Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-15
Washed Away by Waves captain and
Crew We're Later Taken
Off Wreck.

Portland, Me, June 14.-One life was
lost by the. wrecking of the magnif-
cent new five-masted schooner Wash
ington B. Thomas of Thomaston, Me-,
on Stratton Island, Old Orchard, in the
gale of Friday night, while bound with
1000 tons of soft coal from Norfolk,
VIM. J. Lermond, to whom he was mar
ried n year ago, was killed by the i'm
mense waves breaking in the cabin.
Her body was washed away in the
darkness and not recovered. Capt.
Lermond and the crew of Is men were
rescued. today, by volunteer life saw
ing crew. One seaman had a leg
broken and the captain, engineer and
four seamen We're badly bruised. The
Thomas was broken up and is practi-
cally a total loss. Tons of Wreckage
were washed ashore at Old orchard.
The dead: Mrs. VIM. J. Lermond,
wife of Captain Lermond.
The injured
VIM. ]. Lermond captain, Thomas
ton, Me-, internal and external injuries.
Frank Eklund, seaman. Finlander,
, leg broken.
Charles Brown, engineer, Norwegian,
bruised.
Herman Mellow, seaman, German,
bruised.
Fred Watke, seaman, Australian,
bruised.
Karl Wagner, seaman, German,
bruised.
The Thomas was anchored, Friday
night, off StrattOn Island and at mid
night drfted from her anchorage onto
the island. Without a seconds warn
ing, there came n crash as the
schooner tore her way over one rock to
strike another few minutes later and
then to drive hard and fast on the reef
on the southerly end of the outer side
of Stratton Island.
When the first shock came, Mrs.
Lermond, her step-son and the first
mates son were in the cabin. They felt
the shock and heard above the din of
the storm the shout of the captain. In
slinctively they struggled towards the
stern companion-Way and up to the
deck, where at first they took refuge
| on the roof of the house.
Mrs. Lermond was forward on tho
starboard side and clinging to the rail
and iron work on corner of the coach
house. Her husband stood in front of
her to protect her as much as possible.
Great waves which swept the deck COW
cred Mrs. Lcrmond and nearly tore her
from her hold. The little group fought
their way to the wheel house farther
t,Ft Lie,t 4 ,,;,
after one of them, young Rowdoin Lcr-
mOnd, had narrowly escaped being
washed overheard. He was standing in
the lee Of the house whore he supposed
he was safe, when another sea, rushing
toward the stern, picked him up and
swept him along until he caught in the
main sheet where he was held until the
water ran from the decks.
Mrs. Lermond, the two boys and the
officers sought the cabin, hoping it
would prove stout enough to afford
safety. 1t was a vain hope, for they
had been there but few minutes when
with a sickening crash q wave tore
away the forward companionway,
down which rushed torrent of water.
At this moment. Mrs. Lermond was
with her husband in their stateroom aft
of the main cabin on the starboard side
of the ship. AS the tons of water
struck the bulkhead separating state
room from saloon, it knocked it down.
The partition fell into the stateroom
and struck Mrs. Lermond on the head,
rendering her unconscious. Capt. Ler-
mond grasped her in his arms and tried
to drag her to the companionway. The
water was rushing in through the for
ward door and the skylight hatch and
the narrow space where he stood was
full Of floating debris. AS he slowly
dragged her to the stairs he was struck
across the face with such force that he
was thrown backward and the uncon-
scious woman was torn from his grasp.
The water surged toward the bow
again, carrying her body with it.
The captain could not follow her; he
could see nothing in the darkness and
as the cabin filled in a twinkling he