Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-12
TO WATERS EDGE.
Schooner Chas. P. hoffman
Sunk by Steamer Colorado.
Cut Down in Thick Fog--Close Call,
but All Hands Saved.
Bath Buil.-9wned in Poriiant-Hed 224O
Ions OF Coal.

Line steamer colorado, capt. Jonn
Risk. which left Brunswick. June 9,
arrived, this afternoon. and reports
having been in collision, at O'Clock
this morning. when seven miles east by
north Of the north end lightship dur
ing a dense fog, with the four masted
coal laden schooner Charles +. hoffman,
from Norfolk. The Colorado was pro-
ceedinc under reduced speed when the
schooner doomed up out of the fog and
before the steamers engines could be
reversed or her speed slackencd she
struck the schooner head on. cutting
her almost in two. The schooner being
deeply laden. with coal. sank i'll IL
minutes. meanwhile the Colorado hove
to ana with her boats succeeded in res
cuinG all hands on the schooner, con-
sisting Of - persons.
The Colorado stove her stem and port
bow plates by the force Of the impact.
letting tons Of water into til" fnrcpcak.
AS soon as the schooner's crew were
rescued the ColOrado's officers and
crew made temporary repairs by plac-
ing canvass ana 4 wooden batting over
the ships bows When the ship reach
ed quarantine. at =. VI. She was
well down by the head Her forcpcak
was fun Of water. The best nf disci-
pIinc was maintained on board the COL
orado ut The time Of the collision. al
her passengers being asleep in their
staterooms. The Colorado brought Is
saloon. 10 cabin ana . strcIagc pas
sengers. She carries 4 crew Of ~ men.
The Charles +. hoffman was built in
1884, at Bath. Me. where she was
owned. She registered 1892 tons.
When Capt. L. w. Jewctt STEPPED on
thu Mallory Line pier from the deck
of the Colorado. tonight. he said he was
going to sue for the cutting down and
sinking Of his ship. captain JeWctt
was one-fourth owner Of the schooner.
whose other owners Were kerscy <
Small Of Portland. Me The schooner
was valued at $6i 600 and carried 2240
tons Of coal. She sailed from Norfolk.
Va. for Portland With crew Of Is. in
Guiding the stewards wife ana son ana
the captains Wife. capt. Jewctt said,
tonight:
AT 80 y. NJ. yesterday, we had Il
light breeze from L. $. +. ana were on
our own course n. L. by +. with the
wind a little forward If our starbUard
beam. There WAS heavy fog. all
night. and until 10 o'clock in the fore
noon. We kept our fog horn blowing
continually, only stopping to listen for
signals from other crafts in the vicin-
lily. We heard steamers whistle
close upon us and VI sounded our fog
signal and rang our bell but it was too
late a big black hull bore down upon
us and her bow crashed into US. cut
ting us down to the waters edge
she turned out to be the Colorado
She was steering +. $ f, The liner
WAS making about seven knots. The
schooner was making say nine knots
A. a sailing vessel the schooner had
the right of way. All our canvas was
set. The steamer struck US ahaft the
mizzen and just forward Of the jigger
mast almost al right angles punching
a big V shaped hole three feet wide
on top and six feet deep. The captain
of the steamer held her close up to the
big hole and gave us a chance to save
ourselves. If he had backed out the
water would have rushed in and filled
the schooner before life could have
been saved
My wife jumped to the steamers
rail where she was caught by the
sailors on the steamer. Then | ordered
all hands To lower our big boat which
hung from davitS over the stern.
only saved my chronomcters W. had
no time 10 save our clothing The sea
was smooth but there was quite a
ground swell
u ~, h,t l,g.t ~
hoffman, us | am going To take command
Of 4 new siX-mdstcd schooner III which /
own one fourth interest ana which is now
ready for launching at Bath. Ne. My i'll
tcrcst in the Nutman WIS insured but I
% not know if my partners had their in
tercSt insured.
ana did not blow his whistle ut intervals
sufficiently near for mo to hear them
Will form the basis of my suit for uam-
ages"
Captain RISK of the Colorado. made the
following report to the officers Of the Nal
lnry Line upon his arrival tonight:
About 3.5i y. NJ. this morning. when :
miles cast by north of the North End
iishiShip. while running at half speed
through az nSe tug which had lasted i'll
might ma continued after the collision. /
had two lookouts on forecastlc head ana
two at each pnd Of the bridge. Suddenly
heard two blasts from an unknown
steamer whistle ana fearing Il collision |
instantly changed the course Of my YES
Sci. ana the first thing | knew we We're
i'll collision with the schooner This was
an TINT can't. Risk would consent 10 say.
From other sources it was learned that
the CoIoradn's lifcbDat No was manned.
lowered and commanded 10y chief Mate
Johnson The lifchnat went alongside the
schooner ana Mr.. Johnson advised Mrs.
Jcwctt Ia step into H. but She refused.
unless accompanied hy her husband.
Antonio Romeo Gomez, the Portuguese
steward Of the schooner put his wife ana
little boy into the lifehoat and then
.nranr in himself Meantime the crew
NJ TN, schooner had lowered that vessels
large vawl capable Of holding 81 persons.
ana had crowded into it.
They were about to cut the painter
when chief Mate Estergrcen threatened
Ia shoot the man who should cut the
maintcr until the captain had left the
sinking schooner and taken refuge in the
vIwl. The men protested that unless the
nainter was cut. the schooner in going
dawn would drag the yawl with it, but
MIR Estergreen persisted and the painter
was not cut until Captain JewetG had
himself from the schooner into
the yaWl-
When Mrs Jewctt had safely reached
the deck of the steamer and found that
nor husband was not with her she be
80, mo hystrrical but was assured that her
husband was safe and HAD merely gone
Iown below to fetch his chronometer.
IN paua