The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-18
Mariners and Life Savers Tell Their
Stories.
Continuation of Hear
ing in U. S. Court.
Testimony Concluded aud CUES.
tiOn of Law Now Follows.

The examination into the loss OF the
steamer Portland was begun again
Wednesday morning In the United States
court before Judge Webb. AS on the pre-
vious Afternoon the testimony was most
interesting recital of the events of Satur-
day and Sunday, November 26th and
2Ith, by those who had the best facilities
for knowing the few facts which have
been obtainable concerning the sad mys-
terry of the steamer and her people. The
attorneys of the company had brought
with great care witnesses from all por-
| lions of the coast between here and Cape
| Cod. The mariners of Cape Ann, of Cape
Cod, and of Casco Bay, the hardy life
savers who guard the deadly prong of
sand which Cape Cod protrudes into the
Atlantic like the sickle of the Grim
Reaper, the lighthouse keepers who IL.
| lumine the uncertain pathway of the
ocean, and sons of the few hardy men
who were on the sea in tho Gulf of Maine
that night and survived Through theiI
own seamanship or the favor of Neptune,
were called in succession to give opinions
and facts about the events of those fear
full hours In November.
Messrs. Libby and Thompson continued
| the line Of inquiry which they had been
pursuing when court adjourned the
night before.
Captain Frank Scripture, of Rockrort,
Mass, told
HOW THE STORM BURST
in tremendous fury over the Cape. He
said the storm seemed to move northeast
trees that were destroyed. Captain Scrip
ture said he went to Pigeon Cove after
O'Clock that night and talked with one
of his captains about the weather. Wit
ness was familiar with the steamer Port
land, and saw no reason why prudent
captain should not take her out that
night. Witnesses house was SO situated
that he could see the Portland
steamer pass each night. 1t usually went
by about 8 o. CLOCK, and no other steameI
to his knowledge ever went by that
course at that time of night. Except for
Uut muir vi passing ohA viz NA~~SsNSA -
proceeding, there was no means of know
ing the steamer, unless by the electric
lights, which were located high on the
Portland. That night six vessels went
ashore at Pigeon Cove and % at
Gloucester. The witness said that never
within his memory had a storm like that
of November rs occurred on Cape Ann.
There WAS nothing during the day to
presage such a storm.
Captain William D. Knowlton, of
Rock ort Mass, master of one II MI.
scriptures steamers, testified that on No
steamer to the Sandy Bay break water.
He had kept watch of the weather dur
ing the day, but saw no signs of Il storm.
In the evening Captain Scripture came
down to ask about the weather. Witness
consulted his glass and expressed the
opinion that there would be no storm.
He consulted the captain of a nearby
three masted schooner. who was of the
same opinion. In witnesses opinion there
was no reason why
PRUDENT CAPTAIN
should not sail at z o'clock that evening.
The storm came after. midnight, with
uncom mon severity. On the shore foul
acres of pine trees, some of them p inches
in diameter, were laid low. During sew
entesn years on the Cape witness had
never seen anything like 1T. The break
water is about fifty feet above the sur
face of the water. and the waves went
over it. tearing huge stones off the top
The storm came on quicker than any 9th
er storm that he ever experienced on the
Cape.
Captain Samuel o. Fisher. of the Race
Point Life station, on the backside Of
Cape Cod, was called next. Captain
Fisher. as BELTS his position and duties,
Is young, strong and resolute looking
man. He has been keeper of that station
eleven years, having been for nine years
previous at the Peaked Hill station. Be
fore that he had been at sea. On Novem-
| Der 26 last he was at his station. The
wind was all around the compass, but
the sea was not rough. In the evening
was cloudy, wind east. barometer 30. OF.
| The weather continued much the same