Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-11
PORTIA WRECKED.
Goes on Films Island, IS
Miles East Of Halifax.
All Hands Are Saved. III in All, In
GLIDING 80 Passengers.
Steamer a Total loss-Bound from New
York for Halifax.

ger steamer Portia, which for some
years has been engaged in the old es-
tablished Red Cross Line service be-
tween New York, Halifax and St.
Johns, N. F., tonight, met with a dis
aster to the westward of Halifax har-
Dor, which will in all probability end
| her career. That the disaster was not
attended by more serious consequences
was due to the GOODNESS and good man.
agement of the steamers officers and
the readiness with which their orders
were obeyed by the large number Of
passengers on board. for though the
steamer lay in a perilous position on an
isolated shoal, enveloped by a dense fog
and none able to tell where they had
struck and the danger Of the surround
| ings necessitated the abandonment of
the steamer. 40 minutes after she ran
| on the rocks, every soul on board was
placed safely in the ships boats and
| all succeeded in reaching shore with
out the loss of a single life.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock. tonight the
startling news of the wreck of the Por-
tia was received in Halifax by tele-
phone from Sambro village. Capt Far
roll and a boats crew had landed at
Sambro after all the passengers. Off
GERS and men had been comfortably
housed on Inner Sambro island. There
are only two houses or inner Sambro,
but the occupants OF these quickly
turned out TO receive the large ship
| wrecked party. numbering all told III
people, but though the accommodations
are meaGre for such a crowd there was
good shelter for all for the few hours
they would be compelled TO remain on
the island till help arrived from the
lefty.
Full particulars of the wreck had not
been received in Halifax. up to mid
| night but from the facts that have
been learned it is known that there is
little likelihood that the steamer will
be saved from complete destruction and
the prospect of securing any of the
cargo on board is also very slight. The
spot where the Portia struck is known
as Big Fish shoal, which lies about a
mile and a quarter southwest of Sam
bro light and half mile to the east of
Inner Sambro island. The weather was
extremely thick at the time and there
was heavy southwest swell on the
sea.
The Portia, which left New York, at
o'clock, schedule time, Saturday
afternoon, probably arrived off the
mouth of the harbor a couple Of hours
before RUNNING on the shoal and it is
supposed that when that misfortune
came upon her she was proceeding at
slow speed owing to the impenetrable
mist which hung upon the water.
1t is believed that Capt. Farrell mis-
took his position when he heard the
| bomb signals at Sambro light, which
sound every 20 minutes and which
Capt. Clarke of the Red Cross teamer
Silvia says are so misleading that it
is extremely difficult to locate a ships
position on hearing them.
Sambro light was on the Portals
starboard bow. mile and a quarter
distant, when she pounded on the Big
Fish shoal. while to place her in safe
position the light should have been on
the port bow. 1t was $50 when she
struck the rocks. She began to make
water Immediately. and, at $50 O'Clock,
Capt. Farrell concluded that it was I'M
safe to remain any longer on board.
| Orders were then given to lower the
! boats. which were already filled with
passengers and manned by the crew
and in few minutes the entire ships
company was floating on the heavy
| rolling sea and steering eastward, in
which direction it was known that
mainland lay.
The fleet of lifeboats, keeping close
together made Inner Sambro in less
than three-quarters of an hour and
| their occupants We're soon housed.
From Inner SambrO to the mainland
is only a short distance and as soon as
! Capt. Farrell found that everybody
| from the steamer was safe and sound
he started for Sam5ro village, whence
he dispatched the advices of the wreck
| When the steamer struck most of the
! passengers We're on deck, despite the
! dampnesS of the surroundings, all
eagering peering into the dense mist
endeavoring to catch sight of some evil
dence of land or civilization. The Por-
tia took the shoal with dull, grinding
shock that sent a thrill from stem to
stern and brought all on deck to their
| feet in alarm, while all below hurried
| into the open air in terror to learn
what had happened.
| The steamer came to a sudden stop
and the engines, which We're immedi-
ately reversed, refused to pull her off.
In the long strong swell her stern
moved gently up and down, but her
bow held immOvably to the rocks. The
water came in so fast below that few
minutes were lost before the lifeboats
were made ready to abandon the ship
and when her commander found her
filling so rapidly that the lives of the
people on board We're becoming i'm
perilled he gave the orders to make for
the shore. Few of the passengers VEN
tured below to recover their valuables
after they learned that they were in
danger and it is reported that none Of
them saved their ordinary belongings
| The Portia had'an unusually large num-
/ Der of passengers on board and her state
rooms were crowded. The passenger list
was lost. as well as all the ships papers.
unless they can be later recovered, and
the names cannot be ascertained here, to-
night. AS there were III people all told
on board. it is estimated there We're at
least 50 passengers. practically all sum-
mer tourists on a pleasure trip.
AS soon as the news of the wreck was
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