The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-01-18
The Story of the Martha M.

For some seven or eight years past
there has been hauled up on the shore
just below the marine railway small
craft, OF rather the shell of one, which has
become quite noticeable figure in the
landscape, specially from the fact that
the gentlemen who travel the country in
the interests OF various soap, medicine
and tobacco concerns have apparently
thought it placed there for their special
benefit.
i From stem to stern and from cardboard
to rail, or where the rail ought to be,
1t has been covered with tin, cloth and
pasteboard signs ia all coors, sizes,
shapes and various degrees Of art.
This week the wreck has been demol-
lshed, reduced to fire wood and the
Martha M. is no more. The sign tackers
VIII nave more material to decorate the
terry house and the telegraph poles, and
Cap'n Fogg fewer questions to answer
The name of the Martha M. was drop
ped from Uncle Sans blue book over ten
| years ago, and even before, the record of
| place and date of launch were blank, as no
one seemed to know when and where she
was built.
Legend has preserved the fact that the
Martha M. was of noble conception, a
blood relation to the cup defender Column
bia and all of the wonderful craft planned
and built by the famous Herreshoffs, from
the designs and shops of the family who,
like the spirit of the times, have taught
the world speed, both by steam and
| sail.
In the old ''porgie times" years and
years ago, fleet Of big cat boats followed
the steamers in the chase over the waters
OF Long Island Sound and the surplus
from the hauls were put on board these
''carraways' and sent in to the factories
None got home ahead of the Martha
NJ, for the Herreshoff brains were in
her lines. She was a flyer. But with
the exodus of the porgies the occupation
OF the carraways was gone and the fleet
j was scattered. The Martha NJ was sold
and re- sold until a down east Spectator
brought her forth and she eventually got
a hailing port in Belfast. She was altered,
re-rigged into schooner cat, and then a
bowsprit was added.
She was purchased by the well known
fishermen Joe and Thomas Daney and
earned good money for them until she
came near ending their earthly career.
1t was i'll bad November gale some fiji
teen years ago. The Daneys were bound
to Bangor with a load of fish. They
anchored their craft off Cape Jeilson with
three anchors down. The wind breezed
up and Martha dragged clear across the
bay toward the Castine shore. The wind
increased to a fearful gale She sprung
aleak and Ter crew took to the dory Just
as she went down under them. When
they struck the flats of the 'back bay''
the combes capsized the dory and the
Daneys We're obliged to swim for theil
lives, tinall, reaching shore soaked with
The icy water Any but the strongest Of
constitutions would have succumbet!,
bat they succeeded in reaching house
where they found warmth and shelter.
After the storm was over the anchor
ropes We're picked up by grapples and
buoyed. The Ralph Ross came down and
making fast 70 the lines forged ahead.
1t was rather odd, towing craft under
water, but the Ralph kept on across to
Cape Jellison with the Martha NJ. down
below somewhere, skipping along over the
mud like wagon-sled in April. The
craft was successfully beached, calked
and brought to Bucksport The Daneys
went out of the shore fishing business
and the Martha M. was sold to Capt.
Hiram Fogg. Capt. Fogg had some idea
of fixing her up, but other business pre-
vented, and so it has been that she has
been basis for a poster show until her
total disintegration this week.
Thus endeth the story of the Martha
NJ, once the fleet Herreshoff carraway.
| Bucksport Herald.