Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-02-11
LOSS OF ROYAL TAR.
ifENOBSCOT BAY TRAGEDY OF
sEVENrY-EIGHT YEARS AGO.
had CIRCUS TROUPE AND MENAarR1E
ON BoARD-MANY LIVES Lost
PANIC AMONG ANIMALS.

The AMERICAN some months ago
printed short sketch of the burning Of
the steamship Royal Tar in Penobscot bay
seventy eight years ago, as told by an
eyewitness, Mrs. A. T. Small, OF Sunset.
Deer Isle. The Bangor Commercial re-
Gently printed the following more ex-
tended account Of the tragedy:
The steamer Royal Tar was bound from
st. John to Portland with a menaperie on
board, and went up in flames in Penob-
scot bay on Oct. Is, 1885.
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 mepag-
erie 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 few others were lost. The captain
and those in the long boat with him re-
turned to the burning steamer, and res
Sueu al III WIS possible TO save.
thrilling account OF the catastrophe
to the Royal Tar will appear in Wasgatt's
History OF Steamboating ON the Gulf of
Maine, which is soon to be published.
The Royal Tar was owned by John Ham
mond and d. j. Mclaughlin, OF st. John,
and was built in that city at a cost of $780,
600. She was 1874 feet long, "a feet beam,
and OF 400 tons burden. She left st. John
for Portland under command of Capt.
Reed with 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 about mile
of Fox island. While lying at anchor
there fire was discovered near the coal
bunkers about o'clock in the afternoon.
There CHANGED to be no water in the
boilers at the time.
ABOUT TO DINE.
The passengers had gathered in the
ca bin and we're about to sit down to din
ner when they were told of the fire. For
some time past the crew had been fighting
the flames in an endeavor to extinguish
them without letting the passengers know
OF their peril. But this was not to be. 1t
was believed by some that, had the pas
sengers been called upon to assist earlier,
the flames might have been checked, or
the destruction 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 to be by 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 hoisted. But the wind
was blowing gale off shore and the little
patch of canvas was Immediately burned
by the tongues of flames which were shoot
ing up from the hull. The Royal Tar,
having slipped her moorings and being
without either steam or sails, commenced
to drift rapidly to sea before 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 passengers thus
being deprived of a part of the usual
means of escape in case of disaster at sea
The captain, together with few pas
sengers, made their escape by taking tc
one of the remaining boats. But they re-
turned later and did all possible 10 save
those clinging to the stern. The rest Of
Z hnL ba
cries from the wild beasts in their cages
were blood ourdling.
An effort was made TO put large omni-
bus, which stood upon the deck, over
board, with the idea of using it as a life
raft. But it weighed two tons and il
boat put off at this juncture, carrying q
pitifuily light human freight. The re-
mainder of the ships company, among
whom there we're several woman and chill
dren, were driven overheard by the flames
THREW BABIES INTO SEA.
There was panic at its worst. Scream
ing women threw their babies into the
sea, to save them from death by fire, and
then jumped in themselves. Other pas
sengers made ropes fast to the side OF the
Royal Tar and lowered themselves over
the side. But the ropes soon burned and
those clinging to them sank beneath the
surface. One man filled his pockets with
silver dollars and lowered himself to the
waters edge with the intention of seizing
spar. He no sooner released his hold on
the rore than, owing to the weight OF the
silver, he sank to rise no more.
Six horses belonging to the menagerie
we're backed overheard. Three of them
instinctively struck out for the nearest
land which they reached in safety. The
other three swan around and around the
burning steamer until they sank ex-
hausted.
A large elephant belonging to the
menagerie retreated TO part of the Royal
Tar which the flames had not yet reached.
He mounted his fore feet upon the rail, in
which position he remained until about
l.