Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-28
DERELICT CRAFT.
An Increasing Danger to the Coasting
Trade.
Dozens Of Abandoned Wrecks Noted During
the Past Few Weeks.

to shipping is the question which is
being asked by many of the captains
who come up the Kennebec, not a few
of whom have seen the wrecks them
selves
The frequency of the reports made by
the coastwise captains of derelict ana
abandoned vessels shows that the
number Of such now on the high seas
has increased to great extent during
the past year. Shipping men are be-
coming alarmed at the danger so con-
stantly menacing their property, ana II
is understood that there will soon De
movement set on foot to ask govern
ment aid that the sea be freed OF It's
wreckage.
An examination of the pilot charts
shows that wrecks in a greater number
than ever before known are ailoat De
tween the thirty-eighth and fiftieth
parallel of north latitude. Within the
past two weeks II dangerous derelicts
have been sighted by different cap
tains.
Some of the Maine cities have an in
creasing foreign trade. Then the coast
wise trade. in which vessels of com
paratively light construction are III
common use, is even more endan-
eered than where the big merchant
men are engaged
The latter. after passing through the
belt of wreckage near the coast, pursue
their voyage over a clear road. In the
case of the lumber schooners, however.
which follow the Gulf stream. the dan
ger is one which has only of late been
thoroughly estimated at its real value
For instance. a vessel from Philadel-
phia for Tampa. New Orleans, or Gulf
hulks on her short voyage. In the mar
row channel. through the maZc of
small islands and reefs constituting
the dreaded Florida Keys, there may
loom up at any moment before the
bows of the imperiled craft Il ghost of
the mighty deep. the first contact with
which might send the ship to the bot
tom.
Navigators are searching anXiously
for some remedy TO apply to the situa-
ton Since the war with Spain the
government has done little or nothing
TO rid the sea of its perils.
Formerly the dynamite cruiser Nesu
vius did good work on the North Allan
tic sea coast. The Nesuvius, equipped
with her deadly guns, destroyed many
wrecks off the coast of North Carolina
which had given passing vessels many
close brush.
When war came. however, both We're
called away and now luckless naviga-
tors have seen the day arrive when
this peculiar danger has been multi
Piled. To the casual observer it would
seem that it has been exaggerated
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pared with the immensely of the
mighty deep, it would appear that the
probability of striking drifting ship
would be about on a par with the find
ing of the proverbiaI needle in the hay
stack. but such is far from being the
case.
The sea has its roads of travel which
are as sharply defined as Water street
Ta.ic The official report Of miles run
on trip by any one of the transatlan
tic liners and compare the same month
by month. Seldom will they show d
is practically nothing on d voyage of
5000 miles and shows that they go
time. On the same lines the situation
may be compared to placing several
wagons without lights on the length Of
Water street, and, on a dark night. at
tempt to drive through them at full
speed.
Vessels bound south pursue course
as on a country road and seemingly,
by strange coincidence, the derelicts
line up in single file in the same dan
gerous path.
tits understood that a move is being
agitated in shipping circles in the
larger cities to ask Of the government
the detail Of the Nesuvius and two
other vessels not specified, which Will
cruise for these Jonahs of the ocean.
When to the derelicts are added II
immense iron buoys which have brok-
en- adrift from their mornings and are
off on independent cruises, slight
idea may be obtained of these dan
gers. Many stories have been told of
harbreadth escapes made in the dead
of night and of which the passengers
knew absolutely nothing.
Until these dangers are removed,
navigation of the North Atlantic, al
ways perilous at best, will be a con-
slant menace to all who go down to
the sea in ships.
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