Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-25
+ A" HARD. JOB. :.
Cutter Woodbury. Saves
AnAbandoned Schooner
.Tows Wreck Of the Therese
Wolfe Into Portland HarboT.
After Very Lively Struggle with
Wind and Wave.

|
by a revenue cutters lights, 30 miles
off Seguin light at the mouth OF the
| kennehec river. Maine, several craft
cruising coastwise narrowly escaped
disaster by collision with a substantial
derelict on pitch dark" night last
week.
Right in the path of navigation lay
| the abandoned vessel and if she mao
not been located and removed 1t Is
| likely that several schoOners, lows ana
other vessels which passed within the
| immediate vicinity during last Tues
day night would have struck the half
| submerged hulk with great damage
and probable loss of life. The offlclal
narration of the incident which thrilled
the shipping interests in and about the
Casco bay section has just reached
| the treasury department in report
| from Capt F. S. Van Boskerc, COM
manding the revenue cutter Woodbury.
| at Portland. His experiences IN warn
| ing the craft were most remarkaple
The derelict was the schooner The
reese Wolfe, New York for st. John.
Her crew was taken off by the Pop
ham Beach lifesaving crew Is miles
east of the coast. Capt. Van Boskerc
reported that on the morning of Oct.
lis the word was brought him from the
Portland custom house that the
schooner had been abandoned and was
dangerous menace to navigation. The
revenue cutters boiler was undergo
ing an overhauling, but steam was
raised at once, the probable position OF
the wreck ascertained from the Pop
ham Beach crew by telephone. and at
I o'clock in the morning the Woodbury.,
heading southwest from the Portland
lightship, glided out to where the
wreck was believed to have drifted.
Thirty miles out the cutter searched
and finally at noon, after changing her
course, sighted the derelict five miles
away. There was another change OF
course and half an hour later the cut
ter and the derelict were abreast. the
schooners stern and topgallant Tore
castle were awash and the fore ana
main masts were gone. The miZzen-
mast, supported by the shrouds, was
standing nd to the masthead was nall
ed a distress signal consisting of
square of canvas. The bowsDrit and
iibbooom were intact, the anchors We're
on the bows and all around the wreck
were the other spars which were held
by the rigging. The seas were breaking
on board, but the vessel appeared TO
be in remarkable condition and worth
saving.
A boat was lowered from the cutter
and the first lieutenant went aboard
the wreck. The state of the sea rem
dered the dynamiting of the wreck Il
~ "a r.r,.lr tl,nr ~
a haWser was run TO the bits on the
schooner's port quarter and the Wood
bury with the derelict in tow started
home. Soon the wreck careened over
on her starboard bilge and he keel
swung nearly at right angles with the
cutter, rendering the steering of the
latter most difficult.
At times the cutter was able to make
a speed of only six-tenths of knot
AS the afternoon wore on the schoon-
ers forward deck house was washed
away hut by the interchangeable efforts
of tie crew of the little government
vessel no ether important portion OF
the wreck parted company.
During the night the towing lights
were set on board the Woodbury., the
wind and sea gradually decreased and
the speed of the cutter attained about
| one and a half knots. The following
morning at 8 o'clock the cutter ran out
a 6-inch hawser, making it fast to the
derelicts mizzenmast. in the wake OF
the eyes of the rigging and the revolu-
lions Of the engine were increased to
| IS turns That afternoon signals were
passed. to the Cape Elizabeth station
warning approaching vessels of the
derelict in tow. 1t was ebb tide and
the cutter, under all the adverse con-
ditions, was difficult to steer.
Vessel not under command" was
| flashed and the slow approach into
port was begun. At O'Clock that al
ternoon the tug Portland came along
side but even with her aid progress
was slow and at times the Woodbury.
appeared to lose Roadway altogether.
When off Spring Point lighthouse she
took a sheer and headed in toward the
shoals, rendering it necessary to stop
and back the engine to work the YES
sells head around to safety. Here the
mizzenmast of the wreck fell but was
hello by the rigging. Finally at o'clock
that night the derelict was locked the
time consumed in towing by the Wood
bury having been so hours, with an aV-
|o,a,o ,noc1 Of ~ knots