Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-11

at local boarding houses. They stated
that there was no panic on board the
vessel but that nearly everyone got
wet in leaving the steamer. No one
was able to save any personal effects.
The wireless operator on board the
Hall was able to send the following
message before his batteries gave out:
"Horatio Hall in collision with H. F.
Dimcck at A. NJ, ship cut below wa
ter line. Is on the bottom Send assist
ance." This message was picked up by
half a dozen government stations and
a number of amateurs, but before a
reply could be sent or the operator
asked for the position of the Hall a
small army of wireless plants, govern
ment, professional and amateur. began
hurting pulsations into the atmos-
phere until there was wild jumbo
and all intelligence was lost. At first
it was thought that the accident took
place off Newport, and half dozen
wireless stations in that vicinity work
ed hard in trying to pick up some mes
sage from the Hall. The call for help
reached the revenue cutter Gresham,
anchored underneath Great Point,
Nantucket, and that steamer immcdi-
ately got under way and secured Nam
tucket sound from the Handkerchief
,ightship to Vineyard Haven, without
finding any trace of either the Hall or
the Dimock
This afternoon the Gresham, upon
learning that the Hall was sunk some
where to the eastward of the Handker-
chief lghtship. started for that point and
at dark was heard firing guns off Mon
omoy point. The revenue cutter Acush-
net which was at Woods Hole was or
her way to the scene of the stranling of
the steamer Massachusetts on Martha's
Vineyard. but knowing that the Gresham
was hunting the Hall she did not answer
the call for help.
The six hours silence today which fol-
lowed the cry for help from the Hall were
full of anxiety. 1t was believed that no
lives had been lost, but there was no
surety as to that fact Every point
along the coast from Highland light to
Point Judith was informed Of the disas-
ter and hundreds of watchers tried to
penetrate the fog for a glimpse Of the
stranded steamer. The first assuring word
came with the landing of the passengers
from the Dimock shortly after 2 o'clock.
Within an hour after the Dimock had
gone ashore the tugs Underwater and
Orion and a wreckng outfit left Boston
TO assist the Dimock. The weather off
here tonight was favorable to wreckng
operations and there was some hope of
saving the vessel. Capt. Thompson and
his crew decided to remain aboard for the
night and await the arrival of the wreck
ers. The Horatio Hall lies in "a feet of
t., Ip~II n
gerous menace to coastwse navigation
1t was believed that Capt. Jewell would
erdeavor to hoist lanterns on her masts
while every effort was made to notify
vessels bound up and down the coast OF
the partial blocking of the narrow chan
mel off Pollock Rip Slue.
Word was received here tonight that
the agent of the Maine Steamship Co.
had left New York on the steamer North
Star of the same line and that that
vessel would probably stop alongside the
Hall tomorrow morning. This is the sec
Ond steamer which the steamer III. +.
Dimock has sunk in Pollock Rip Slue,
the first one being the steam yacht Alva.
owned by William X. Vanderbilt. which
the Dimock ran down while the Alva was
lying at anchor within mile of where
the Hall is now on bottom.
The Horatio Hall and the II, f. Dimocl
are steamers of practically the same size,
the former being trhe larger. The
Hcratio Hall was built in Chester Pa.
In 1898 and registers 2Oo7 tons net She
IS 296 feet over all, 46 feet beam and Il
feet draught. The H. f. Dimock was
built in Philadelphia in 1884 and registers
1855 tons net. She is 271 feet over all. Al
feet beam and draws 10 feet.