Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-10-05
A sHIPwRECK.
What Happened Once at Swans Is
land Before Cable Connection.

| the HSHlnS SCHOOucT y. w. sawyer,
Capt John Rogers, went ashore on
Black ledge. Though the distress
of the vessel had been noted by the
people of Swans Island, it was i'm
possible, on account of the heavy
ice, to take out any of the small
fishing boats which were in the har-
Dor, in order to go to the assistance
of the schooner. When darkness
shut down that night, the vessel
was yet on Black ledge.
In the morning there was no sign
of her; the vessel had broken up
during the night and every vestige
of her had vanished. 1t was forty
eight hours before weather condi
tions had abated sufficiently and the
ice permitted the fishermen to go
off to the ledge in boat. The tenn
perature that day was ten degrees
below zero, and had been lower.
The island fishermen found
eighteen Of the crew of the Sawyer
almost persisted from the bitter cold
and from hunger. They had had
nothing to eat or drink for forty
eight hours, no chance to make
fire, and their clothing was frozen
| on to them. The eighteen men had
managed by heroic efforts to get
| ashore on the ledge, but not all of
| the crew, for four had persisted in
| the icy waters. The survivors
were in desperate condition, and
one man had badly broken leg and
was suffering great pain, in addi-
ton to the distress from exposure.
Needless to relate, the islanders
lost no time in bringing the ship
wrecked men to the island, and in
offering true island hospitality
They furnished shelter, threw open
their homes to the shipwrecked
sailors, provided warm clothing and
food, and did everything in their
power to make them comfortable.
But that was not enough; the man
with the broken leg was suffering,
many of the others were badly
frost-bitten, and there was no doc
tor on the island. If there had been
cable connections with the main
land, how easy it would have been
to summon a surgeon, and to notify
the coast-guard of the wreck.
In those days William H. Burns
carried the mail for the island,
walking the three miles and half
across the island to the store and
postoffice beside the mill pond in
Minturn, checking out with the
mail bag at p. M, and then re-
tracing his way across the island to
Atlantic village, and going thence
by water to Bass Harbor on Mt
Desert island, where there was con-
nection with the mainland. 1t was
optional with the mail-carrier to
make the water-journey in the
night, or to wait till the following
morning.
On this particular day, when
Capt. Burns arrived at the postof-
flee he found the fishermen congre-
gated about the store discussing
ways and means of getting help for
the shipwrecked mariners. Capt.
Burns, having heard the story,
agreed to round up a crew in At
lantic who would go off as soon as
possible after doctor. 1t was get
ting quite dark when he reached
Atlantic The bay was full of drift
ing ice, and skim ice extended from
shore to shore. At best it is always
a perilous undertaking to make the
trip by dory in daylight under these
conditions; to do so in the dark
would be suicidal. That evening
Capt. Burns called for volunteers,
having explained the situation, and
Emery Joyce and Charles Staples,
ST., offered to go with him on the
errand of mercy
At dawn, the next morning, al
though the weather looked bad, the
party showed off in dory, carrying
with them the United States mail,
all hands determined to reach their
objective and bring back doctor
or to die in the attempt. Part of
the time they had to break up the
ice where it was too thin to bear
up man, and work the dory
through it; then again they would
! come to solid foes where they had
to haul the dory out on the ice and
drag it across, and sometimes they
were able to row across short
stretches of open water. Eventu-
ally they crossed Placentia sound.
but heavy drift ice prevented their
going into Bass Harbor, and they
were compelled to fight a way
through the ice cakes and land on
Lopaus point on the western side of
Bass Harbor.
The local doctor was unable to
answer the call, so afr delivering
the mail, Capt. Burns hired team
at his own expense, and, though the
road was blocked by deep snow,
made his way to Southwest Harbor.
There he was unable to find doc
tor available, and though night and
darkness had again overshadowed
the earth, he went to the telegraph
office, there being no telephone in
operation then, and sent messages
to Bar Harbor and Ellsworth, and
at length, after several disappoint-
ing answers, finally arranged with
DR.. Phillips of Ellsworth, who
agreed to attempt the trip back to
Swans Island.
Capt. Burns returned to the west
side of Bass Harbor, now Bernard,
and DR.. Phillips arrived there that
night. The party stayed at a board
ing-house and were sheltered and
fed, but fearful southerly storm
arose and their hopes for a good