Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-27
TWENTY LIVES
LOST AT SEA
OF FORTY PERSONS ONLY SIX
KNOWN TO BE SAVED
NortheasterIy Gale Blew Vessel to
Shore, Is Report, but 1t is Be-
ieved Man at Wheel
Made Mistake
[Ry Associated Press. !

| EASTPORT, Me, Oct. 26-Twenty
lives and perhaps more were lost today
in the destruction on a shoal off Seal
Cove of the steamer Hestia, bound
from Glasgow for st. John and Balti-
more. Four of the victims, young
Scotch boys, were passengers, and the
others were members of the crew.
Captain Newman and twenty or more
of the crew were last seen in ships
boat which was being tossed on the
stormy sea.
OF the forty persons who were
aboard the steamer when she piled up
on the shoal early today, only six are
positively known to have been saved.
They were forced to cling to the wreck,
shifting their precarious positions as
the steamer was tossed by the seas.
1t was not until p. m. that life
savers were able to man their boats
and reach the stranded vessel.
Those known to be saved are: Third
Mate Stewart, Second Engineer Nor
gan and Seaman Keefe, Mckenzie,
Smith and McVicker.
A northeasterly gale is believed to have
been responsible for the Hestia's fate,
although it is supposed that mistake
of the man at the wheel in believing
he had picked up Camel Rock light,
while really discerning the CLEANS of a
lighthouse on Machias Seal islands,
several miles southwest, carried the
ship many miles out of her course.
The sailors of the middle watch had
been out of their hunks an hour and
all others except the navigating Of
flcer were slowed in hunks or hammocks
when the crash came an hour after
midnight.
In the belief that he was leaving
Grand island on the port tack and fol-
lowing the usual course to st. John,
the navigating officer sought the dis
tinguishing marks of that route. But
they were not to be seen. Instead, the
steamer was heading for Seal Cove
between Camel Rock and Machias
Seal island, over seas which barely
covered a treacherous bottom of shoals.
1t was on one of these that the vessel
became impaled.
First Lifeboat Lost
Three lifeboats We're swung from the
dock, but one dropped into the sea and
was lost. Then preparations were made
to prevent second similar mishap.
Into another boat were placed the four
boys and more than dozen of the
crew. They had barely taken their
places, when the tackle gave way and
they were precipitated into the turbu-
lent waters. The raft capsized, but
soon righted, and one of the boys was
seen clihging to the bottom. Again
the boat was capsized and he disap-
peared.
Meanwhile those aboard the vessel
launched the third boat. 1t was their
remaining hope. Captain Newman and
all the other seamen except six en-
tered the boat. These six were rescued
by life savers.
Captain Newman and his men sue
ceeded in hauling two of those strug-
Cling in the water into the overcrowded
craft, but they were unable to rescue
others, whose cries could be heard
above the gale. Third Mate Stewart,
now in charge of the stranded steamer,
and the remaining members of the
crew built a raft and placed it in read
mess for launching a supply of water
and food.
Danger Discovered Late
Through the hours of darkness and
dawn the Hestia gradually settled by
the stern. At daylight Mate Stewart
hoisted the Union Jack, reversed, as a
signal of distress, but it was late in
the afternoon before the vessels plight
was discerned.
Many fishing craft went out to aid
the steamer One by one, however,
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