Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-11-26
INTERESTING RELIC.
TIMRERs FROM REVOLUTIONARY
wARsHIP SKY ROCKET.
wATFRvu.LE MAN HAS TABLE MADE
FROM rHEs--sBIp SANK IN PESoB-
SCOT BAY.

/ Penobscot river, liz one OF the possessions
OF George A. Kiddcr, Of wateryilie.
| Nor is this all. MIR. Kidder himself
salyaged the material, and 1t was he who
furnished the apparently hopeiess pieces
OF wrecksgc from the famous old war
ship, SKY Rocket, into thing OF useful
ness aud beauty.
| The Sky Rocket took part in the dis
astrous engagement of Aug. Ii, fTp,
" hieh occurred vt the mouth OF the PEN
ohscoi river, and in. the fight which
| followed, was blown up by her American
crew in Morsc's cove, near Fort Point
ledge. opposite West Penobseot, TO keep
her from falling into the hands OF the
British.
There her timbcrs have since rested,
scarcely aboys water at the lowest tide.
the traces of the once proud fighting
craft becoming less and less each year
through the action OF water. ice and the
natural and inevitable processes OF decay.
| MIR. ktdder 5rst heard of the sky
| Rocket through = friend. Earle Sellers, OF
| Penobscos, saa obtained more complete
sccuunt throagh Hosea wardwcll, OF West
Pcnoh@eot. Through than he met Mark
| Dcvrrcux, OF West Penohseos, who lives
only a short distance from the spot where
tko old SKY Rocket came to her lac, an
chorage.
A year ago last September Mr. kidder
| took trip to West penohsoot and Waited
what remained OF the old wreck. II was
| on = ps. g, 1912, tha; the tirst attempt ~ss
made to secure portions OF this wreekage,
following a reeouuoisanee two days be-
fore. wading out in long legged rubber
boots, Mr.. Kiddor aud. SIR. pevereux
were able TO deiaeh small portions, but
the rising tide made a trip necessary on
the following day, when timber sixteen
| or eighteen feet long and plank fourteen
| feet long acre secured, with few smaller
pieces, these being about all that remained
In Sigh, Of the cid warship.
Amid much siollying" on the part of
Tire natives, rho could not understand the
expenditure OF go much time and effort TO
see1re few pieces OF water-soaked wreck
age, the prizes were towcd to land, taken
by automobile TO Pcnobseot, thence by sail
boat 10 Roekisnd, and from Rockiand 10
wsteryiiie by freight over the Maine
Central.
Evening work, extending over q period
OF three months, transformed the wood
into the table, which is twenty
inches high, fody-hve inches long and
twcnty-six inches wide.
The wood, soaked with salt water for
LID odd years, bad fret TO be kiln dried.
Next he trnnncl holes had to be lifted with
plugs in order to give continuity TO the
wood. And then came the task OF put
ting the table together which was accom-
plished In very artistic and satisfactory
way, and the result is beautiful piece OF
furniture, with unique historical assoeia-
tons
The wood il white oak. beautifully
grained. and occasionally stained dark,
from The iron In the ships construction,
though not a SINGLE nail or iron bolt has
ever been found.
The following IA q condensed account
compiled bs Sir. Kidder from the hlstori-
cal references to the battle in which the
Sky Rocket vas destroyed.
In the year iT7s, Gen. Francis Mclean
| embarked at Halifax with about 100 men,
composed OF attachments of the Tlth and
SIND regiments, in q fleet of some seven OF
eight sail, and arrived at Pcnohscot June
II. Williamson says they landed June
| II, and gives the number OF soldiers as
ao.)
The Americans. becoming alarmed at the
possession by the English OF military
post upon the frontier, The general court
Of Massachusetts,, In the latter part of
June, without consultation with the con-
tinentai authorities, ordered the state
board Of war to engage such armed vessels
as could be procured, and to be prepared
TO have them sail on an expedition against
the British at penobobscot, at the earliest
possible moment. The board OF war Was
authorized to charter or impress the
requisite number of private armed yes
sells; to promise the owners a fair COM
| pensation for all LOSSES, of whatever kind,
and TO allow the seamen the same pay and
rations as those in the continental service
The feet consisted OF nineteen armed
vessels and twenty-four transports, carry
ing 81 guns. IL has been described as
''the most beautiful feet that ever fioated
in eastern waters.
During the night of the 18th of August,
f77s, the Americans silently removed their
cannon from the peninsula and embarked
in their vessels. Early on the morning OF
the next day, they spiked and dismounted
their cannon on Nautilus island and, GO
ing on board a brig, made haste TO join
their feet. The British fleet soon APP
peared in the offing. The feet consisted
of seven vessels, carrying 20s guns and
i.55o men. This number, added to the
three sloops OF war already in the harbor,