Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-12-12
No News From Sinking
Nantucket Lightship
Although Three Vessels Leave
Boston to Aid Vessel.
Sea is Calm and Hopes Are Entertained for
Success Of the Relief.

Newport, r. l., Dec. 1.-THE sus-
pense attending the outcome Of the
leak in the Nantucket South ShOal
lightship and the absence Of any news
regarding the little gunbOat Wasp
which left here a few hours before the
storm, Sunday morning, to succOr a
vessel only 25 miles away, has made
the day at the naval training and tor
pedO stations one of great anxiety.
1t was confidently expected that the
lightship would be heard from during
the day. either by the return of one of
the vessels which went to her aid, or
by wireless from some passing ocean
liner. The only word, however, was a
faint message, early this morning,
from the lghtship herself. which
brought additional anxiety and which
read:
Nantucket Shoals lightship in dis
trcss. Send help from anywhere
The message then broke off into a
series of unintelligible dots and dashes.
At dawn, this morning, three govern
ment steamers were on the way to the
station of the Nantucket lightship, the
lighthouse tender AZalea, which start
ed, last night, from New Bedford; the
gunboat Hist, which left here at 6
O'Clock, this morning, and the revenue
cutter Gresham, which sailed from BOs
ton. late last night.
1t is a 1O-hour run from New Bedford
to the lightship's station. q 12-hour run
from this port, and about the same from
Boston.
1t was believed that the AZalea would
be able to reach the lightship by dawn.
today. and would return with either the
vessel or the crew to New Bedford or
Hyannis by o'clock, this evening.
At 10 o'clock, this evening, nothing of
the Azalea had been seen either by the
observers at New Bedford or Hyannis, or
by the patrol at Gay Head and Guilty.
hunk.
The day on the southeastern Mnssachu-
setts coast was quite calm and the sea
in the vicinity of Nantucket island mod
Grated considerably, making the condi-
tioEs very favorable for reaching the
lightship.
While the naval officials at the torpedo
station realized fully the serious nature
of the accident to the Nantucket light
ship, there was more anxiety at the train
ing station regarding the whereabouts of
the gunboat Wasp, which at dark, to-
night, had been out IS hours without be-
ing reported. The Wasp started out about
dark, Saturday night, to aid the brig Har-
ry Smith. said to be in a bad position at
the entrance of Vineyard Sound She car
r1ed crew of 50 men and was command
Ell by Chief Boatswain Hugh Sweeney,
and was provisioned for three days
1t was run of about two hours to the
entrance of the sound, but scarcely had
the Wasp left this harbor than the storm
which had been threatening all day,
broke and within a few hours the wind
had increased to a gale from the north
east. On Sunday afternoon, after the
storm had passed, word was received that
the Smith was still at anchor near Vine
yard Sound but nothing could be seen of
the Wasp. 1t was thought then that she
would appear, this morning Up to a late
nour. tonight, she had not returned nor
mad any report of her reached the train
ing station
Newport. r. l., Dec. 11.-A half fin
isheu message, sent just before the
batteries are supposed to have become
exhausted, came here by wireless from
h@