Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-27
WOMAN SAVED LIVES Lashed to ths Wheel During a Severe Gale Shs Kept Vessel From
 Going to Pieces
VESSELS SAILS IN FATHERS

Machias. Me, Nov 27.-To the he roic fortitude of the captains wife, Mrs Frank Mcclure, who stood lashed to the wheel during the severe gale that swept the New England coast from Sunday, November II, to the following Wednesday, is due largely the safety of the Blue Hill, Me, schooner Gold Hunter, which worked her way into this harbor yesterday eleven days overdue from Portland. The little vessel showed plainly the marks of the storm. Her deck was swept clean and her sails were in tatters. but the sturdy hull of the Maine built craft withstood the ter rife pounding 1t received.
 The Gold Hunter with Captain Nc Guire, his wife and one man for an assistant, left Portland on Saturday. the 10th, with general cargo for this port. With her passed out by Portland Head the ill-fated schooner Eldora, which was lost near the Georges banks in the same storm which nearly overwhelmed the Gold Hunter. On Sunday the Gold Hunter was making good progress with clear weather until afternoon, when the wind breezed up from the northeast while the vessel was four miles OfI Petit Manan light.
 A sudden gust of wind split the mainsail of the vessel and carried ouou fha iihc Without hor hood- sails the little schooner became un- manageable. The sea made up rap idly and the vessel was continually smOthered in the wash of the comb CTS. Mrs Mcclure was below at the time the storm broke, preparing SUD- per, but rushed upon deck and took the wheel while her husband and his one man crew worked to bend on a foresail so as to bring the vessel up to the wind.
 With the craft wallowing wildly in the trough of the sea this task was most difficult. One hand was neces- sary to grasp something solid in order to avoid being carried away. With great patience and consummate seamanship the two men labored for hours to get their little rag of sail set, while Mrs Mcclure, dashed to the wheel, aided as well as she could by what little steering was possible on the almost helpless craft.
 Finally the foresail was rigged. double reefed, and while the two men clung exhausted to the mast. Mrs Mcclure brought the vessel around head up to the wind and held her there for forty-eight hours.
 Before the fury of the gale the ves- sel drifted out to sea for ninety-six miles of Mt Desert Rock. In all this time 1t was impossible to cook food or even to heat up any coffee. Kept up only by excitement and pluck the captains wife clung to her post through the height of the gale, while Captain Mcclure and his man attend ed to their little storm sail, which continually broke from its insecure fastenings. It was mans work at the wheel. with the helm kicking" strongly to the wild plunges of the ship, but the endurance of the rugged north woman was equal to the test, and she stood her trick with the men.
 On Wednesday the gale abated and the two men rigged temporary sails before Mrs Mcclure could be relieved from her post. All hands were ex- hausted with their struggles and ex- posture, and under such scanty can vas as could be set 1t was hard and slow work bringing the Gold Hunter into port, where she had about been given up for lost.