Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-04
NINE DROWNED.
Schooner SpeedweII Capsized
by SquaII OFF Marquesas.
Nine Of 10 on Board Perish, Inc'ud-
ing One Whole Family.
2enncd in Cabin One Woman Waves Farewell
Through the Skylight.

Key West March 3.-Thc schooner
| Speedwcll. Capt Collier. from Marco,
| Fla. for Key West, was struck by a
sguall, today. while off Marquesas, IS
/ miles from here, and capsized. Nine
persons were drowned, out of 13 all
| told on board. Among the victims
were the three children of Capt. Collier,
| George, Tom and Wilbur, aged respec-
! lively T. and 8, and the entire Nichols
| family, Mr., Bradley Nichols and his
wife, their son and the latter's wife
and Two grandchildren. The family
was from Bridgeport. Conn. Those
saved are Capt Collier Samuel Gates
ana jesse Green, deck hands and II.
W. Bates of Myers. Fla, passenger
The Nichols family are said to have
been we'll to do and been staying for a
month or two at small hotel kept by
Capt. Collier at Marco. and they were
on their way home.
The survivors say the Speedwell.
which was a small vessel of about %
tons, was making slow Roadway. this
mouling. against a head wind About
o'clock. Capt Collier was at the wheel
and the Nichols family and the Col
lier children were asleep in the cabin.
Suddenly a squaI came bowling up
aheam Gates and Green rushed to
take in sail. As the iib tapped loose.
the squal caught the schooner and
blew her clean over on the port side.
Collier. the deck hand, and Mr. Bates
Wer" swept into the seathing sea- but
caught the rigging lust in time to save
themselves. The wind rain and surges
drowned the dying cries of the imprisoned
Nichols family and the Collier children. =
shed oG,aIy- he, nil,
glng.. After being there for two hours
the sea subsiied. Then they got the dingy
loose, haled her cut with a hat, broke
thWart in two pieces, and with these for
oars rQwed toward Marquesas. After go
ing three miles they Were picked up ex-
haused by a fishing sloop and brought
here about o'clock this afternoon
Samuel Gates. one of the survivors. who
was seen al his home here, this evening,
sad: capt Collier has been sailing now
for q years in these waters. He Is NOT
to blame for this awful thing. The solall
came up like nothing ! have ever seen
around Key West. Before we knew it we
We're lifted off our feet and in the water
and as for those poor people down below.
they were penned in like rats. The wife
OF the younger Nichols, as pretty a
woman as ever stepped aboard Ship.
INC rigging. She waved her hand at me
ana that's the last | saw of her When
we got Off two hours later they were all
"Old Mr. Nichols was the only one to
get out of the cabin. l guess he was
washed OH; for. after young Mrs.
Nichols waved her hand at me. | saw
what | thought was the coat of old MIR.
NlCh9ls floating by. Then | saw his hand
ana ! knew it was not merely a coat. we
DID not see thing of the children or
near cry. We had to bale with the hat
an the time We were in the dingy and
often came very near being swamped"
soon after being brought into port cant.
toiilef ana Jesse Green Went out on the
Nacht Huccaneer accompanied by a diver
70 try to recover the bodies