The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-19
Was Wrecked on the Rose and Crown
Shoals.
Three Men Only OF Grew
Escaped.
They ROwed Long Distance in a
Leaking Dory.

Nantucket, Mass, April Is. The Bever-
ly fishing schooner Eliza, with IA men on
beard, while outward bound from Byan-
mis-, early this morning, struck on Rose
and Crown shoals ten miles east of Sias-
connset and went to pieces before day.
light.
Capt Hopkins and ten men were
drowned, while three OF the crew who
had launched the only boat on board,
after making evtry effort to rescue their
companions, rowed tn Siasconnset and
reported the wreck. The following is q
list of the crew who were drowned;
Capt. Martin Hopkins and his two BROTH
ers, Seth and Emerson; John Matherson
and James Matherson, brothers; Kinsman
smith and Herbert Smith, brothers; Moses
Bethel John Smith, Lenny Smith. cook;
Oscar Hopkins.
Capt Hopkins, his relatives, and Smith
the cook, were from Nova Scotia. oscar
Hopkins was cousin of Capt Hopkins.
The three survivors are Guilford
Doane, Albert Nickerson and George
Miller.
The three men who finally reached
shore, had q perilous trip. as the dory
was badly damaged and one man had
to bail constantly to keep afioat, while
the other two rowed.
They reached Siasconnset this forenoon
and were kindly cared for by the inhabi-
tants Of the little village.
The Eliza was n rail fisherman, and
while carrying as many men as n trawler,
nevertheless had only one boat on board.
fact that undoubtedly accounts for
the great loss of life.
The schooner left Hyannis Monday
evening and made quick run through
the sound andout. 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 schoon-
er any Inconvenience. After passing the
lightship the schooner headed to the
south of east for the great rip and the
fishing grounds. Only one man was on
wind and it is believed that he miscal-
culated the shoal for at o'clock he sud-
denly shouted "breakers ahead
Before any other memb ers OF the crew
could Join him on deck the Eliza struck
the Rose and Crown and with the first
p und 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 to the rigging.
while Doane, Nickersor and Miller got
the dory ready for launching.
According to Doanes story before any
other member of the crew could join the
three men q wave swept the dory OF the
deck. The three fishermen chung to her
desperately and managed to right her, al
thought it was found 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
IL would soon be light and that they
would be seen by the Sankaty light keep
ers who would send liteboat for them.
For four hours the men In the dory
struggled to keep her above water and
that they might rescue their companions
when 1t became light, but when the be-
lated dawn finally arrived the schooner
had gone to pieces. An hour was spent
in fruitiess search among the wreckage.
but none Of the bodies were seen. 1t was
a long, hard row over the rips to Sias-
conpset, and the men were we'll nigh ex-
hausted when they reached shore,
The Eliza was built in Beverly in 1871
and was owned BY her skipper, Capt.
Hopkins.
The three survivors will leave for Bsv.
erly in the morning.