The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-18
MAT HEWS'
CREW is
RESCUED
Schooner Stranded OFF Chatham
and There Are Curious Stories
dstOACtuaI Cause Of mishap

Chatham. Mass. Sept 1s-The three
masted schooner Dora Mathews. bound
from Newburyport to New York city,
went ashore at / o'clock this morning on
Logwood Hill Bar, of Chatham. and will
be total loss. The captain and crew
OF seven men were taken off in the
breeches buoy.
Considerable mystery is attached 10 the
circumstances surrounding the loss of the
vessel According TO tho statements of
the crew who freely discussed the sit
untion after they had been rescued by
the men OF the Monomoy Life Saving
Station. the sailors had been using liquor.
and from this remark and others, the
life savers have come to the conclusion
that the conditions on board the schooner
must have been out of the ordinary
All OF the seven men who constituted
the crew are negroes. the only white man
on board having been Captain Bonsey.
Although the crew were removed from
the ship shortly after she went ashore
on the bar. Captain Bonsey refused TO
leave his vessel There was constant
danger that the schooner would go To
pieces, but IL was not until O'Clock
this morning that the captain left his
ship.
don the schooner until he became as
sured that she would almost certainly
be total wreck. Captain Bonsey refused
TO say anything IN regard 10 the allega-
tions OF some of his men as to the con-
ditions existing on board the Mathews
previous to the time that she was
wrecked.
The Dora Mathews left Newburyport
yesterday morning. She had no cargo.
and intended TO run for New York city.
Nothing OF consequence occurred, until
the schooner reached a point off Chatham
beach. At am :. Patrolman Edwin Stud
ley. of the Monomoy Life Saving station.
observed the schooner was running dan
gerously TO the shore.
He Immediately burned signals TO warn
the vessel of her danger. These signals
were not needed, and the schooner struck
very soon afterward on Logwood Hill bar.
general larm was sounded and Captain
Ellis OF the life saving station with his
crew went at once 10 the rescue of the
men on the ship.
The life saving appartus was arranged
and line was thrown out to the Dora
Mathews The schooner seemed 10 be IN
a bad position, and the life savers be-
lieved that the crew should leave the ves-
sci Immediately.
The work of the life savers was entirely
successful and in a short space of time
the seven members OF the crew were land
ed on Chatham Beach. Both crew and
life savers were greatly surprised that
Captain Bensey should refuse as he did to
come ashore In the breeches buoy at that
time.
Some OF the crew were very much excit-
ed when they reached their place of safe
ty and talked incoherently of what had
happened on board. One of the men de-
clared that the crew had wished TO an
chor but that the captain had refused At
the time OF the accident the vessel was
proceeding with fair wind.
1t IL believed that the loss OF the
schooner must have been due TO a miscal-
culation. After Capt. Bonsey had been
taken from his ship today preparations
were made to strip the schooner. since II
was seen that the vessel would break up
very SOON The crew OF negroes expected
to leave for Boston on the afternoon
train.
The Dora Mathews was built In Cam
den. Me-. In 1882. and she was owned in
New York city. She was a vessel OF 1872
tons gross and 372 tons net She was 1886
feet long. S3 feet wide and ~ feet depth
of hold.