Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-22
DISABLED ADRlFT.
Serious Accident to Steamer
Minnetonka at Sea.
lowed for Some Time but Later
Abandoned by Coleman.
thought that She Will Soon Be
Picked Up.

portland. Me-, Dec. 21.-When eoO
miles from Halifax, Saturday night
Dec. 10. Capt. w. H. Bullock of the
Dominion liner Coleman, which arrived
nve days overdue from LIVERPOOL Sat
urday. sighted the American steamer
Minnetonka of Duluth. Mimi. coal
laden from Newport. Eng, to Boston.
showing distress signals.
capt. Bullock learned the steamers
poiIer and testing gear We're disabled
ana the lifeboats had been washed
overheard. so the Coleman stood by
over night. The second officer and crew
or hve able seamen, at their immediate
peril, succeeded in placing two hawsers
aboard. and the steamer was taken in
tow at o'clock Sunday.
Owing to the heavy seas the steam
ers rolled in opposite directions, and i'm
10 minutes the port hawser had parted.
The second hawser parted three hours
later. Because of the threatening wea-
Their and the long time overdue Capt.
Bullock decided to leave the Mime
tonka in the path of navigation and
proceed to Portland
Capt. Bullock Of the Coleman de-
scribcs his experience with the Mime
tonka as follows:
I'VE sailed from Liverpool, Dec. 4,
and when a good way down the chan
mel ran into heavy weather. which
soon eliminated in a gale, and by the
evening of the 18th we We're unable to
make Roadway against it. I ordered
> bn s.h; En1 To lint ctr a
gale that we were blown in the oppo-
site direction, and were soon on our
way homeward This blow continued
until O'Clock in the afternoon of the
18th. The gale abated somewhat, but
the high winds and seas continued. We
managed to change about and were
soon making Roadway in the right d.
rection.
AT 8 O'Clock on the evening OF the
18th signals of distress were seen TO the
southwark eight or nine miles. L al
tered the course OF the ship and headed
toward the place where w had seen the
rockets. The wind was strong and II
was showing hard. l hailed the ship
and asked if they wanted assistance
They replied that they wanted US 10
stand by until daylight. / found that
the shin was the American steamer
Minnetonka of Duluth, from Newport,
Enr.. TO Roston. with coal, and she was
loaded deep. Her boiler and steering
,-rar we're disabled and her boats had
been washed overheard.
n stayed by all night and in the
morning began maneuvring so couid
get A hawser to her. At 10 O'Clock !
got A lifcboat out, manned by second
pFi,,r Jones and five able seamen. Inc
mort hawstr was placed aboard the
/ .Minnctonka at II O'Clock and the star
hoard hawscr followed three hours
later.
This work was attended with great
d,nrar tn the crew of the lifeboat. as II
showed heavily. and at times the boat
WAS lost 10 sight. The only way the
men found their way back TO the ship
was nv the blowing of the whistle.
..ren minutes after | started to tow.
the shins rolled IN opposite directions
ord tho mort hawser broke. deter
mined 10 tow with one hawser untii
da,,Ii.ht next morning. and lay the
course Of the boat for Halifax, wnich
was 600 miles distant
1--WE lowed until 10 on this AFTER
noon Sunday. when the starooard
hawser parted. The weather was
threa tening. the barometer falling ana
the Coleman was now five DAYS over
due. Taking all these things INTO con
sideration, and as ! had already ooile
all that I could for the ship, slshaiieu
GOOD night and proceeded on my way
to Portland" .
cant. Bullock said the steamer was
directly in the path Of naviga ton' aho
he believed she would be picked up.