The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-04-18
Mystery Surrounds Vessel
Found Thursday by the
Schooner Algoma.
CAPTAIN OF THE LATTER BOARD
ED THE VESSEL AND FOUND
HER IN GOOD coNDITIoN-RE-
TURNED AZ HOURS AFTERWARD
AND FOUND HER BURNED Al
MOST TO THE WATER LINE.

Found sixty miles south DyE south
east of Pensacola. deserted and float
ing aimlessly about and then to be
burned almost 10 the water edge forty
eight hours later, is the mystery which
surrounds the tnree-masted American
schooner Jas G Clifford OF Mobile,
which was sighted early Thursday
morning by the fishing schooner Al
gonna of the Warren feet. coming from
the Campeachee banks for Pensacola
with d cargo of fish.
The appearance of the Clifford as
the Algoma hove in sight caused Capt.
Mcintyre 10 lower a small boat and
send some of his men TO the vessel
When they went aboard not soul
could be seen, but every evidence
showed that the crew had not been
gone many hours, for a small lamp
in the cabin was still burning, while
the stove on which the morning meal
had been cooked was still warm. Some
of the sails were carried away, but
otherwise the vessel was in good con-
Iition, there being 4 little water in the
hold An auger was found lying on
deck.
CAME FOR ToWeoAT.
Captain Mcintyre was snort OF men
aboard his vessel and also short of
supplies. so he could not leave any
men with the vessel. He headed for
Pensacola with the intention of getting
. tug boat and returning TO get the
schooner, from which he and his. YES
sci would get 4 neat sum as salvage.
He reached Pensacola Friday morn
ing. but he kept his find a secret,
telling only the owners OF the smack.
Friday afterucau on board the tug
Nellie he left fa4- the point where ff7
had left the schooner About II
O'Clock Friday night the men aboard
the Nellie sighted a vessel burning
about ten miles distant Upon ap-
preaching her II was found TO be the
Clifford. and she was so badly burn
ed at that time as 10 be worthless.
Her masts had fallen, her deck and
stern burned away. while fire and
smoke were breaking through the
sides.
Capt. Mcintyre was almost dumb
founded. for when his men left the
ship there was not spark Of fire
Of any description on the vessel. The
men looked into the stove, which was
warm. but found no fire. The small
cabin lamp was put out and taken
aboard the AIsoma while one of the
port lights. which was also burning
WAS eXtingUiEhed,
CREW NOT SIGHTED.
the crew of the AIgoma sight the
crew of the abandoned vessel. That
they had put of IN small boats was
shown by the fact that the boats We're
missing Why they left the vessel is
somewhat of a mystery, as the leak.
the men say. was not sufficient to
cause abandonment. As she was
within sixty miles of this port and
possibly closer TO others along the
coast. it is thought the Clifford could
easily have made Do"j.
According TO LlOyd's the schooner
was rebuilt in 1905 and was in first
class condition. She was of 359 net
tons, I26 feet in length and p foot
beam. In 1905 she was owned by
Horace Turner of Mobile. but her
present owner is not known
According 70 a chart found aboard
the vessel Oh the first visit she was
evidently bound from Porto Rico,
where she had carried cargo. for Mo-
bile,
CLOT HIS WIFE