Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-03-05
WRECK OF BARCELONA.
Eye Witness Draws Vivid Picture of
Tragedy of Fifty Years Ago.

capsized in Union River bay, with the loss
OF three lives, sends THE AMERICAN
vivid pen picture of the accident. 1t fol-
lows:
Twas particularly interested In the in
CURRY OF U. F. Csndage, OF South Blue
hill, for information concerning the cap
sizing OF the Barcelona, and the brief but
correct statement OF the accident as
printed in THE AMERICAN OF Feb. IL last.
l thought perhaps readers of THE AMERi-
CAN would like a more detailed descrip-
tion of the accident, and that !, perhaps,
could give as much information as any
man now living.
/ was with Capt. Hezekiah Staples, In
the schooner Abigail Haynes, at the time,
and we loaded lumber at Bonsey's wharf.
The Barcelona, the Bangor schooner, and
another small schooner, the Luetta, com
mspded by Capt. Greedy Hodgkins, were
loaded at the upper wharves, where they
took the tug Express on the morning of
June Is, 1852, to be towed out OF the river.
| II was calm, and when abreast OF us, they
| slowed down and we ran our line to the
Luella, and were lowed out in the same
| tow-four scnooners in all.
When below the bar, we were let go and
drifted down the bay very slowly. 1t was
hot and sultry. After dinner, Capt.
Staples went below and lay down in his
| berth. Soon we heard the rumble Of dis
tant thunder, and black clouds began to
roll up in the northwest. All the vessels
were drifting down with the ebb tide, and
were close together. The Bangor
| schooner was q little in advance, the
Luetta, about the same distance of our
star board bow, and the Barcelona was on
| our portside, abeam.
1t continued to thunder, and looked
| dreadfully black. was watching by the
wheel, but neither vessel had steerage way.
Our mate came near me, and / said: THAT
looks quite bad; do you suppose there
will be much wind from it7" "oh, l
don't think it will be much; it looks light
underneath" he replied.
He then walked forward. was a little
apprehensive, and as soon as he went for
ward stepped into the cabin and spoke
to the captain and told him 1t looked bad,
and / thought we we're going to have
some wind. He came on deck, went for
ward, and with the mate and the other
men commenced to take in sail.
In the meantime all the Luetta's sails
had been taken in except the foresaii.
The Barcelona was a topsail schooner,
having q square topsail, which had been
easf Iad ha nd he q
tackles hauled out. The last sail taken in
on our vessel was the foresail, which was
let down fast, and when the peak was
down, the jaws Of the gaff were up on the
mast about ten feet. Then the wind and
hail struck, and the rain came down in
torrents. The hail stones were as large as
the end OF a mans thumb.
Our crew took the best shelter they
could find under the ends OF the lumber
Of our deckioad forward. One could not
see more then ten feet away. At last,
Simeon Farrell, one of our men, worked
his way aft and took hold of the wheel
with me, and as he did so he said: an bet
the Barcelona's old sails are gone for it,"
Just then the wind and bail let up little,
and there, under our lee, she lay on her
side, only few rods away. In less than
twenty minutes it was calm.
Capt. Staples came aft and said 'sTbey
| are in trouble there; some one must be in
the water and they cannot get their boat"
He ordered our boat lowered. Sim, as we
| called him, and jumped into our boat
and lowered it away as quickly as possible
and pulled to the scene of disaster. The
BArceiona's cabin was under deck ana the
| women were all below. When the vessel
went over, ali the lumber on the star
and it seemed that nothing could be done
| to save the lives OF those below.
There were windows or openings in the
stern OF the vessel, with NO sash and glass,
but wooden shutters to open to let the air
into the after cabin. These were open, but
one was under water. Frank Delaittre,
whose wife was one OF the women in the
cabin, made bowline in the end OF rope
and the others lowered him down to the
| window. He called and his wife answered
him.
Before we got to the vessel in our boat,
DeLAittre had managed to get in through
the opening, and had his wife's head out
through. / was next to the window.
The woman, by putting one arm out at a
time, and with the help Of her husband
inside and taking my hands under her
arms and she putting her arms over my
shoulders, we took her out. She whis-
drowned.