Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-23
BLOWN TO SEA.
RecoIections Of the Fearful Storm Of
November, 1893.
How PemaquId Schooner Raced
Across the Atlantic.

The recolleclions of the great storm
of November %, 1898, when the steamer
| Portland of the Portland & Boston line
went down with all on board in the
terrific gale of that wild night. still lin
ger III the minds Of our readers. It
was the most disastrous storm fo;.
| years. While the loss of the Portland
was the most heurtrending catastrODhe
Of that fearful time there was a great
number Of other sailing craft destroyed
ana many lives lost. There was one in
| cident. however, connected with the
4 storm which, if ever published. has
| been forgotten except by those init
mateiy connected with it. The story j.
told by Landlord Tibbetts of the Cony
House and narrates how Il 400 ton
| schooner broke away from its mornings
| in Penaquid harbnr and under bare
poles was blown ACROSS the Atlantic
ana brought up in the vicinity of the
West indies. and for days the men on
board Were given up as lost. MI. Tib-
| belts te rs The story Of the remarkable
/ incident as follows:
I 1t was the day before the Portland
| was lost that the schooner H. II. Cham
| hcllain, commanded by Capt. Warren
| =. t0ssett lay lit anchor in Pemauuid
halbor Captain Fossett had brought
the vessel there to load an engine and
other machinery for Boston. He had
! the engine put On hoard and it occupied
4 place on deck at the stern of the
vessel. The rest of the machinery was
to nave been placed forward.
"Nhen the storm started the vessel
began 10 drag nor anchor. She lay
near Il rocky point. and the captain
was fearful chat the chains might part
ana the schooner be dashed against it
ana wrecked. His crew was small, Tor
he was not ready for sea. Wishing to
move his vessel To a more favorable
anchorage he called to four fishermen
on shore to come aboard and help him
~ anchor. The sea was pretty rough
ana 4 terrific wind WAS blowing across
the point. against the vessel and on
toward the open sea. The men Went
On board ana We're at work getting the
anchor ur. when q terrific gust OF wind
came along. The captain had the fore
topsail UP to help him move the craft
to a betterp place toanchor, and the wind
caught i'll that, tore the vessel from its
mornings ANA started it in a straight
line for the ocean.
The schooner was light forward and
the heavy engine sitting at the stern
raised the bow into the air and the YES
sci sped along before the gale at a fear
ful speed. The foretopsail was soon
blown away ana the schooner Went
; along under bare poles at a 10-knot
rate. For several days it kept agoing,
striking first one gale and then anOth-
CT, AND still the craft kept afloat.
Captain Tussett and the men with
him had faint hope of reaching land,
but still they kept up their courage
ANA trusted that all would yet be well.
The vessel was absolutely at the mercy
Of the winds ana the waves, but by
sheer COOL fortune she Weathered all the
gales she encountered. but in doing so
| was driven from Pemaquid Harbor to
| the West indies.
You can imagine the feelings of
the four fishermen who went on board
! to help out Captain Fossett, and who
! We're caught upon the schooner when
she broke away when they found the
vessel dashing like mad across the
| ocean ara no hope of help ever reach
ing them. They had gone aboard for a
short time only, but it was three weeks
before they returned to their homes
and families. I have often heard
! Henry Tarr and Ernest Jones, two of
the fishermen, relate the wonderful
! cruise they made or the schooner II. II.
! Chamberlain; and / have also heard
Captain F'osset tell how he felt when
he found the vessel was really going to
| sea, wholly unprepared for the voyage.
| How it was possible for the vessel
to have escaped floundering in those
| fearful days of storm has always been
a mystery. The sea was streUn with
wrecks Of all kinds and the fact that
| the Chamberlain succeeded in avoiding
| them was a circumstance impossible Of
| explanation.
1T was 10 days before anything was
| heard from the vessel or its crew, and
| wheIf at the end of three weeks the
four fishermen returned to Pemaquid
the whole town turned out and gave a
celebration in honor of their miraculous
escape from destruction"