The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-06
7 HEIR LIVES In DANGER.
Crews Of Three Barges Drifting at
Sea in Peril.
NINETEEN MEN AND TWO WOMEN
ON THE LOST BARGES.

stea roer Katahdin Arrived Here Ycster-
day and Reported Tow Lost Dur ing
the GaIe-GalIant Revenue Cutter
Woodbury., Captain bennett, Gone
in search of the Lost Barges.
Sunday nights storm may result in the
loss Of more life along this coast. The
first disaster reported yesterday afternoon
was when the big steamer Katahdin, from
the great lakes arrived here from tho east
ward.
The Katahdin Is one of those immense
freight carriers so often seen on the Great
Lakes, fat bottomed, light of draught
and with her engines in house. we'll aft.
She Ia built of iron and although con-
structed for rough weather in the Great
Lakes, where they have plenty of it, she
was not calculated to stand many of the
terrible storms which have been prevalent
along this coast since the sun crossed the
line.
The Katahdin reported here that she
had lost three barRes at sea at five o'clock
yesterday morning while the wind was
blowing with hurricane force from east
southeast The big steamer hung on to
her tow all through tho terrible night,
but in the morning when the wind was
at its worst and the sea was running
mountains high the hawser parted and
the barges which were light were lost in
the thick snow storm.
There were three of these barges which
were being hauled to New York by the
Katahdin. where all these vessels We're to
be employed in the coal carrying trade by
the Atlantic Transpor tation company.
They were all from the Great Lakes and
were named as follows: W. d. Becker.
Thomas Parker and W. ID. Alverson.
There were seven persons on board each
one of these barges. On two OF the barges
there were women cooks. The barges
wers well provided with charts, pro-
visions and boats, and when Captain
were making fairly good weather of it
considering the heavy sea.
Captain Melvin told the representative
of the PRESS that he Joined the Katah :
din in Ogdensburg, N. T., on Lake On
tario and brought the three barges towed
| and out of the st. Lawrence to Halifax.
Up to reaching Halifax, the steamer and
her tow had been having very comfort
able time of it. Saturday noon the
Katahdin left Halifax and at eight
O'Clock Sunday night ran into the gale.
Being fat bottomed steamer the Katah-
din pounded about on the big seas not a
| little, and the captain, who is an expert
enced pilot along this coast, said it was
about as rough as anything he has ever
been out in. The barges were being
| dragged along at the end Of twenty
fathDms of ten inch hewser About five
o'clock yesterday morning while it was
showing heavily the barges broke adrift
The Katahd1n tried to locate them, but in
the heavy gale and thick snow storm
could not do So When Captain Melvin
made up his mind that he had lost the
barges be headed the steamer for Portland
and arrived here shortly after three
O'Clock. Captain Melvin at once tele
graphed to the owners of the loss of his
tow and located them as best he could
He though last night that the company
would probably send out tow boats from
Portsmouth and Boston to hunt for the
barges.
Captain Melvin went to Captain Den
nett Of the revenue cutter Woodbury.
which was lying at Randall & McAllis.
tors wharf and told him his tale of woe
Captain BENNETT adv ised Capt. Melvin of
the Katahdin to send out some tug boats
af err the ges and said he would 60 out
at once himself and look for them. The
Woodbury. had only just returned from
her long cruise after the steamer Portland
and was without coal and provisions for a
long cruise. Captain bennett gave hurry
up orders to the cutters officers and crew
and the way they took the GOAL and water
aboard the steamer was sight to behold.
At dark with the barometer dropping
steldily, and the indications all pointing
to ssyers southwest gale the Woodbury.
was rFady or sea and started out in the
teeth of tie threatening weather in an
endeavtr to locate the barges and save the
lives of The men and women on beard of
them 1t meant night of peril and ex-
posure to rough weather for the Wood
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