The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-08-04
THE CITY OF RocKLAND SAVED.

| and hel arrival at ROckland Sunday cauSet
general congratulation. The wreckint
fleet from Boston consisting of the tug Con
fidence and the lighter Salvor arrived at tn,
wreck Thursday and after a preliminar,
examination reported that the chances
were good for patching up and floating tn,
steamer. They found her after part wa
lying on section of another wreck, believed
to be that of the City of Portland, which
went to pieces on Gangway lodges in 1884
while forward she was resting on a huge
boulder Following are the particular Of
the saving of the steamer:
In the teeth of a southwest gale, which
would undoubtedly have caused her des
truction before night, the steamer City OF
Rockland was successfully t1oated from
| GrindStOne ledge at 9.35 A. NJ, SUNDAY, anC
brought to Rockland. Every detail was
carried ont with skill and precision and the
| splendid work of the wrecking crew was
| climaXed when the steamer was brought to
| her berth at Tilsons wharf, as Handsomely
| as though under her own steam. With the
| exception of heavy list to starboard the
boat shows but little exterior evidence OF
her experience in the channel. Later in
The afternoon the steamer was beached
near the Five Kilns.
THE WORK OF THE SALvoRs.
The Boston Tow Boat Co., which had
charge of the salvage, resumed work at
Grindstone ledge at O'Clock Sunday morn
Storm King, Confidence and Mercury of Bos-
ton, and the SOmers n. Smith of ROckland,
the lighters Sapho and Salvor of Boston and
I'll men. Capt Joseph Lewis acted as
wrecklng master and Capt. Thomas E. Ev-
ans of the Confidence had charge from the
rNNnvr ontntf fIn Of
Surance companies were represented by L.
5. Murphy of Boston, while the Eastern
Steamship Co officials present were James
I. Morse, treasurer, and Chief Engineer
Hathorn. Mr.. McKie, the builder, also
aided 1t was low tide at o'clock and Is
fifth pump, by means of which $4,000 gal
Ions of water were taken from the three
bulkheads each minute. Two pumps were
stationed in the bow, two aft and one
amidshipS. The bow righted gradually and
sounding taken by Capt. Evans at flood
tide showed that the principal point of
contact had been on the tarboard quarter
forward OF the rudder. The forward pumps
were disconnected soon after o'clock and
although it was not to be high tide for sever
al hours, hawser was made fast from the
bow to the tugs Storm King and Smith.
These tugs were stationed at an angle of Is
degrees from the steamer At 935 the
steamer Jared heavily and with no other
help than that of a wind and tide, and the
taut line connecting her with the tugs.
tloated free. The starboard bow chock
gave way under the strain, but the cable
was quickly secured by putting straps
around the stem. With three pumps stfll
at work the homeward trip was begun.
The chief difficulty of the passage was in
getting the steamer and her escort between
the buoys marking Sheep Island bar and
Sleeper's Point, a passage even narrower
than that where the City of Rockland origi-
nally went ashore. BY great care this was
changing and every whistle sounding the
fleet continued its journey, receiving an
ovation from the people on shore and the
thousands who had assembled along the
water front in this city.
Repairs. occupying several days will be
made and the steamer will then be taken
to Mckie's yard in East Boston, where,
according to the builder, at least two
months will be occupied in the permanent
repairs. Treasurer Morse expressed the
opinion that the boat will not be ready for
further use until next spring. The extent
Of the machinery damage is still problem
The gear is probably damaged, but its
general condition is not believed to be bad.
1t is roughly estimated that the expenses
will be about $4,000
WRECK OF THE CITY OF PORTLAND.
Few of our Seafarers recall the wreck of
the City of Portland, and many confound
it with that of the Portland, which foun-
dered between Boston and Portland few
years ago. The Republican journal of
May 10, 1854, contains full particulars of
the wreck Of steamer City of Portland, and
as the matter is of some interest we give
the following particulars:
The steamer City of Portland, Capt
Larc0m, of the International Steamship
Co.. plying between Boston, Portland, East
port and st. John, N. B., struck on Grind
stone ledge at quarter past O'Clock
Thursday morning, May Sth. The steamer
left Portland Wednesday night at fifteen
minutes to nine with seventy passengers
az and about bout. tWoethrds h Of cargo Of freight
clear. AS the day was breaking the first
pilot in charge sighted striped buoy on
the port bow between Sheep and Fisher
mans islands. In few minutes the steam
er struck a ledge, slid on amidships and
stuck fast, the buoy then being fifty feet
The pumps were started at once, distress
colors set, and the boats cleared. The
officers and crew were cool and the passen-
gers behaved well. The mate landed in
boat and drove to Rockland, six miles dis
tant, for help. The steamer Rockland,
Nopt. tCllCS VI VIC DoSGOu duu DduSOI
line, promptly answered the call and
reached the scene of the wreck at half
past six. Meanwhile a slOop from Owls
Head, Capt. Wallace, answered the signals
and two boatlOadS of women and children
were transferred to the sloop without acci-
dent, despite the heavy sea. The rest of
the passengers, together with the baggage,
express freight, ETC., were put on board the
Rockland and brought to ROckland. The
passengers were well cared for and for
warded to their destinations. All the pas
sengers join i'll praising the GOODNESS and
efficiency of the steamers officers and crew.
twenty-five years ago the British steamer
Emperor was wrecked on this same ledge.
Several schoOners had also come to an end
there.
The usual course of the International
line from Portland to St. John, in fair
weather, is outside of MOnhegan and Ma
tinicus islands. In heavy weather the
course is often up through the Mussel-
ridge channel, swinging at Ash Point bell
and proceeding east northeast out through
GrindstOne channel, sO-called. This latter
channel is about One-fourth of mile wide,
the narrowest passage being between two
ledgeS known as the Northwest and Grind
stone, the former marked by a striped buoy.
1t was on this ledge that the City of Port
land struck, going at full speed, striking
hard enough to prevent sliding off, thus es-
Gaping the additional horror of drowning
all on board.
Friday morning terrible tempest ragged,
with the wind northwest. The waves lifted
the wreck over and off the ledge into deep
water. leaving only the walking beam, pad
AZ i II