The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-15
While Their Vessel, the
Cobequid, Is Pounding
on the Rocks
CAPTAIN AND II MEN
TAKEN OFF TODAY
Others Were Put Ashore
and Cared for Last
Night

Yarmouth, n. S.. Jan. l5.-The steam
or Cobequid, which struck Trinity Rock
off Port Maitland, Tuesday morning and
held together long enough to save the
lives of the l0S persons aboard her, was
abandoned to- day and will probably go
to pieces. Captain Hawson and IL mem
bers of her crew who remained aboard
after the others were rescued last night
quit the vessel this morning when it
became apparent that she would break
up.
The people rescued from the wrecked
vessel related stories of their harrow
ing experiences to-day. During the 30
hours while they We're awaiting aid they
were huddled together in the captains
room and the ladies' room, living on bis
cult and cornmeal and coffee which Cap
tain Hawson made while standing in icy
water waist deep.
The Cobequid's wireless appeals for as
sistance, which she had first made 36
hours before, were answered late yes
terday as the steamer was being racked
to pieces. and the rescue will 90 down in
shipping annals as one of the most not
able ever accomplished on the Atlantic
coast. The Cobequid had begun to break
mp under the cannonading of the terrific
seas that had been merciless from the
time the vessel struck early Tuesday.
Quantities of cargo covered the wa
ters as the lifeboats ranged alongside.
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 Lansdowne and the
steamer Rappahannock. As the work of
rescue progressed, the sea subsidized con
siderably and no mishap marred the
triumph over the waves
Captain McKinnon of the Westport
found the liner on the southeast part of
Trinity ledge at 4:20 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. At the time there was
high wind and rough sea. He took off
in three lifeboat loads 72 persons, includ-
ing all the passengers, the purser and
several deck officers, and part of the
crew.
The Westport stood by until 6;l5
o'clock last evening, when the John L.
Cam came up. The latter took off 24
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 government
steamer Lansdowne remained with them.
The Westport arrived in Yarmouth
at o'clock and the John L. Cam fol-
lowed her in.
The Cobequids stern was not broken
as first reported, according to the ac-
count given by Captain McKinnon. In
fact the after part was highest out of
the water. The Cobequid was badly iced
up.
The Rescue.
The los persons on the Cobequid in
cluded II first cabin passengers and an
equal number in the second class. Mrs.
w. c.. Zoller and her child were the first
to 90 over the side. Then followed Miss
Marguerite and Miss Dorothy James,
daughters of the late r. H. James, may
or of st. Georges, Bermuda, and two Sis
ters of Charity. One by one the men
were lowered to iflboats until only
Captain Hawson and ii men remained on
the deck. Preparations had been made
here to care for the shipwrecked ones
and they were given every comfort that
the city afforded.
The Crash.
The Bay of Fundy was swept by
blizzard as the Cobequid, bound from
the tropics, began to feel her way to-
ward ST. John. The last of the ebb tide
was running and the wind was strong
from the west-conditions which tended
to drive the steamer closer to the east
ern shore than her skipper anticipated.
The crash came just before dawn and
a few minutes later the wireless as. o.
S." was flashing over the angry waters.
The Cobequid's operator was unable to
give her location, for no one on board
knew definitely. Four hours later flood
tide and gales had Griven the steamer
still farther on the rock, breaking her
back and flooding the engine room. This
put out the fires and interrupted the
wireless apparatus. The passengers
were greatly alarmed, but the courage
of Captain Hawson and his abiding faith
in his ship reassured them time and
again. The steamer made water rapid
ly and the cargo began TO tear away.
Throughout the day and night that fol-
lowed the officers scanned the sea for
passing craft and the operator worked
heroically to restore his wireless out
fit.
Meantime steamers that had picked |
up the first cry for help were searching |
for the distressed craft.
A heavy vapor caused by the action |
of the intense cold on the water handi-
capped the searchers and il was a fish |
made out the Cobequid as the yapor |
rose late yesterday afternoon and re-
vealed the liner on the dreaded Trinity |
Darkness was gathering fast when the |
rescue began, but the boatmen from the |
coastal steamer knew the rock and the /
surrounding shoals as well as they did |
their own front yards ashore, and they |
went at the work before them with per /
feet confidence. Less than five hours |
later those who had faced death for two |
days were being warmed and fed at the |
hotels here. So far as could be learned !
none of the party was permanently the
worse for their adventure.
All, however, had suffered greatly /
from the intense cold. Most of them
were frost bitten and everyone showed /
the effects of exposure to zero weather.
When the rescue ships reached docks |
here many of their passengers had to !
be carried to the hotel. For the 80 hours
4 L L.