Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-11-05
A s15.ooo rRIzE.
Steamers in Race for Abandoned
Schooner Havens.


spurred on by the lure Of salvage, three
steamers engaged in thrilling race last
| week after the helpless hulk OF the
schooner Henry p. Ravens, OF Bucksport,
abandoned in a gale of Cape God sun
day morning, Oct. rs. AZ top speed the
three boats swooped down on the wallow-
| ing schooner, which was believed TO have
tcundcred, each striving to be the first tc
pass line aboard and win a prize esti-
mated as being worth $4,000.
1t was Sunday afternoon that a rumor
spread about the Boston water front that
the Ravens had not foundercd, but was
drifting about in the bay, rich prize for
the vessel that put line aboard her first.
Before nightiali the tug Mercury, her
bankers fall and her captain and crew
keyed up to concert pitch, headed out OF
the harbor. All night long she cruised
the waters OF Massachusetts, bay, looking
for her prize. AT dawn row OF men stood
on the deck, strsinipg their eyes seaward.
Suddenly, with . cry, one OF them raised
buried in foam, rose and fell singishly
on the waves. The Mercury headed to-
ward IL at full speed.
Suddenly there was an exclamation OF
anger. Another OF the crew had spied q
black steamer, smoke pouring from her
tunnels and bone in her teeth rs she
bore down on the Mercury's prey. Still
another vessel appeared on the other side.
also headed toward the hulk, for suchi she
now appeared,
Safety valves Kissing, machinery throo-
bling, her crews gathered in tense knots.
the Mercury, the Whitney and the collier
j. II. Devereaux, raced toward the
Hsvens. The whitney reached her FIRST,
and before she had lost her way boat
and picked crew was lowered oversize
and made for the schooner, bearing line.
While the other two boats lay hungrily
alongside and watched With ehagrin the
sns,ching of the prize from right under
their noses, the whitney's men cImmbercd
aboard the Ravens. Her decks were a
veritabie tsngis of sp@rs, sails and eordage.
Her foremost lay In the water under her
porfchains. The main and mizxenmasts
lay across the wreck, insxtricahly mixed
up with splintered wood and tangled
ropes and canvas. great hole gared in
her deck forward and beneath il the cargo
OF soft coal "boiled". Black and threat
ening, glistening like liquid tar, I, hifscd
aud slithered, rolling up against the
wooden sides of the vessel like heavy, black
por-idge, bearing her down lo~ by the
head one moment, almost csreening Der the
next, and the Ravens, under Its impetus,
waiiowed like a drunken sailor.
When, as the other boats drew suiieniy
of, the Whitney took up the slack OF the
hawser. the tedious part OF the work be-
gan. Hour after hour the men sheltered
themselves from the chill wind and strove
10 keep the schooner beaded straight.
Though the day was brilliant overhead
and the water OF the bay blue az in
August, on board the schooner everything
was soaked and sodden. Green water,
rolling across the decks through the shat
tered buiwsrks, added TO the peril OF the
undertaking.
When the Whitney finally reached Bos-
ton. she tied her prize up at Union wharf,
where IL will remain until salvage has
been adjusted.