The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-01-15
THRILLING RESCUE
Of PASSENGERS
ON COb[QUIO
Royal Mail Packet Had Been
on Rocks SO Hours
WIRELESS BRINGS HELP
Ship Had Already Begun to Break
Up Before Life Boats
Arrived

st. Johns, n. h., Jan. lo'--cuoten
ed from what seemed almost certain
death. the passengers and crew OF
the ROYAL Mail packet Cobequid were
snug last night in Yarmouth, \. .
The wireless appeals for assistance
which she had first made SO hours pe-
fore were answered late yesterday as
the doomed steamer was being rack
ed TO pieces on Trinity rock, SIX
miles off Port Maitland. The res
cue will 60 down in shipping annals
as one of the most notable ever ac-
complished on the Atlantic coast
The Ccbequid had begun 10 break
up under the cannoning of the terri
ac seas that had been merciless from
the time the vessel struck early Tues
day. Quantities of cargo covered the
waters as the life boats ranged along
side. The coastal steamers Westport
and John l.. Cam were first to get
their small boats into the water, and
they were followed soon by the boats
of the government steamer Lans-
downe and the steamer Rappahan-
mock. As the work OF rescue pro
crossed the sea subsidized consldera-
bly, and no mishap married the trl-
umph over the waves.
Capt. McKinnon OF the Westport
found the liner on the southeast part
of Trinity ledge at 4.2O o'clock yes
terday afternoon. AT the time there
was high wind and rough sea. lie
took off in three lifeboat loads Y
persons, including all the passengers
the purser and several deck officers
ami part of the crew.
The Westport stood By until clio
o'clock last evening. when the John
L. Cam came up. The latter took OH
"a men as the Westport was leaving
for Yarmouth. The captain and IL
men of the crew decided to remain on
the ship until morning and the gov
emmett steamer Lansdowne remain
ed By with them. The Westport ar
rived at Yarmouth at 9 o'clock and
the John l. Cam followed her IN.
The Cobequid's stern was not broken
az first reported, according to the ac-
count given by Capt. McKinnon. In
fact. the afterpart was highest out OF
the water. The Cobequld was badly
iced up.
The gas buoy on Trinity ledge was
reported by Capt McKinnon as being
in position, but badly iced, which
might make It of little use In a snow
storm. The los persons on the Cobe-
quld included u frst-cabm passen-
gers an an equal number in the sec
ond class. Mrs. w. c. Zoller and her
child were the first TO go over the
side. Then followed Miss Marguerite
and Miss Dorothy James. daughter OF
the late r. II. James, mayor OF st,
Georges, Bermuda, and two sisters OF
charity One of the men were lower.
ed to lifeboats until only Capt. Haw-
son and IL men remained on the
deck. Preparations had been made at
Yarmouth to care for the shlpwreck
ed ones and they were given every
comfort that the city offorded.
Trinity rock. on which the Cobe-
quid was transfixed az a. H.. Tues
day. is pinnacle of granite rising
abruptly from the sea halfway be
tween Yarmouth and Brier island,
where the steamer was at first
thought TO have struck. The famous
awash at low water. The famous
Lurcher shoal. which is indicated by
a lightship. lies 10 miles outside
Trinity rock. while the course up the
bay of Fundy takes vessels still Earth
er off shore.