The Republican journal., 1900-12-13
WRECK OF SCH. FANNIE & EDITH
| On the Rocks Near Portland. The Crew
| Safe, Vessel q Total Loss.

On the Rocks Near Portland. The Crew
Safe, Vessel Total Loss.
The two-masted schooner Fannie and
Edith owned by Fernald Brothers Of Mt.
Desert went ashore at midnight on Tuesday
in what is known as Thunder cove. Higgins
Beach, and will be total loss, save for
what material is obtained from her When
she went ashore there were four men on
board and when daylight came and the
tide had set the schooner up against the
bluff as though she were carefully placed
there by a skilful helmsman they simply
stuck plank out over the rail on to the
| rocks and walked ashore without as much
as getting their feet wet. It was a miracle
that these men ever got ashore alive con-
sldering the terrific sea which was running
Tuesday night
This schooner is 80 tons and was built in
Belfast in 1871. Her captain, Howard Mayo,
whose home is in West Eden, is a quarter
owner of the vessel, and Fernald Brothers
OF Mt. Desert own the rest of her. They
bought the schooner two years ago and paid
| about 81, 600 for her. She was not insured
Besides Captain Mayo the other men on
board were David b. Dodge, mate, of East
Boston, John L. Freeman, cook, of Mount
Desert, and Clifford Norwood, seaman, of
West Eden. The schooner has been engaged
in the coasting trade She was ON her way
from Boston to Bangor, to load lumber for
|. Newport, r. l., when it began to blow some
from the northeast and the indications were
that there would be a S orm. 1t was about
half past three O'Clock when Captain Mayo
gave up all hope of running into Portland
and dropped anchor behind Richmonds
island. AS darkness came on the wind in
creased in force and at eight O'Clock it was
blowing a gale and snow and sleet was fall
ing in binding sheets. The sea began to
get up to formidable proportions and Cap
tain Mayo, to be on the safe side, let go d
second and a lighter anchor and also a kee-
Hex attached to a cable. The wind contln-
ued to increase and at half past eleven
O'Clock the chain of the best bower parted
The schooner swung towards the rocks of
the Cape and began to drag her remaining
anchor and the keelck. Captain Mayo
saw that the vessel was bound to go ashore
and so slipped the smaller chain and cable
and got a little head sail on the schooner.
1t was impossible to beat out to sea with the
wind which was blowing, and the only
chance for the men of the Fannie and Edith
was to run before the storm and Try and
pile up the schooner on some beach where
they could have a chance of getting ashore.
There was q slim chance indeed and the
short time which elapsed from the slipping
of the cable Off Richmond's island and the
striking of the schooner were anxious mo-
ments for these men.
Mate Freeman had the wheel and with
bit of the jib set headed the schooner
away toward the southwest. She ran be-
fore the gale like a race horse and at
about midnight the men could hear the
roar OF breakers and see the white foam
the big waves made as they went to pieces
on the Hedges off Higgins Beach. Free
man held the schooner up to what he be-
lleved to be a strip of beach and the next
moment the schooner struck on a ledge far
out from shore. She pounded on this two
or three times and then a big wave came
and carried her out over it. Then she
went ON toward the shore with the big
waves driving her toward the rocks at
a tartic speed. The men thought that they
had slim chances of getting on terra trma
again, but stuck to the vessel. big
roller came up under the quarter and
carried away two boats, smashing them
into klndling wood. Then the schooner
struck again, this time on the rocks well in
towards the shore One wave boarded her
and swept all that was not fastened down
clear Of the decks, but no other waves
came on board. Capt. Mayo and his men
soon saw that the schooner was all right for
the time being and these cool headed men
began to strip the schooner of her sails and
ed calmly on until day break when the in
coming tide and the big waves lifted the
Fannie and Edith once more and carried
her alongside a steep bluff of rocks which
| is perhaps twelve feet above the beach.
Here the schooner lies, her head to the
wind and almost on an even keel. The
crew showed a plank out over the rail, when
the tide had Struggled the vessel up to the
rocks as far as possible, and walked ashore
without even Wetting their feet. They We're
taken into the house of Mr.. Beck who lives
at the beach and comfortably cared for
The schooner LETT her keel and the greater
part of her bottom on the other ledge where
she first struck. Had she remained on this
ledge few of these men would have been
alive to have told the story yesterday. But
the schooner was light and was carried over
this ledge before she had time TO pound her
self to pieces.
AS the vessel now lies at Higgins beach
she presents remarkable Spectacle Both
of her mastS are standing and to all out
ward appearance she is not damaged very
much. She lies alongside the bluff which
borders the shore very much as she might at
all that was of value. Portland Press Dee.
9th.