The Republican journal., 1910-03-03
TRAGEDIES OF THE SEA.
The Ships that Never Came Back

O-AsPS sAAsAe @NSvNt NdIilc DdCk.
The Baltimore Sun recently publishe d
long list Of ships that had mysteriouslv
disappeared on the high seas and it in
cluded some Maine vessels. This is the
story told Of one:
Rockland, Maine, on the west shore of
the Penobscot Bay, within sixteen miles
of the ocean, is one of those clean. we'll
watered, thrifty little cities for which
New England is noted.
In the beginning it was largely propel-
led by ship captains, both active and re-
tired. Eleven years ago one of its most
popular residents was Captain F. w.
johnson, veteran skipper, bronzed by
the sun of many climates, man Of
charming disposition, who never walked
down the main streets of the town with
out pausing to give cheerful word to
every man, woman and child whom he
encountered during his stroll.
One morning in the spring of 1896 he
received telegram from New York Of
fering him the command of the ship CITY
of Philadelphia, which was to sail for San
Francisco with a cargo of general mer-
chandise.
He turned to his wife. 'My dear, this
means long and uncertain voyage.
do not have to go, but it sounds like the
call Of duty. What shall l do about it,"
&C.," was the short and decisive re-
Spouse.
"But what will become of you?''
She looked up at her sturdy husband
with smile of confidence.
81 shall go with YOU"
And so the New England couple jour-
neyed to the metropolis, where the 'hus-
band was to assume charge of one of the
most important boats that had been as
signed to him during all his maritime
career.
The ship City of Philadelphia was of
1884 tons, q years old, and was owned
by a prominent shipping man in the
Quaker City. 1t took only few days to
complete the general cargo, and then,
without any formalities, it started on it's
long trip to the other end of the United
States.
Allowing for uncertain wind and tide
the owners expected to hear from the
ship in three weeks at least, but a full
month went by and there were no tidings,
and the second month passed, and then
all those who We're interested became
thoroughly alarmed.
Near the end of the fourth month
another vessel going by Fort Stanley, in
the Falkland Islands, picked up some
bits OF wood which proved, on examina-
ton, to be part of the cargo that had
been carried by the City of Philadelphia.
The theory is that she struck a rock and
foundered in the vicinity of the Falkland
Islands.
To one accustomed to the terrors of the
sea it is not difficult to imagine what oc-
Cured during these eventful days.
| According to the calendar, a storm
arose about that time which gradually
increased in volume until it assumed the
proportions of hurricane. There were
twenty men in the crew, all able-bodied
and experienced in shipcraft, but when
that awful eruption of natures anger
began they were thrown from the deck
of the laundering vessel, one by one, I'M
til none remained by the captain and his
brave wife.
Imagine her standing there on the edge
of the ship, which still remained above
water, gazing with white face into the
countenance of her anguished husband.
| The doWnpour continues, the roar of the
wind is so loud that they. cannot hear one
another's voices, but they stand there,
hand in hand, bond of sympathy and
love between them stronger than mere
words.
They become faint-a sudden weak
ness overwhelms them. Through their
uncovered eyes they gaze into the
blackness of the receding world.
A final crash, and the two who were
united in life go down together in death
into the fathomless depths of the ocean.