Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-07
FROZEN TO DECK.
Terrible Suffering Of Crew Of
British Schooner Ayr.
Taken Off by Fisherman Just in Time
to Save Lives.
For s. Hours Without Food or Water
in Freezing Cold.


4.hermen OF Gloucester are familiar
,.i,h the narrowing experiences of
...,men in winter, but number of
,b.n today said that the story of the
.,efa,.int- and privations which the
or.,v If the British schooner Ayr have
i,,,+ r.esed IS one of the worst ever
heard here.
,rbe five men who comprise the crew
:. n. schooner, including Captain j.
>;ebean OF ST. John, n. b., were
hro,gbt in here, today. by the fisher
,oan Jennie Il Hodgdon. whose cap
,ain Parkmar Hodgdon, ana TWO men
had performed daring rescue, nav
me, sighted the Ayr, disabled, ana
w1pd,v morning. in spite of tremen-
doue seas and the frightful cold. III
ice-coated dOries. taken OH tlie -Asi
m.n who were almost at the point VI
death.
The rescued men are Capt. D. a.
cahean. Mate Joseph Wilmer, COOK VII
liam Bell ana Scamen John hiiits"h
and Hans Peterson. When the Hods-
don reported here, today. aithouSh
everything possible had been zone i"i
the victims for the wreck they We're
etiU in a terrible. condition, ul!aple 70
be moved from the vessel
After an examination had been
made. doctors said that all hdd chaht-
es for recovery. Not only had they SUI
Tered frnm exposure, both I" lflSld
tempnraturc and stormy sea, put l"r
Z, hours they had b"t n compelled 10
go without food or water ana "heh
tn. men from the Hodgdon reached the
hun Of the Ayr they found the crew
practically frozen To the huii from
yhich the masts and sails had been
carried away.
,'apt;iin Hodgdon said. today. that
tho plight of the men at the time Oh
tn" rescue and even at the time OF
their arrival here was the worst ne
had ever s""n i'll his 80 years eXper-
fence on the sea.
Tho AYR left st. John for New York,
with lumber. Dee. y. Last FRIDAY
they encountered tn" gale which swept
tn" New England colst and sh" head
~ Tar Portland. The storm was too
fierce. ana she was forced to keep off
shnr. on saturday. she encountered
lowed the gale and she WAS driven to
/, point ,ast Of cape Goa where sails
and ,ig,;ing we're blown away. At the
mrr., If the storm with waves driv-
ILL., rv.r hrr. ic" accumulated rapidly
ard ~ was soon unmHnaG"thlH.
Th,.n a leak WAS discovered. The
Iuuits could not H. worked. As she
rolled in the trough Of the sr1, I" pc
l"ut her frcn capsiZing the ClptaiTi
ordered tn, masts Gus away. ThC
cabin WAS full Of water. - That Their,
N:= ~ shelter. The men cou!d ct II,
in,,d Cor tile same reason. There was
10 seat c0r them in their exposed cpil-
dI'inn. Thus did they pass Saturday
night ana sunday ami sunday night
At y o'clock Monday morning. capt
II"1rd"u sighted the rolling hui
through tn" mist ana SAW what NJ
took Ia hr 4 signal of distress nappinl
from the stump of the mast. capt
liodglon called for 4 volunteer crew
to clear away the icc-covcrel boat!
aud 90 to the disabled craft. Ever!
man on the 10 lgdnn promptly re-
sp"udcd With great difficulty TIL
captain ana two men reached tn
wreck and boarding her discovered tn
situation.
For j time it was i question
wi"'h her til" men on tn" di:;mast'.l hui
w"r" dead or alive. Tho Iind-tlon'
men assisted them into the dnry I'M,
took them back to the fishing schooner
Such remedies as that boat arordc
w"rr promptly applied Under thci
Influences I'll" men partly recovered
TIL" liodt,dnm was promptly hc,.,irl fo
This port. whcr" sh" arrived. at non
today.
The Ayr MAS about 10 miles rayt d
cape COZ when she was abandon d
Sh" Was vessel IF III gross tons
ahont S"ven years Old and was own.
b! W. &. So oft of st. John.