Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-05
PRAISE FOR POWER LIFE BOATS,
Race Point Boat Unable to Get Through
Surf to the Harold |. Mccarthy,
Which Safely Reaches Port.
AT POLLOCK RIP SLUE.

Chatham Mass, Dec. abandoned
by her crew after an all-day battle
with tempest driven seas, the three
masted schooner Rebecca Shepherd,
coal laden, was pounding heavily on
the rocks at Pollock Rip slue at sun
down tonight, and there were grave
fears that the return of daylight to-
morrow would find the vessel total
wreck. Her captain, w. II. Strout, and
the six members of the crew, reached
shore safely in the big power life
boat of the Monomoy Point life saving
station, the crew of which had stood
by the schooner for hours assisting in
the fulfil struggle to remove her from
her dangerous position.
The Rebecca Shepherd left st.
George. S. A., Nov. %, for Lynn
Mass. She was off Hyannis yesterday
and when near the gas buoy in Pollock
Rip slue the wind died out and the
schooner let go an anchor. During the
night the anchor became fOuled with
the buoy, the wind coming in strong
from the northeast, and making it i'm
possible for the crew to get the vessel
clear.
This morning the wind increased to
gale and the seas growing momen-
tarily more violent, Capt. Strout found
his position very periious one, and
ordered the cOlorS set in the rigging to
signal for assistance In spite of the
heavy snow fall, the vessel was sighted
from Monomoy Point about 10 o'clock
and the life saving crew under COM
mand of Capt Kelley set out to her
assistance in the large power life boat
which is kept at anchor inside the
point.
At that time the sea outside was run
ming violently and old surfmen said the
conditions were worse than on the day
of the memorable storm five years ago
when q gallant crew of life savers from
| the Monomoy Point station went to
| their deaths.
Shortly after II o'clock the power
boat was manned, and. guided by Capt
| Kelley. she soon rounded the point and
| put her nose into the tumbling rips
| Although she carried a crew Of 10 mer
all told, the powerful boat rode the
seas with remarkable bu0yancy, show
ing herself greatly superior for thai
| kind of work to the oar driven llfeboa'
d
| schooner, which was still laboring hare
in the seas about three miles off shorE
| at the entrance of the slue. The trlI
| was not made however without accl'
| dent, as one Of the mastS and one o
the gaffs were carried away when th'
gale tore out a sail which had been Sc
to steady the craft.
The work of boarding the schoonel
was accomplished with great difficulty
the men being obliged to jump one a
a time as chance offered when the life
boat was near as possible to the slc'
of the threshing collier. The ehort
to clear her chain from the buoy wef
unsuccessful although both crew
worked manfully. Big seas wer
breaking full across the schooners decl
and as the tide ebbed she began t
pound dangerously on the bottom. Capt
Kelley of the Monomoy Point crew wa
knocked violently against the windlas
nv one of the seas and suffered sever
blow on the head but was not serlousl
hurt.
At sunset, when it had been 1oun
; that the vessel was leaking oaoiy, ne
cantain was forced reluctantly 10 apan
don her and he with the crew, cam
ashore in the lifeboat 1t is tnousf
Continued on Page Twelve)