The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-03-19
RECOLLECTION OF SEA DISASTERS
Numerous Sea CatastrOphies Have Oc-
CURED Within the Last Three Score
Years

Years
The parrow escape of the passen.
gers and crew of the steamer Cobe-
qud in The Bay of Fundy recently
and the rescue of the schooner North
land in Penobscot bay by the revenue
cutter Woodbury. during the same
storm, wildly recall a gale which
swept along the Maine coast just rs
years ago which brought with it the
greatest marine horror the waters OF
this State have ever known The iron
steamer Bangor was burned with loss
of life on Sept. l, 1S45, but even that
catastrophe is dwarfed by the tragic
scenes enacted when the steamer Roy
al Tar. bound from St John to Port
land with a menagerie on board went
up in flames in Penobscot bay on Oct.
-, 1886.
The loss of life was heavy and the
rescue of many of the passengers and
crew was probably prevented by the
presence of an elephant from the
menagerie on the deck of the burning
steamer. The revenue cutter from
Castine appeared on the scene but her
commander feared to come alongside,
lest the animal attempt to leap on the
deck of his craft AS it was, all save
the captain of the Royal Tar and a
few others were lost. The captain and
those in the long boat with him re-
turned to the burning steamer. and
rescued all it was possible to save.
A thrilling account of the catastro-
phe to the Royal Tar will appear in
Wasgatts History of Steamboating on
the Gulf of Maine which is soon to be
published. The Royal Tar was owned
by John Hammond and D. J. McLaugh-
lin of St John and was built in that
city at a cost of $4,000. She was 164
feet long "a feet beam, and of 400 tons
burden She left ST. John for Port
land under command of Capt. Reed
with a menagerie on board on her last
fateful voyage.
All went well until the Royal Tar
reached Penobscot bay on her voyage
to Portland. The steamer then ran
INTO a gale of wind and anchored abou.
a mile off Fox island While lying at
anchor there a fire was discovered
near the coal bunkers about 2 o'clock
in the afternoon. There CHANGED to
be no water in the boilers at the tim-
ABOUT TO DINE.
The passengers had gathered in the
cabin and were about to sit down to
dinner when they were told of the fire.
For some time past the crew had been
fighting the flames in an endeayor to
extingush them without letting the
passengers know of their peril. But
this was not to be. 1t was believed
by some that, had the passengers been
called upon to assist earlier, the flames
might have been checked, or the de-
struction of the steamer attended With
less loss of life.
AS it was, all efforts at subduing the
flames proved useless. The only hope
of escape seemed 10 be running the
steamer ashore. With this end in
view, the anchor was accordingly
slipped. The foresail had been burned
and the jib, which was the only stitch
of canvas left by this time, was hoist
ed. But the wind was blowing a gale
off shore and the little patch of can
vas was Immediately burned by the
tongues of flame which We're shooting
up from the hull. The Royal Tar,
having slipped her moorings and be
ing without either steam or sails,
commenced to drift rapidly to sea be-
fore the off shore gale.
Two of the ships boats had been
left behind at st. John to make room
for the menagerie. most of the passen
gers thus being deprived of a part of
the usual means of escape in case of
disaster at sea.
The captain, together with a few
passengers, made their escape by TAX
ing to one of the remaining boats. But
they returned later and did all possible
to save those clinging to the stern
The rest of them stood huddled upon
the deck. The cries from the wild
beasts in their cages were blood curd-
ling.
An effort was made to put a large
omnibus. which stood upon the deck,
overheard, with the idea of using it as
a little raft. But it weighed two tons
and it could not be moved The only
remaining boat put off at this juncture,
carried a pitifully light human
freight The remainder of the ships
company, among whom there were sew
eral women and children, were driven
overheard by the flames.
THREW BABIES INTO SEA.
There was a panic at its worst
Screaming women threw their babies
into the sea, to save them from death