Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-16
FAST ON ROCKS.
Stmr. Devonian Passes
Day in Peri|ous Position.
Goes on Beach Between Scit-
uate Second and Third Cliff.
F|oa'ed Dj Tug Proceeds to Boston, Not
Very Badly Injured.

DoStoh, rep. lJ.-EOr ii hours TO-DAY
the DIG Lcyland Line steamer Devoni-
an from Liverpool lay helpless on Scit-
uate beach, 10 miles to the south OF the
EarporS entrance for which she was
heading when she went aground at 100
oclrci this morning. Although she
was heavily pounded during the day
by the surf which prevented tugs from
getting within hailinG distance Of her,
the tug Patience of Philadelphia NAH
AGED to send n line aboard this after
noon and At 3d. o'clock with her big
screw revolving and the Patience pull
ing, the DeNontan tioatcd. having suf-
ferred apparently but little damage.
She At once steamed for the harbOr
ana arrived at quarantine about 6
O'clock. too late to come up to her dock
and land her four cabin and 50 steer
age passengers.
While the position Of the DevOnian
today was not considered perilouS to
the lives of those on board, still her
escape from becoming total wreck
was regarded tonight as extremely
fortunate as she was fully exposed to
the fury of Il northeast storm for sew
eral hours this morning. NotWithStand-
ing the boiSterous surf that beat upon
the beach, three lifeboat crews put out
To the stranded steamer and offered to
take those on board ashore. The offer
WAS. however declined and when the
wind backed into the northwest later
in the day, the sea went down percep
tibly.
The Denonian. which left Liverpool
Feb. :, with four cabin passengers,
II, h.. and ~ nf
freient valued at 81 00O. 900, passed In
by the end of Cape Cod last night, fol-
lowing the Ivrrna. An hour or two
later while the Devonian was crossing
Massachusetts bay and heading for
Mnot's Light. thick snowstorm set
in and the steamers speed was re-
duccd until she had barely Roadway.
The wind at the time was blowing
from the northeast and food tide was
setting into the bay with considerable
strength as it was enhanced by The in
shcrc breeze. The steamers course WAS
about west northwest and as the wind
and tide were making strong to the
south. the steamer gradually saggcd
off in that direction.
1t was the ciiptaiu's intention to pick
up Miuot's Light. Il fairly easy object
in clear weather. but rendered obscure
last night by the snow storm. The
light is not equipped with a fog
whistle. but has a bell.
As the Devonian proceeded her
speed was constantly reduced until at
O'Clock this morning she had just
Storage way. At $50 o'clock she
grounded easily on sandy bottom about
two miles below the entrance of Scit
uate harhor ami u short distance to
the southeast of what is known as the
Third Cliff.
Efforts to back off proved futile, so
signal lights We're burned and distress
guns fired. The lights and signals
brought not only the regular lifcsaving
crew from the Fourth Cliff station.
three miles to the south. but aroused
the inhabitants of the old town of
Scituatc and within an hour quite Il
crowd of hardened mariners were as
Scmblod ON the beach. AS the MaSSt-
chusptts Humane Society maintains Il
life boat house Cn the beach and as
the Fourth Cliff crew had not ut that
time arrived from thcir station. Il
volunteer crew hauled the Humane
s;oci"t%'$ boat ott If til" house and
carried the life gun down to the beach. |
Several Intellectual attempts were
made to fir" Il line to the steamer but |
each tim" the line came back About |
$50 o'clock the Fourth Cliff crew ar
rived and two hours before daylight |
started out to render assistance
\ few minutes later the Humane
Society's boat WAS manned by :, VOL
unteer crew. ana followed the regular
70
trance of which is about half a mile
below the scene Of the accident. Both |
crews Were gone about two hours. and
When they returned they reported that |
those on board We're not at all anxious |
regarding the situation, notwithstand- |
ing tho fact that the gale was au-
parently at its height and that Il ire
mend0us surf WAS booming on the |
beach. Capt. Ridley. however. asked |
that word be sent to Boston ana a re- |
quest made for tugs.
At daylight it was seen that the Dovo
man had grounded several hundred wards
off the beach, that she was resting in an |
upright position and that the seas were
not making any impression on her.
crowd. which included nearly every
able-bodied citizen of Scituate. assembled
on IN" beach and the Third Cliff to watch
the iifcboat crews. in the expectation Of :, |
number Of thrilling rescues of passengers
ana crew. The great seas could be seen
pounding on the stern of the Devonian
sendinS spray all over the after part. and
at low water about o'clock her hoy
seemed to be well UP on the beach.
About this time several bits of bunting
were seen to flutter from one of her
haSt:i. but no one on shore. not even tn"
lfcs3Vcrs We're able to decipher the sig
nal flags. So the lifesavers put off againI
to the stranded vessel only to learn that
the skipper wanted more tugs. To those
on shore it seemed as If the vessel must
have sprung aieak as water was pouring
over the sides, but it afterwards an
peared that she was emptying her water
ballast IN anticipation of the arrival os
me tugs. Before any of them rut in an
appearance, however. the revenue cutter
Gresham hove in sight from Boston ami
ut once answered the signals from the
Devonian.
lie first tug to nut in an aonearapc.t