that
many more will be recovered.
Nearly every sea captain and mariner
on the Cape, on being asked for an opin-
ion, states that everyone on board un-
doubtedly was lost. One feature of
the disaster is the absence of any frag-
merits of a lifeboat or life raft among
the debris from the Portland, which
has been washed ashore. One theory
is that the boats and life RATS were
carried far out to sea, and were not
blown anywhere near the coast.
Old mariners say they cannot under
stand why the steamer, which, about
o'clock Saturday night, just before the
gale broke in its full fury, was sighted
between Thatchers Island and Eastern
Point, Cape Ann, by the schooner
Maude N, did not put into Gloucester
harbor when it was apparent from the
fall of the barometer that violent
nCrtheaster was approaching. Why
the Portland ever left Boston at all
The exact number of persons who
were carried away from Boston by the
Portland will probably never be known,
as no list of passengers was retained
on shore when the vessel left Satur-
day. Many estimates Of the number
on board have been made, but the esti-
mates seldom agree. c. F. Williams of
Boston, agent Of the Portland Steam
ship Company, places the total number
of persons on the steamer at 100, or
possibly 1O5. This estimate, however,
is generally regarded as rather small.
It has been stated that the number was
as high as 155, but Mr.. Williams De-
MES that 60 many sailed on the Port
land. It is srobable that 120, includ-
ing passengers; and crew, is near the
correct number.
The crew of the Race Point Life Saw
ing Station which is located at the tip
of Cape Cod, report that on Sunday
morning, during the hight of the storm,
they heard four sharp whistles from a
steamer, which were recognized as a
danger signal. The signal was heard
at about 7:45 o'clock, and the crew
hastily manned the boats to give as
sistance, If possible. The weather was
SO thick that it was impossible to see
any distance off shore. The crew
could locate no steamer, and the blasts
of the whistle were heard only once.
The men are now of the opinion that it
came from the Portland sometime be-
fore she foundered, for it is generally
believed that she went to the bottom,
and was not wrecked by going on
shore
The absence of any large sections OF
wreckage from the Portland on the
coast is accounted for by the theory
that the hull itself went to the bottom.
The largest piece of wreckage reported
up to sunset was a piece about thirty
feet long. Before the Inflated steamer
took her final plunge the passengers and
crew 1t would seem, adopted all means
at their command to save their lives.
as is shown by the large number of life
preservers and belts found among the
first portions of the wreckage.
The first body from the wreck came
ashore at High Head, which is a few
miles further down the outer coast of
the Cape from the Peaked Hill station.
The next bodies found were picked up
at points further south on the same
day, and the life preservers, woodwork,
two or three pieces of baggage. lard,
tobacco, paper and other stuff from the
cargo began to pile up on the shore
south of High Head. Little wreckage
was found north of that point. The
swift undertow off shore carried an inn
ntense amount of debris and many
bodies south as far as Mononomoy
Beach and Nantucket Sound. The
northern limit indicates that the wreck
was near High Head
Large numbers of volunteers. includ-
ing several persons who had friends or
relatives on board the steamer. assist
ed the surf men in patrolling the
beaches. From the tip end of Cape
Cod to Mononomoy there are ten Gov
eminent life saving stations, and all
the crews have been on duty almost
constantly since last Saturday evening.
when the great blow set in. On Mon-
day and yesterday several bodies were
sighted in the surf some distance from
shore, but they disappeared from view
before they could be secured.
The body of man at an undertaking
room here is supposed to be that of
william Mosher, a business man of
Gorlam. Me. A body supposed to be
of the Portland, came ashore off Nauset
yesterday
The schooner King Philip of Fall Riv-
er has been totally wrecked on the
Cape. The crew, probably numbering
ten men, have been lost. The schoon-
er was of 1,224 tons gross register.
THE STORMS FEARFUL HAVOC.
BOSTON, Nov. 30.--News of the loss
of the Boston and Portland Steam
Packet Company's steamer Portland.
off Cane Cod. and the death of more
than 100 persons, comprising the pas
sengers and crew of the steamer, and
news from hitherto unheard of ports
on Cape Cod showing that at least q
score and half of vessels were wreck
ed along that shore, with the loss OF
twelve lives, has come as a dire climax
to the previous report Of disasters re
sulting from Saturday nights storm
There are still other places to be heard