The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-31
A HARD VOYAGE.
A Yarn ofcapt. divers About One Up
To Boston.

=
Down at tho barge office yesterday af-
ternoon there was bright conversation
between Captain Scott Oliver and Cap
tain 4. n. Fickett. These two men are
about the oldest sea captains In point OF
service In these parts and when they
meet to relate their ex2eriences.it is most
interesting to listen to them.
zone Of the qusersst experiences that
have ever had was that OF some ten years
ago, remarked Captain Oliver. ION q
Sunday morning We lett on the tug boat
Aid Of saco for Boston to tow six scows
to that port for Thomas Simmons who
had contracted for them. Captain Byron
Dean was IN charge and l was taken
along as Boston pilot We started with
light southeast wind and arrived In Cape
Porpoise ut six o'clock that night. The
wind continued southeast bnt after we
arrived at the Cape it freshened mp and
struck against the scows All OF the
scows brought up under q coastsr's bow
and we turned out for this coaster and
cut one scow adrlft. On the following
morning We looked for 1t and found IL
In mans front yard As 10 was leak
ing badly We concluded to leave 10 there.
Then we continued on to Boston with
the other five scows. The wind was still
east but Captain Dean concluded to pro-
coed with the heavy tow. We left the
Cape ut two o'lcock and at one o'clock
the next morning were of Thatcher's Is
land, going head and horns out Of sight
through the rough water. ! raw that We
were not gaining much and went down to
the engineer sud told him that We were
making slow progress. When started
back to the pilot house, noticed that the
tug was making better Roadway. l told
the engineer that some Of the scows had
left us.
Before We reached Ten Pound island
In Cape Ann, We decided to shorten the
hauser and led from the soows to the
tug. When We stopped, the scows drifted
up by us and / counted three of them.
Captain Dean asked me what wharf we
should go to and replied Dave Parkish's
In Gloucester. On stopping the tug there
only two scows drifted up and Captain
Dean said that / was mistaken In the
number. Ihis happened before daylight
but was positive that was right In
the rlornlng after sunrise. the Keeper OF
Ten Pound Island light came aboard and
told US that one of the scows was on his
island. We went down ami towed Ii up.
She was pretty well damaged on account
Of having struck the rocks. We decided
to let her remain there. Then we pro-
oeeded to Boston with oaly two of the
scows lett. Captain Dean told me that
we would keep weather shore aboard SO
as to make the water smooth. We went
along intending to go down inside of
Half Way rock. l was at the wheel and
made buoy on thu starboard bow. This
attracted the attention of Captain Dean
who said, 'Starboard your helm'9 Only
few minutes more passed when l made
another buoy on the port bow. l asked
Captain Dean what to do with this and
he told me to go to the westward Of that
O short distance. In doing SO we ran
against rock called the South Breaker.
This rock was very smooth at the time
so that We sustained no damage. We
came of after laying there about ten
minutes.
eve went to Boston and were going
to leave the scows at East Boston. AS We
nsared the wbarf / saw Tom simmons
ON the end. He at once asked where the
scows were. told him that one was at
Cape Porpoise, one at Cape Ann and the
other two in Hades, OIL Thatcher's is
land.
az took the boat home Monday night
and Cap tain Dean followed n couple days
later. Il had certainly been most dis
astrous voyage"