Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-30
GLAD TO REACH HOME.
Two Machiasport Men Wrecked ,snd Rescued
and Again Nearly Wrecked.

Machiasport, Me-. Jan. cit is seldom
that a rescued ships crew barely. escapes
shipwreck on the vessel which saves
them, yet the II men taken from the
schooner Harry 'B. Ritter, which was
abandoned off Barnegat in the memorable
storm of last November. two of whom.
Mate Herbert NJ. Clark and Steward c..
a. Clark. arrived mere, today. narrowly
missed being carried 10 the bottom by the
tramp steamer Anglers. The latter vessel.
after taking off the crew of the Ritter.
just managed to StaSger through a most
severe storm. only four days later.
Mate Clark's narrative of the wreck of
the Ritter. the six days of suffering III
the SchOoner'S flooded cabin, the rescue
by the Anglers and the second encounter
with north Atlantic hurricane, while
only adding one more to Il long list of
ocean disasters, has nevertheless some
interesting features which are worth re-
peatng.
The Harry B. Ritter, which was owned
in Philadelphia, sailed from Fernandina.
Fla. for New York. Nov. 10, with a
cargo Of hard pine. She had hard south
east gales all the way up the coast and
was, therefore. well prepared for the blow
of Nov. 26. yet within an hour after the
gale began. and when she was so miles
off Barnegat, every sail had been torn
from the bolt ropes, and. by O'Clock the
next morning, she had been so strained
by the terrific seas that she was fast
making water.
Two OF the crew had been disabled dur
ing the night, one of them having HIS
arm broken, yet all day the rest of the
men worked at the pumps IN vain at
tempt to free the vessel. To lessen the
strain and prevent her from capslzing.
the main and miZzen masts We're cut
away, and as the vessel appeared TO ride
easier and the water did not gain. the
exhausted crew took refuge in the cabin.
although there was over feet of water
on the floor.
For ciy 6avS tto chixarinU
manned in the little cabin, with only two
cabbages and a turnip to stay the pangs
of hunger and scarcely any water 10
quench their thirst. Finally the mate
anxiety as to. whether their signal of
distress would be seen. the Ritter crew
went nearly wild with JOY as the steam
er's head was turned in their direction.
The steamer proved to be the EngllSn
tramp Anglers, bound from Norfolk TO
London with cargo of bag flour. and
Notwithstanding the heavy sea which was
running, the rescue was bravely accom-
pished.
Four days after the Anglers had taken
off the crew of the Ritter, she ran INTO
another storm which nearly sunk her.
All the life boats were stove in, a ire
mendous sea crushed in her skyIight,
Ooding her cabin and the storeroOm. and
as the water was flung out of the cabin
by the next wave it carried with it nearly
all the ships crockery and several hum
dreds in gold belonging to the captain.
For a day the steamer battled with the
fearful seas which continually swept the
decks and threatened at any moment TO
send her to the bottom. Finally the
weather moderated. but for the remain
der of the voyage the entire ships COM
pany wer forced TO subsist on cruel.
The crew of the Ritter were sent to
this country by the American consul and
two of them. Mate Herbert NJ. Clark and
G. A. Cook. the steward, were very glad
10 get back to their homes. today.