The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-29


land was wrecked. In the course of an
interview last night Captain Thomas
OF the Maud 5 described how his crew
hooked on to the Portland wreckage.
He said the travis had been set about
600 feet apart on line running north
and south. They covered a range OF 240O
feet or so, and when each was pulled
into a dory some portion of the wreckage
came with It,
w. NJ. Keating, in one OF the dories
found that he had an excessively heavy
weight on his line, and succeeded in
bringing TO the surface what he thought
10 be a part of the pilot house OF some
vessel Ii was too heavy for him TO
set into his dory, and so he broke off
part OF an electric light fixture which
was attached TO 1t, and let the balance
sink 10 the bottom Bernard Stewart.
Louis c. Doughty and Aleck Daigle were
the fishermen in other dories. and they
found attached TO their lines a spring
bed frame another electric light bracket.
q 10-pound sounding line, and about
20 fathoms OF line. and portions of female
wearing apparel.
At the office OF the Portland line, Stew
art Harris of the steamer Bay State
identified the articles. He said that the
bed was In the ladies' cabin, and pointed
out some repairs he had made to IL.
Captain Dennison of the steamer Bay
State and Quartermaster Burnet also
aided in the Identification.
The point OF the bay is given by Cap
tain Thomas as 22lz miles east one-half
north from Boston light, IL miles south
southeast OF Cape Ann and "a miles
north, three-quarters west from High
land light the depth OF the water being
between so and so fathoms.
Only a few weeks ago another fisher
man, at very nearly the same place,
brought up some wash bowl fittings, but
these could not be positively identified.
The articels just found. when brought
ashore yesterday. were positively iden-
titled by Agent Williams Of the Portland
line as being a part Of the furnishings in
one Of the cabins of the steamer
or the 200 human beings more or less,
who went down with the steamer in the
terrific gale of Nov. 26-7. the remains OF
less than 80 were recovered along the
shores Of Cape Cod, over 30 miles away.
II is possible, therefore in view Of the
very plausible theory that a greater por-
tion of the hull is still intact that many
OF the bodies are in the wreck and with
careful graphing may be recovered. II
viii be impossible, however. owing to the
great depth Of the water, TO use divers
in exploring the hull, and grapples will
have to be the sole means of bringing TO
light any additional portions OF the YES
sell
The steamboat people, while pleased
that the location OF the steamer has at
length. been determined. will take no
further action in the matter. leaving It
10 the owner OF the vessel, John f. Burke
OF New York, from whom the boat was
chartered
A number of propositions have already
been submitted to Mr.. Burke for the rails
ing Of the steamer, even if il should be
found that she has sunk in 20 or so
fathams OF water and there is posi-
biHty that ne may now see 1T To accept
them. These propositions are, however
based on the theory that very little of
the vessel was washed away before she
sunk, and that with chains under her
she may be raised and. perhaps. become
serviceable again.
The finding OF the steamer at this point
Is considerable OF a blow TO great num-
Der of theories as to where the wreck
occurred The fact that all the wreckage
came ashore at the end of Cape Cod led
many OF the most experienced mariners
TO believe that the hull of the steamer
would be found within a mile or two OF
Peaked Hill bar. A careful exploration
az these treacherous sands proved, how
ever, the fallacy of that theory. Then
again. the fact that more of the wreckage
was found inside Of Cape Cod bay was
Thought 20 prove that the wreck was
considerably outside the cape.
1t is now believed, with the finding of
the wreck nearly % miles north Of Cape
Cod.-that the ocean currents In the bay
during the storm ran much stronger
than is ordinarily the case. The Port
land left Boston shortly after o'clock
on the evening of the storm, Nov. 26. and
was last seen off Thatcher island lights,
Cape Ann. an hour before midnight
Allowing her TO make some progress be-
yond that point, I'm spite OF the increasing
storm and giving Captain Blanchard
the credit OF laying To the vessel In the
gale. she probably consumed six or eight
hours in drifting across the bay TO a
point where the wreckage was found.
This would make the time OF the wreck
on Sunday forenoon. which corresponds
10 the time the watches stOpped--aoou.
high water, and for the next six hours
the current ran out to sea. while the wind
blew hard from the northeast or north.
This carried all the wreckage and bodies
60 the southeast, and at 1880 that sun
day evening the first Of II was picked UP
on Race Point Is miles distant
At midnight the fret body was dis
covered on the shore, i've miles east OF
Race Point, and the next day three more
were picked up still farther along the
cape. to the southward While the
greater portion of the wreckage was
found between Race Point and High
land light. on the end OF Cape Cod near
ly all the bodies were picked up 10 or 20
miles south of that point
a majority Of those bodies recovered
was found four or five days after the
wreck. although bat two weeks ago, or
nearly four months cfteA--she steamer