Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-27
SAFE ENTRY.
Bio Steamer RockIand
Strikes on Ledge.
Three Hundred Passengers
Meet Their Home Port.
Hard and Fast on Grindstone Ledge
Will Probably Be Total Loss-Crew
Left Vessel With Passengers and
Showed Their Calamity.

Roc kland. bound from Boston for Pc
noDscot river ports. struck on Gangway
Ledge in P,.nobscot bay, today, and
was lady damaged. Her 800 passen-
gers We're taken off by tug and land
ed at Rockldnd.
The accident happened about o'clock,
this MOI ming, while the Rockland was
steaminS her way slowly towards this
port in an unusually thick and danger
Gus fog. The steamer was moving at
less than quarter speed when sudden
ly her bow grounded, running up some
distance ON what later proved TO be
Gangway Ledge. This ledge is in Pc
nnbscot bay, about 20 minutes run
south of Kockland. 1t is midway be-
tW cen owl Head light and White Head
light ANA one of the points of the
ledge sticks out in Mussel Ridge chen
mel. captain Mark Pierce Was in the
pilot house when the steamer went
ashore. He at once gave orders to in
sure the safety of the passengers. The
whistle was sounded repeatedly as a
notification TO people at Rockland that
an accident had happened. At the
same time a boat was lowered ana sent
ashore around the ledge in order to
send Il telephone call for help. AS n re-
suit of this the steamer j. p. Morse.
which carries passengers from Rock
land to Bar iIarbor, ana which was ly-
ing at thi? Joint waiting for the arrival
of the City of ROckland, steamed down
| to where the larger steamer was ashore.
Meantime the City of Rockland was
! resting quietly on the ledge. although
there WIS no apparent prospect that she
would he released speedily.
Despite the condition OF affairs which
might have been the cause for genuine
uneasiness on account of impenetra BIZ.
fog which hung about. the passtngcds
remained calm, showing every conf
dcnce in the ability Of the captain and
crew to take them safely from the
stranded steamer.
Some nf tie passengers We're still IN
their i"rths when the city of Rockland
ran on the ledge. The shock Of the im-
pact was sufficient to notify everybody
that some sort Of an accident had Oc-
CURED. There was general, but not
, confusing rush to the main deck to
learn the nature and extent of the ac-
Pierc" had made statement that
there was no immediate danger that
he WAS confident that all soon would be
| rcnoled from the steamer that the J.
| l.. VI rise appeared off the larger boats
side. The j. =. Morse had steamed rap
: Idly down from ROckland. screeching
| rs she proceeded as warning that as
sistInce was on the way.
| The. work of the transfer OF the pas
| ScngcIs was ut once begun, ana it was
| carried out without any mishap. Once
| the passengers were on board the J. +.
Morse. the latter came up to ROckland
| and landed the passengers. who then
| proceeded To their various destinations.
| The City of Rockland carried a heavy
load of freight. which made it all the
| more unlikely that the boat could be
| easily taken from the ledge. ON the
other hand. the accident happened at
| the ebb tide and there was some con-
| fidence that ut the flood movement of
| the water the steamer might be floated.
The crew of the City of Rockland
| consisted of 40 men.
The city of Tsockland was built in
East Eoston. Mass. in 1901. She is
valued at about $4,000 She is a
sister ship to the City of Bangor, which
runs on the same line. Her length is
FAB feet; beam. $50 feet, and depth
l4.4 feet. Her net tonnage is l0a5 and
her gross 1896.
The crew remained by the steamer
and after the passengers had been re-
| moved in safety an examination of the
vessels position revealed the fact that
she was resting on the top of a rounded
ledge nearly amidShips. There was a
large gap i'm the port side of the hull
just forward of the middle of the YES
sci, which. ii was feared. would weaken
her seriously if she did not float at
flood tide. and make the chances dan
gerouS that she might break in two if
the tide should leave her again in that
position. After examination the Of
ficials here did not conceal the fact that
they considered the steamers position
a bad one.
While the passengers We're being re-
moved two tugs came down the river
and they remained standing by to give
such assistance as might be possible.
Among the passengers on the City of
Rockland was Eugene +. Carver of
Boston, general counsel and one Of the
directors of the company. He de-
, scribed the accident as follows:
1.-The steamer was proceeding with
extreme care. She hal almost drifted.
so slight was her Roadway, from Mon
hogan to White Head. whistling all the
time and picking up the buoys in sue
| cession. Her speed was not above four
knots an hour. She struck on upper
Gangway Ledge. The tide was about
an hour on the flood. and this, coupled
| with the recent northeast gales, prob
| ably drew her in below the ledge. where
the channel is narrowest-not more
| than $50 or 400 feet wide. There was