The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-03-27
WAS HALF CENTURY
At SEA
Captain w. r. Kreger
Dies at Fairfield
Funeral Held Monday. Mrs. Jennie
Flood kreger Is Surviving Wild
OW. Son Is Boston Lawyer

Acquaintances in Skowhegan were
much grieved to learn of the sudden
death of Capt. William X. Kreger at
his home in Fairfield last Friday
night. The funeral services were
held Monday afternoon from the home
at 2 O'Clock. Rev. j. c. Bearce of Fair
field, officiating. Beside the widow
Mrs Jennie Flood Kreger, there is one
son, Henry l.. F, Kreger, an attorney
of Boston and one sister, Mrs. l.. II.
Morrow of South Harpswell. A
daughter, Paulina, died in September,
1899, at the age of four years.
Capt Kreger spent considerable
time In Skowhegan last year, when
Mrs. Kreger served on the jury dur
ing the term of Supreme Judicial
court He was a most genial man
and his half century of sea faring life,
with the experiences that went with
II, made him a most delightful con-
yersationalist.
INCIDENTS AT SEA
In over half century at sea,
Captain Kreger had several fortu
nate escapes. The most thrilling
was aboard the Sarah c. Ropes.
four master that was owned by the
]. A. Winslow Company. She was
bound from Philadelphia to Portland
and was off Casco Bay when caught
In a bitter Northeastern. The snow
fell In binding sheets. Ice encased
the whole craft. Even with shorten
ed sail and headed off the coast, the
ship labored on with her nose under
water most of the time, the huge
rollers sweeping the deck
Captain Kreger ordered the jib
furled. -Four sailors asseyed the
task. Three came. back alive. Then
came the order to tackle the flying
jib. Five went out and four came
back, for between ice and overwhelm-
ing wave the odds were against the
hravest of the men.
"The job had mot been finished
when Captain Kreger again ordered
his men forward. Even the mate
baked.
1t was desperate plight. The
boats had been swept overheard.
The decks were cleared. The win
dows were smashed and the boards
hurriedly nailed across them hardly
kept out the irresistible food. Water
washed heavily into the cabin and
the crew made holes in the floor
to let it thru. Waves poured into
the engine room and put out the fires.
The pumps were rendered useless.
The wheelbox was ripped loose and
tossed overheard and had not the
helmsman been dashed to his post
he, too, would have been lost. AS it
was he was terribly hurt by crash
ing timbers.
These helpless men watched their
mizzep- mast go; their spanker-gaff
They worked as best they could
against the demons of sea and air,
sleepless. facing immediate death,
for the longest 48 hours in Captain
Kregers memory. Their only sus-
tenance was cold coffee and snack
of bread. Most of the provisions
were spoiled by the water. Their
sextant was broken and none knew
where the vessel headed until as the
gale subsidized another passing ship
hailed them and gave the bearings,
80 miles northwest of Cape Cod.
When the Sarah c. Ropes finally
rounded the Portland breakwater and
the good news spread that she had
weathered the gale, paeans of rejoic-
ing echoed over Maine that still
awaken Joy in the hearts of those
most concerned who are still living.
The only time Captain Kreger ever