Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-04
A Prisoner Beneath the Sea.

| In the middle of August, 1879.
there was terrible storm in the Eng
| lish Channel, the sea being so rough,
and the tide rising to such an extent
that in some of the streets of Dover
| the water was two or three feet deep.
For some days previous to the storm
/ had been employed by the Coast
lWreckaSe Company ON salvage work
| in connection with a steamer which
| had sunk about II miles off Dover.
The severe weather, however. caused
d temporary stoppage of all diving
operations, and | received orders from
my employers to go out with the
steamship Herold from Dover to rem
der assistance to any ships found in
distress.
Before we had been in the channel
very long We saw a steamer collide
with barque below Folkestone, the
sailing vessel being so badly DANA ged.
having been struck amidships, that she
quickly sank. The barque was loaded
with salt and empty petroleum bar
rels, and as soon as she disappeared
beneath the waves many of the barrels
came to the surface. dottiEg the sea
all round us. We did our utmost to
save the crew, but were only success
full in rescuing the stewards boy.
whom we noticed floating on half
barrel near the scene of the disaster.
The steamer was the Idlewild,
owned by the Navigation and Trans
portation Company, and carried a
cargo of iron ore. She had also been
considerably damaged. her bows being
much bent. Her captain decided to
try to reach Folkestone but his at
tempt was futile. for the water rushed
into the vessel in great streams. When
We saw the precarious condition she
was in we asked the captain to close
the bulkheads, which he did, and then
towed the steamer into Dover Harbpr,
The sunken barque, an American
ship named the DelSon. had foundered
about IA miles west of t'olkestone AMI
when the gale subsidized, about two
days later | received instructions.
through the Trinity Commissioners, to
blast the masts out of the ship in or
der to prevent other vessels coming
into collision with them.
l was informed that there was
good deal of jewelry and money in
| locker in the captains cabin. and
after | had carried out my other or
ders.
The blasting work did not take very
long, three charges of dynamite prov
ing sufficient to get the masts out. As
soon as had finished these operations
l commenced search for the desired
cabin. | quickly found it, and also the
locker in which in all probability, the
valuableS were located. The draw.,r.
however, was locked, and | went back
to the deck to search for piece of
iron in order TO force it. | discovered
what l wanted hanging from one of
the davits, and soon twisted it free.
In returning to the cabin | had to be
very careful to keep myself free from
the stanchions so that should not get
my lines fouled when | wanted to re-
gain the deck.
1t took me some time to wrench
open the drawer. but | eventually Sue
ceeded. and on putting my hand in |
found some paper money, watch and |
chain, some rings and a lot of coins |
These | put into one of the big |
pockets of my protection overals, and |
then turned to make my way back to |
the door of the cabin.
To my surprise, however, no light |
filtered through from the direction of |
the door. although, after l first en-
tered, the opening could plainly be |
seen. l had evidently been too intent |
on my task to notice the change The |
cabin was now in almost complete |