Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-08-14
LOSS OF THE ROYAL TAR.
Story OF Sea Tragedy of Seventy
Five Years ago.


omafi, OF sunset. Deer lsle.l
lam interested in historical sketches of
olden times, and the reading of the terrible
catastrophy OF the loss OF the steamer
Titanic brought forcibly to my mind the
burning of the Royal Tar many years ago.
II happened in the year of 1886 or 1887.
have never seen a report Of it in print,
but probably it was printed in the Eastern
Argus at the time. wonder IL there is
person living besides myself who person
ally knew OF that ocean horror. II there
is, would like to hear from him.
The Royal Tar was an English steamer
which had been chartered to take mena-
gerie from Eastport to East Thomaston,
now Rockland. AS she came slowly up the
harbor, my father took me in his arms
and, with an older sister and brother, put
us in boat and rowed out towards her.
1t was the first steamboat we had ever
seen.
As she came near, my father waved his
bat and the men on board did the same,
ana the women waved their handker-
chiefs. One lady came to the side. She
was dressed in black with a white shawl on
her shoulders and a handkerchief over her
hair, which was white. As she waved her
hand could see the jewels on her fingers
siisten in the bright sunshine. She said
something in which heard the name of
God. They were passing through Deer
Isle thoroughfare, close in shore. How
easily they might all have been saved, as
the steamer was then on fire, though the
passengers did not know it.
As she passed out into the bay, sud-
denly the fire broke out through her
deck, and then there was a panic. They
filled one boat and hastily cast it off with
out any oars. Then they constructed a
raft of whatever they could get. One
sick lady in the cabin never came out. A
man with bag of gold filed belt which
he had around him with it; also his pock-
cts; then he jumped for the raft, missed it
and sank.
Before they could get clear of the burn
ing wreck, flames had burned the ropes
which held the elephant and he sprang over
on the raft and everyone on it was either
killed or drowned.
My father that night went out on head
land and watched the burning hull until
it sank from sight. My uncle, William
Barter, was out in fishing vessel. He
saw the lifeboat drifting and went to the
rescue OF the passengers, taking them to
his hospitable home on Isle au Haul. He
built fire in the large fireplace and dried
their clothing, and my aunt put on q huge
kettle and made 1t full OF what is called
hasty pudding and, with plenty OF milk,
fed them.
Not having beds for them all Git was in
the days OF feather beds), she took the
mattresses apart and made beds on the
floor for them. After they got them
settled for the night my uncle killed
lamb, which they baked whole in brick
oven. They also baked beans, brown
bread and wheat loaves for their break
kettles OF pork and beef and vegetables,
and kept the unfortunate people until the
following day, when a vessel came from
Thomaston and took them away.
did not know OF the burning until the
morning afterward. My childish heart
was saddened. For long time / sor-
rowed for that old lady, that I might
know her fate. No old lady was saved.
As there we're no facilities then as now,
| do not know how many were lost or
saved. II there is any record of it would
like to know.