Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-19
ELEVEN LOST.
Loss of Fishing Schooner Eliza
of Beverly, Mass.
Goes Ashore, Early Tuesday Morning,
on Rose and Grown Shoals.
But Three Saved Most OF Crew Asleep When
the Vessel Struck.

Nantucket, April lS.-The Beverly
fishing schooner Eliza. with IA men on
board, while outward bound from Hy-
anniS. early this morning. struck on
Rose and Crown shoals, 10 miles east
of SiascOnnet, and went TO pieces be-
fore daylight. Capt. Hopkins and 10
of his men We're drowned. while three
of the crew who had launched the only
boat on board. after making every eff
fort to rescue their compa Mons. rowed
to Siasconset and reported the wreck.
The following is a list of the members
of the crew who We're drowned:
capt. Martin Hopkins and his two
brothers Seth and Emerson: John Ma
therson and James Matherson.
brothers: kinsman Smith and Herbert
Smith. brothers; Moses Bethel. John
Smith. Lenny Smith. cook: Oscar Hop
kins. capt. Hopkins. his relatives and
Smith the cook. were from Nova
Scotia. Oscar Hopkins was cousin
OF Capt. Hopkins.
The three survivors were Guilford
Doane Alberta Nickerson and George
Miller.
The three men who finally reached
was badly damaged. and one man had
to bail constantly to keep her afloat,
while the other two rowed. They
reached Siasconset. this forenoon. and
were kindly cared for by the inhabi-
tants of the little village.
The Eliza was rail fisherman. and
while carrying as men as trawler,
nevertheless had only one boat on
board. a fact that undoubtedly ac-
counts for the great loss of life
The schooner left Hyannis, Monday
evening, and made a quick run through
the sound and out past Great Round
Shoal lightship. The night was clear.
but a heavy sea. the relic of the north
west gale of the day, was running, al
though not sufficient to cause the
schooner any Inconvenience. On pass
ing the lightship the schooner headed
TO the south of east for the great rip
and the fishing grounds.
only one man was on the deck as the
vessel ran off before the wind, and it
is believed that he miscalculated the
shoal, for at l o'clock, he suddenly
shouted. Breakers ahead" Before
any other members Of the crew could
join him on deck the Eliza struck the
Rose and Crown and with the first
pound an enormous hole was broken in
her bottom. while the waves swept
over her from stem to stern. Capt.
Hopkins shouted to the men to take 10
the rigging. while Doane. Nickerson
ana Miller made the dory ready for
launching.
According to Doane's story. before
~,
join the three men. a wave swept the
dOry off the deck The three fisher
men. however chung to her desperately
and managed to right her. although it
was found that she was leaking badly
The dory was rowed back to the
schooner and an attempt made to take
off the other members Of the crew. but
Capt. Hopkins refused to go. saying
that it would soon he light and that
they would b. seen by the Sankaty
who would send a lfeboat
for them.
For four hours the men in the dory
struggled to keep her above water and
that they might rescue their compan-
ions when it became light. but when
the belated dawn finally arrived the |
schooner had gone to pieces. An hour
was spent in fruitless searching among !
the wreckage, but none of the bodies |
were seen.
1t was long hard row over the rips !
to SiaSconset, and the men were well !
nigh exhausted when they reached
shore.
The Eliza was built in Beverly in
1877, and was owned by her skipper
Capt. Hopkins. /
The three survivors will leave for
Beverly, in the morning.
Five fbpucanl Indians J;ccat;cGa1