The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-07-28
City Of RoCkIand Wrecked.
SHE STRUCK ON TIE GANGWAY
LEDGE TUESDAY MORNING AND
WILL PROBABLY BE A TOTAL LOSS.
Passengers And Baggage All Saved. Four
Horses Drowned. The Freight Still In
The Water.

| ~oo~o~ S~>
Horses Drowned. The Freight Still II
The Water.
The steamer City Of Rockland of the
Bangor Division of the Eastern Steamship
Co. ran ashore on the Upper Gangway
Ledge in Mussel Ridge Channel Tuesday
morning, July 26th, in dense fog and will
probably be total loss. The steamer was
bound from Boston for the Penobscot Bay
and river ports, with about 400 passengers
of the Rockland, commenting to the
Rockland Star upon the disaster says:
1t was one of the thckest nights l have
seen on this coast during my thirty-Odd
| wears of steambOating. We were over two
pick up the whstling buoy off that island.
| AT last we located it and proceeded on our
| course and ran on time to White Head,
which we made all right. After passing the
| light we made out Spruce Head very dimly
through the heavy fog. We never once
rection of Gangway ledge. We thought we
could see the shadow of Otter island, but
could not tell the exact distance we were
away. When our running time was up to
make the bell buoy off Ash island all at once
! a spar buoy was seen ahead little to port,
the ledge, going along about four knots an
hour. i at once gave the signal to the engi-
neer to stop. l never would back off ledge
not knowing where l was or how much
water was going into, for the vessel might
have large holes in it and before the paSSen-
gers could be landed great loss of life
would be the result
"When the steamer struck she seemed to
| buckle in the middle and in SO doing the
steam pipe supplying the engine was
| broken, allowing the steam to escape. The
assistant engineer turned off the steam and
was badly burned about the face and
hands. This was the only accident to my
| knowledge that occurred on board. This
| happened about half tide, and as the flood
| tide came in the steamer was released from
| her rocky berth and drifted to the South
| west ledge, where she now lies. Several
| times l thought to anchor, but as it was
| broad day light proceeded on my way,
| thinking we could feel our way along as we
| had done many times before. When We
| struck the Gangway ledge there were sew
eral passengers in the dining saloon. The
jar of the boat, which was quite noticeable,
| never disturbed them bit, for they con-
tinued their meal. There was no commo-
tion among either the passengers or crew
and everything was as quiet as though
nothing had happened. After deciding to
set our passengers ashore, it was accom-
plished with no excitement on the part OF
the ladies and the four hundred passengers
were placed in the boats with very little
trouble. | am pleased with one thing and
that is, there was nobody seriously hurt in
the disaster. for it would be a sad thought
for me to think of any loss of life. The
pilots in tie pilot house were all compe ent
men and know their business thoroughly.
We all did the best we could. and that is all
l can say
The news of the disaster naturally caus
ed much discussion about town and many
false rumors found circulation and ere
dence. The Journal has interviewed Off
GERS of the boat and some of her passengers,
and the story in brief is AS follows The
steamer was working carefully through the
Mussel Ridge channel and at 5.15 a. m.
struck heavily On ledge. She heeled first
to port, then settled down somewhat and
heeled slightly to Starboard. When she
struck there was sound of crashing plank
and in an instant a kissing and roaring of
steam. 1t was afterwards learned that a
large hole was broken in the bottom nearly
under the engines and a large steam pipe
broken. Steam was shut off and the fires
had the six life boats and life RATS launch
ed, the women and children loaded into
them, and the boats were rowed to Ash
Island where the passengers were landed.
The life RATS were mOOred near the steam
er and remained SO until the steamer Cath
crime arrived from Rockland and took off
the passengers remaining on board the
,f thp
officers and crew as were needed in caring
for the passengers and their baggage, re-
turning later to take off those ON the is
land.
The steamer f1eated off the ledge on which
she first struck, and as her machinery was
disabled drifted until she went onto the
Southwest lodges between Sheep and Fish
ermen's islands, and at last reports she
was on the ledge with her bow submerged
and her stern partly out. At high tide the
water is up to the deck of her pilot house
and the stern elevated SO that part of the
saloon deck is cut of water. Had she not
drifted upon this ledge she would have
sunk in deep water.
The Eastern Steamship Company ar
lduStV WILL LLc Stcdlucl Mcll COucdS w
take the passengers and baggage to ports
up the bay and river and she arrived here
about p. M, her decks crowded. There
were many children on board and dress
suit cases were numerous. No one showed
traces of their exciting experiences, but
the stories they told of the disaster were
somewhat conflicting. No two agreed as to
the time the steamer struck, and one man
said that twenty minutes after they left her
she sank and only her smoke stack was
visible Forty-fve passengers were landed
here, which included those for Searsport,
but their names were not ascertained.
Only the hand baggage in the staterooms
and that near the after gangway was got
out at the time the passengers left, but the
remainder was subsequently secured and
forwarded by the steamer City of Bangor,
which arrived here yesterday morning.
There was some freight for Belfast, but
none of the freight or express matter was
received here yesterday. There were four
horses on board and although efforts were
made to save them the freight had SO shift
ted when the steamer struck that the stalls