Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-21
During the Fierce South
easter Of Sunday.
The Richard S. Leaning With
Ten Men Probably Cone !.
lonu List Of Disasters Within 40 Miles
of Woods Hole.

terdav's storm which blew a hurricane
off the southeastern New England
coast, left in its wake. according TO re-
ports received here up to late hour.
Monday night. three vessels totally
wrecked, u damaged and five with
lost anchors. All but one OF
these disasters 10 the coastWiSe
fleet occurred within a radius of 40
miles of this port. In addition, it Is
feared that the entire crew of the New
Jersey schooner Richard S. Leaning.
wrecked on Long Shoal. Nantucket
sound. has been lost. The crew probably
numbered 10 men. No known fatality
has been reported. On land the onfy
serious effect of the storm was the al
most complete prostration of telegraph
and telephone lines on Cape Cod and
Martha's Vineyard.
Monday night, for the first time since
the storm broke early Sunday morning.
telegraphic communication between this
port and Boston was established. South
of here the wires were still down to-
night.
Tho list Of known shipping disasters
is as follows:
Totally wrecked: Schooners Richard
S. Leaning of Dennisville, N. j., on
Long Shoal, Nantucket sound George
B. Ferguson of Belfast, Me, ashore on
Nantucket island; barge Albertus OF
New York ashore on Fishers island.
Ashore and damaged: Schooners
Loduskia, Franconia, Flyaway and
Rothsay (Br.) all ashore at Vineyard
Haven: John j. Perry, D. J. Melanson,
lJa1 Ir,fn
Lugano. A. Heaton, Frank & Ira (BrD
Edna, Ella NJ. Mitchell. all damaged at
Vineyard Haven by collisions; Otis
Miller, Mary Lee Newton, kolon and
Frank Barnett, with lost anchors on
Nantucket Shoals. Tug Lackawanna.
disabled at Vineyard Haven.
The schooners Franconia and Fly
away were hoated, late today.
The revenue cutter Mackinac, station
ed here, made careful search of Vine
ward and Nantucket sounds. today, go
ing out as far as the Handkerchief
lightship. but returned, tonight, with no
additions to the above list.
The wreck of the Leaning was the
worst Of the storm. The schooner was
bound from Windsor, n. s.. for Phila-
chored near Cross Rip lightship. Yes
terday noon after the storm cleared the
Leaning was discovered on Long Shoal
apparently in distress. The Muskegat
life savers bravely launched their boat
and pulled out into the sound in the
teeth Of the gale, only to find on reach
ing the stranded schooner that no soul
was aboard AS no word has ben re-
ceived of any boat being picked up in
the sound. or blown ashore on Nan
tucket. Ii is feared that the crew has
been lost in an effort to reach shore.
The numerous disasters at Vineyard
Haven might have been more serious
had not those vessels which broke away
from their anchors been skillfully steer
ed through the storm tossed fleet to an
easy resting place on the mud flats, at
the head of the harbor.
The Haven WAS unusually crowded
and mich damage resulted from COLI
Sons between vessels anchored close to
each other.
Booms We're smashed, rails stove in,
masts carried away and bowsprits
snapped off. 1t is general surprising
| that many of the vessels We're not sunk
in the general mix-up on Sunday MORN
ing. for the gale blew with fearful in
tensity straight into the harbor.
| The fleet presented a dilapidated APP
pearance when the weather cleared.
Yesterday afternoon, but refitting began
at once and today half the damage had
| been repaired.
The crew of the Little Maine schooner
| George r. Ferguson, had a hard time
getting ashore after their vessel struck
on the side of the channel at Nam
tucket, but they succeeded In saving
their effects.
The storm was undoubtedly the most
severe in this vicinity since the No
vember gale in 1898. when more than
score of vessels were blown ashore in
Vineyard Haven harbor alone.
When the steamer Nantucket arrived
here, today, from Nantucket, Capt.
Fishback reported that the three-mast-
ed schooner Richard S. Leaning had
| sank on Long Shoal, with her mizzen-
mast broken off half way. The crew of
the Muskeget life saving station put out
to the vessel, yesterday, but found no
one on board. Her boat was missing.
No tidings have been received of any of
the members of her crew and it is fear
ed they may have persisted in yester-
day mornings storm.
The Richard S. Leaning was vessel
Of 472 tons net, no feet long, IS feet
wide and nine feet deep. She carried a
crew of six. She was built at Dennis
vile. N. j., in 1880 and hailed from
Philadelphia She was bound from
Windsor. N. s., for Philadelphia.
| The schooner George 3. Ferguson, pre-
viously reported ashore off Nantucket.
is now full Of water and it is probable
that she will be a total loss.