The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-18

some. Up to Q o'clock p. m, there were
no Indications OF such storm as came.
The glass did not seem to be high enough
for northeastern. Generally with such
a northeast wind the glass starts In very
high and drops Witness saw nothing in
the conditions ct D. m. to, prevent n
vessel leaving Boston. He saw vessels
passing up and down the Cape that even
ing. At 10 o'clock the weather was not
bad, and II the weather was the same at
Thatoher's island as at Race Point he
saw nothing that should prevent the
Portland continuing on her course. At
midnight, however, the wind had become
very severe. Witness showed from his
records that the barometer was at e9. 81 at
midnight of the Goth, having fallen from
30.C2 at sunset. Most of this fall came
after ii O'Clock, and the fall was very
rapid. Witness has studied the barome-
Torrance during such weather conditions.
About three o'clock sunday morning
the wind was blowing hurricane.
The question of counsel then brought
out the most interesting testimony Of the
day
ing at foot Of my wife's bed heard
steamers whistle
BLOW FOUR SHORT BLASTS
(Which is the signal of distress). went
out and glanced at the clock. and rang
the gong for the boat" The sound in
dicated that the steamer must have been
of Peaked Hill bar. Witness telepboned
to the Peaked Hill bar station. and then
sent man out to locate the wreck. The
sea was at that time very high, the tide
contributing to make the conditions the
q
o clock in the evening Sunday one OF the
men OF the station came in with life
preserver marked "Steamer Portland.
The man also reported that he had seen
an oil bag such as would be used to
spread oil to calm the sea. The next
morning much wreckage began to come
ashore, apparently belonging TO Tour
were strewn. There was part of q dory
marked Farmer Walker" fishing kits,
spars, and parts of "A steamer painted vel
low with a red deck piece, and wreckage
of the Portland. Witness did not himself
see any OF the wreckage Of the schooner
King Philip. The first body came ashore
at his stationat Z. 80 p. M, Decneber D.
When asked where he thought the
STEAMER PORTLAND FOUNDERED,
the witness replied: "In my opinion
the steamer Portland must have foun-
dered somewhere of Peaked Hill Bar
Life Saving Station, northeast.
Captain VIM. W. Couk, of Province
town. keeper of the Peaked Hill Bar Life
Saving Station for the last three years,
was next called. He 10 another fine spec
linen of Supt Himball's life saving
corps. He told how the greatsstorm came
On that bleak November Saturday night,
until 1t became such Ia hurricane from
a. m. to IL m. Sunday as he never be-
fore saw in his seventeen years experience
on the back side Of Cape Cod The wit
ness described the weather conditions
Saturday evening, and they were such as
not to prevent a vessel leaving Boston for
Portland at p. N.
Sunday morning about 0.45 the eastern
patrolman reported that the sohoonerA Al
bert Butler wassashore. The crew rescued
her five men. At 10 minutes to IL O'Clock
Sunday night patrolman reported that
the undertow was literally lined with the
wreckage of large steamer. Witness
went out but the SAND blew SO that he
went in after picking up STOOL The
Dext morning he went out and found
stools, chairs, cabin doors, firkins of lard,
life belts, axe handles, all
MARKED "STEAMER PORTLAND"
coming ashore in great quantities.
Eben B. Tyler, of Provinoetown, a
mem Der of the crew at Race Point sta
ton, went on duty at s p. IN. Nov. rs,
as surfman, patrolling to the westward.
up aroundlR Race. Point. The. weather was
moderate up to 10 o'clock that night,
when q severe squall of wind burst upon
that region. AT IL O'Clock 1t was snow
ing, and blowing.very hard. On the night
of November ~ witness found doors, tops
Of Wristbands, electric bulbs and other
wreckAge piled up on the beach, scat
tered on the beach for mile and
quarter eastward OF ths station. The top
OF u steamers cabin, about ten feet
square, painted straw color with red on
the inside, (this could not have been
from the Portland, and is supposed to
have belonged TO the PentagoeD came
ashore among the wreckage from the
Portland.
Levi A. Kelly, of the Peaked Hill Bar
station, said that he was on duty on No
vember 26th from sunset to p. III. The
sky was overcast during that time, but
there was not much sea and vessels were
going along TO the westward with fair
wind. There was nothing during this
time, in the witnesses opinion. to deter a
steamer from leaving Boston for Port
lard.
Sunday evening witness saw
LARGE PILES OF WREC KAGE
from the Portland on the beach.
Captain George w. Bunker, OF Port
land, master mariner for forty years, and
now master. of the schooner Alicia b.
Crosby, testified that on November rs he
was bound for Portland, testified that all
day Friday the 25th and Saturday the
26th he was in company with the schoon-
or King Philip. When he tackled OH the
Hue and Cry the King Philip was nearly
abreat off i t. The Hue and Cry is a
ledge outside of Alden's Rock, off Cape
Elizabeth. Witness knew the King Phil
ip very well, and was acquainted with
her master, Captain Duncan. The Alicia
b. Crosby got into Portland and dropped
anch about .45 O'Clock on the disas-
trous Sunday morning.
THE KING PHILIP WAS NEVER
SEEN
after that.
Captain Bunker made Cape Elizabeth
Light, about IS miles off. at s O'Clock
cot,,rIav n{nbt tho och that tina