Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-12-21
WRECK AT ATLANTIC.
Cable Connection to Swans Island
Might Have Saved Vessel.


Might Have Saved Vessel.
Atlantic, Dec. Is Yesterday
afternoon, just before dark, the two
masted schooner, Howard Russell,
Capt. Parker Hall, of Sandy Point,
came into Mackerel Cove and an
chored in the cove south OF
Rhoderick's Head. With Capt Hall
was Capt George A. Eldridge Of
Bucksport, who was making trad
ing trip along the coast to supply
the outlying places with winter
vegetables, apples and grain. Capt
Eldridge came ashore and arranged
to stop at the home of DR.. Gage in
Atlantic. and Capt. Hall spent the
night alone on board the vessel.
About 4.3O this morning, the
wind began to blow hard from the
north, and Capt. Hall turned out
and paid out more chain. Then he
went into the galley, built on a fire
and made preparations for break
fast. While so engaged he was sur
prised to hear water rushing into
the vessel under his feet. He started
to get an axe for the purpose Of cut
ting through the flooring and at
tempting to stop the leak, but in a
very few moments the vessel ca
reened SO that he had to step lively
to get over the side and into his
.skif. The schooner filed quickly
and>went to the bottom. At high
water only the topmasts were visi-
BILE.
With the ebb tide, investigation
showed that shortly after the cap
tain had put out more chain, the
vessel had struck on a submerged
weir-pole which stove. hole
through the ships bottom. Captain
Hall thinks himself lucky that the
affair did not happen while he was
asleep in his bunk.
Both captains found hospitality in
Atlantic, and are we'll, and well
taken care of. Capt. Hall is at the
home of Bertrand Smith, and Capt.
Eldridge is with DR.. Gage.
The eastern side of the cove is
! strewn with fifteen or sixteen thou
schooner was carrying as deck
| load. Interspersed among the
beams are barrels and boxes, the
vessels matches and fittings, and oc-
casionally sack of grain, and
turnips and apples are pounding on
the rocks. A large freight of pO-
tatoes which would not float is
probably yet in the schooner's
hold. Search is being made for a.,
box containing 103 pounds of
Bucksport butter. Some of the car
| go may be -salvaged, but the greater
| part will be ruined by long SUBJ
mersion in the salt water.
| This afternoon at ebb tide the
Russell has settled on her beam
ends and is in a very precariOus pO-
sition, as salvage cannot be immedi-
ately undertaken. There is no cable
connection with Swans Island, and
about all the local fishermen have
| had their power-boats hauled out
| for the winter, and the only means
! of communication is by the daily
mail steamer. With cable COM
munication Capt. Hall could have
telephoned to his home and had
another vessel soon on the way to
| the rescue, and could have COM
municated with the coast-guard cut
| ter promptly. With the aid of the
| cutter the vessel could be saved, and
can yet be saved if salvage work is
not too long delayed.
| If there were cable connection
| with the mainland, the parties at
Manset to whom the lumber is con-
| signed could be communicated with.
That there was no loss of life in
this case was fortunate, but this is
not the first and only wreck which
has occurred in these waters.
, Wrecks on and near Swans Island
and in adjacent navigable waters
8 have been numerous, and there will
be more. 1t behooves the govern
ment to establish cable connection
=, between the mainland and Swans
| Island as promptly as possible, in
order to safeguard life and property.
The Howard Russell is about
| seventy-six feet long, has a cargo
capacity of over hundred tons, and
is registered at sixty-three tons.
G.