The Penn's Grove record., 1904-10-21
SHIP LoSTW WITH CREW
Schooner Wentworth Goes to Pieces
OFF Chatham, Mass.
Lifesavers of the Government Were Help
less in an All Night storm-Two Bodies
Washed Ashore in the Morning.

Chatham, Mass. - Driven down the
coast by a northeast storm, the Nova
Scotian schooner Wentworth was
thrown upon Chatham Bar and
smashed to pieces in the terrific surf.
1t is believed that not a soul on
board survived.
At Z o'clock in the morning the body
of a woman was dragged out of the
breakers by the Government life
savers who had been waiting on the
beach pOwerless to aid since the YES
sci went on to the bar. At s o'clock
another body, that of a man, was re-
covered.
1t is believed that in addition to the
unfortunate woman the i'll fated YES
sci carried a crew of at least eight
men, besides her skipper, Captain
Freddie.
The Wentworth was 4 three masted
schooner owned in Windsor, y. s.,
and was bound from Hillsboro, n. B.,
to New York City, with a load Of plas-
ter.
1t was just before dark that the
schooner was seen by the keeper Of
the Nauset Lights flying south, be
fore the gale, with her foresail set.
She was about three miles off shore
at the time, and it was believed that
she would be able to find the entrance
Of Pollock Rip Slue and thread her
way through the narrow channel INTO
safety behind the Handkerchief shoal.
But at s o'clock the South Patrol of
the Old Harbor Life Saving Station,
ten miles south below Nauset, suddenly
discovered the schooner on the outer
bar, head ON to the beach. Within
half an hour Captain Doane had mus
tered his crew opposite the wreck and
a line from the gun was fired.
AS the little line frightened after be-
ing sent toward the wreck it was be-
lieved that the crew had caught it and
would soon pull aboard the big haw-
ser and reach shore in the breeches
buoy. There came no sign from the
vessel, however, although lights were
shining in the cabin.
Several of the surfmen went down
as near the breakers as possible and
hailed the schooner through mega
phones, but there was no answer.
Others burned signal torches.
In the meantime Captain Doane's
crew had been reinforced by Captain
Charles and his crew from the Or
leans station, and several times lines
were shot out to the vessel, all of
which either fell short, or, if reach.
ing the vessel, were useless in the
helpless hands Of the exhausted crew,
Then the life savers settled down to
a nights vigil on the beach, trusting
that the vessel would hold together
until morning, when, it was hoped, the
lifeboat could be launched.
AS daylight came it was seen thai
two of the masts, the main and the
mizzen, had fallen by the washing
away of the stern of the vessel. Their
it was that the life avers gave up
all hope of rescuing any of the crew.
The name was ascertained from her
quarterboard and part of the stern
which came ashore.
The Wentworth was 32S tons bur-
den, 139 feet long, 1874 feet in width
and 11.9 feet in depth, was built in
Port Greville, n. s., 1889.
The woman whose body was washed
ashore was about thirty-two years old.
She was fully dressed and had on an
outside cloak. On one finger was a
heavy plain gold ring. Her face was
considerably. disfgured, probably from
contact With the wreckage. The man
was about ~thirty-fve years old, and
was fully clad, except that he wore nc
coat.
Captain Doane and Captain Charles
unite in the statement that their ex.
perience during the night was the
hardest they ever had.