The Republican journal., 1903-10-08
THE PACKET P. NJ. BoNNEY.
This Well Known Craft has Probably Made
her Last Trip. The Vessel and her Veteran
CAPTAIN

This Well Known Craft has Probably Made
her Last Trip. The Vessel and her Veteran
Captain.
The packet schooner P. NJ. Bonney has
probably made her last trip between Bel
fast and Vinalhaven. She has been in
Dyer's dock for some days and is in very
bad condition. Sails, rigging and hull are
worn out, and for some time past she has
only been kept afloat by constant pumping.
Her old skipper, Capt. Tom Burgess, says
he can no longer stand the incessant work
at the pump, and although he may make an
effort to keep the Bonney afioat while
longer he fears he will have to let her die.
The Bonney was built at Middletown. Ct,
in 1856 for the packet business between Bos-
ton and Provincetown She is 10 tons and
her official measurements are as follows:
Length. SIT feet beam, Is feet; depth, 4.S
feet. She is a centreboard craft, and with
her lofty spars and two topmast rig original
ly spread a large amount of canvas. With her
lower sails, s,gafftOpsail, ,jibtOpsail and staysail
set she presented yacht-like appearance,
and sailed like witch. When she first came
w tAlo pun pAO was pdluuCu "AAAoSS eSAN IVA
many years she was kept in apple pie order.
At the beginning of the summer season the
packet business was suspended and the
Bonney was overhauled and painted in
readiness to take parties down the bay. At
one time thirty-two men and women were
taken on two weeks cruise. On these trips
the Bonney went as far east as Machias,
s,;t Dow uor
The Bonney was bought at Boston by
Captains Samuel and Thomas Burgess,
both of this city, and a packet route estab-
lished between Belfast and Vinalhaven
which proved very profitable. After a time
Capt. Thomas Burgess bought his brothers
interest and has now been in the business
some 40 years. He has carried everything
in the way of trading, including pigs, foxes,
squirrels, trout, partridges, and produce OF
all kinds. In the early days many passen-
gers were carried, and Capt. Burgess says
that the youngest was child one week old
and the oldest lady of "a years. In re-
latng his experiences to newspaper re-
porter year or two ago Captain Burgess
said:
sYes, l have had some narrow escapes
and some hard chances. but always came
out on deck. A few years ago L came
here from Vinalhaven and there was SO
much ice l could not get into the harbor
and was obliged to load at the White &
Connor wharf, below the Boston Il Bangor
S. S. wharf. While we were loading hay
here northeast storm began and during
the night while it was showing the Bonney
stove in her side and began filling. l was
on board at the time and in attempting to
get ashore broke my leg, which laid me up
a long time In the meantime the vessel
was repaired and | began sailing as soon as
| got out"
Capt. Thomas Burgess is the youngest OF
the 13 children of Capt. Jonathan Burgess,
and all of the eight boys went to sea and
became master mariners Capt. Tom began
his seafaring career at the age of - years,
and before buying the Bonney had com
manded the brig Marshall Dutch of Sears
port, schooners Clarissa, Forest Queen,
Catherine Beal, Lapwng, Ida S. Burgess
(named for his daughter) and two-master
of 200 tons. In these vessels he sailed chief
ly in the West Indian and Southern trade.
The Ida S. Burgess when on the voyage
from Savannah for Providence in command
of Capt Lymeburner sprang aleak and was
abandoned, Dec. 25, 1873.
There will be many regrets at the loss of
the Bonney, and much sympathy for her
captain, who has grown old with his vessel
and like her feels the stress and strain of
an arduOuS life