The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-12-26
HOW BANGOR COT HrR NAIL.


Good Work by Steamer inland N. A New
Route v,a nat. Desert Ferry.
BANGOR, Dec. 1S. At 1916 O'Clock
this morning train arrived from
Bucksport bringing about 100 passen-
gers and great quantity of mail mat.
ter for Bangor and points north and
east, which had come from Portland
via Rockland and Camden, the passage
between Camden and BuckspOrt being
made in the steamer NJ. and M.
When the M. and M. arrived short
distance below Bucksport it was found
that that port was blockaded with ice,
logs and general wreckage brought by
the flood from up-river, and SO Capt.
Bennett decided to make landing at
Verona Park.
When the steamer approached the
pier at Verona, however, it was found
that great jam of ice and logs had
formed there, barring her progress. A
big and heavy steamer might have easily
forced her way through the wreckage,
but the little M. and NJ. had hard
time, and less courageous man than
Capt. Bennett would have given it up
as q bad job.
Capt. Bennett was determined, how
ever, to land his hundred passengers
and the big lot of delayed mail, and SO
he told the engineer to give her a full
head of steam and steered straight for
the pier. The steamer broke a passage
for few feet, but then, when the mass
became more compact from battering.
she literally climbed up onto 1t, and
several times the passengers feared that
she was going to capsize right there.
After much battering, however, dur
ing which she broke her ice shield, the
steamer got up to the pier, and the pas
sengers hurried up over the steep bank
to carriages that We're in waiting to
convey them to Bucksport and the
train.
Here is where F. w. Anderson, Ban
gor city mail clerk on the Boston &
Bangor run, had to get in some lively
work, for he had lot of registered
mail pouches to carry to Bucksport be-
sides the work of experimenting the
transfer of about eight truckloads OF
letter mail from the steamer to Bucks
port, distance of about two miles.
He succeeded in making the trans
fer, and thus completed the hardest
two days work he ever put in. Mr.
Anderson has been steadily at work,
without wink of sleep, since last Sun
day afternoon, getting together the let
ter mail for Bangor and points beyond
that came from the west on all trains
following the one that was blockaded
at Waterville Sunday. The mail reach
ed Bangor post office at lis O'Clock
this morning, and will be delivered at
the usual hour, force of clerks being
on hand to diStribute if
Wednesday morning it was found
that the M. & NJ. was not large enough
to carry the baggage in addition to the
mails and passengers and orders We're
sent out by the Maine Central that be-
ginning Thursday morning all passen-
gers for points west were to be taken on
the early train for Mt Desert Ferry
where the steamer Pemaquid would be
in waiting to convey them to Rockland.
Baggage, mail and express was order
ed to be sent that way
At Rockland the Pemaquid will con-
meet with the train that leaves Boston
the previous night Passengers will be
brought to Mt. Desert Ferry where the
night train for Bangor will be in wait
ing to convey them to Bangor
On Wednesday, after the order pro
viding for this new service to the west
was issued repairs were completed so
that trains could reach Waterville and
passengers for Waterville and points
west of there will be taken over the
Mt. Desert Ferry, steamer Pemaquid
and Rockland route, until such time
as the through train service shall be
established BETWEEN Bangor and Water
vile.