MYSTERY OF THE STEAMER PORTLAND
“IS ONE OF THE SECRETS WELL KEPT BY THE SEA”
“THREE WRECKS OFF GAYHEAD”
“Life Savers Bring Half Dead Sailors Ashore While the Ships Are Ground to Pieces”
Associated Press Special Wire
PROVINCETOWN, Mass., Dec 2, 1898 — Another day has passed and the mystery of the steamer Portland has not been given up by the sea. It was a day of constant watching of more than thirty miles of coast line and the sea grudgingly held its victims, yielding only five. Twenty-five bodies have been recovered out of the entire passenger and crewlist, the exact number of which is still unknown. The number of people who went to their death in the Portland will never be known, but almost hourly persons are reported missing from different places in New England until now it seems possible that the number was over 150. Of the bodies recovered hereabouts, thirteen have been identified and eight remain to be named.
One of the five bodies recovered today was found at Naueet, some twenty miles from the place near which it is believed the wreck occurred. Another came ashore at Orleans, some four or five miles further south and three at Chatham. The rest, it is believed by the experienced seamen, have been, carried far south and lost in Nantucket sound or scattered so widely that there is little hope that they will ever be recovered. Moreover, the belief that many bodies are still within the hull of the steamer seems to be growing. This theory is held by so many people that it is likely that tugs will be sent out to patrol the section of sea which has been fixed upon as the probable scene of the wreck, in an endeavor to locate the hull, as Well as to secure every thing that may be found afloat from her. including bodies, baggage, cargo, etc. The train from Boston today brought down over fifty relatives or friends of the lost ones.
Wrecks Off Gayhead
BUZZARDS BAY. Mass., Dec. 1 – A member of the life saving crew at Gayhead. who reached here this morning, reports that on Sunday morning the schooners Queen Hester, Vivian and Clara C. Baker, went to pieces on the rocks of Gayhead, where the City of Columbus perished some years ago. The life saving station crew during forty eight hours of unceasing and unbroken efforts succeeded in launching their surf boat for ten trips to vessels, and succeeded in rescuing nineteen men of the crews. Several, however, perished before assistance could reach them.
lt was about 9:30, in the fiercest of the storm, that the Gayhead life saving patrol saw the flash of a torch jn the direction of Dogfish bar. As quickly as possible Captain Haymon mustered his crew and in a few minutes a life boat and all the apparatus necessary, drawn by a yoke of oxen, was on its way to the nearest point to the bar which was two and one-half miles from the station.
It was 11 oclock before the men reached the position they sought. They were too late. When they came to the beach, wreckage from the vessel was coming ashore, giving evidence that she had gone to pieces. A fragment showed the vessel to have been the Clara Leavitt, Later, clinging to a broken plank, one man was driven in and rescued from the waves. It was carried to tbe station
While the life savers were peering into the storm in an effort to discover another possible survivor, another signal torch was seen from a vessel which was at that moment almost upon the bar. The next instant she struck but went on in a position a little less, exposed to the fury of the waves, and she did not go to pieces. An attempt was made to launch the life boat, but it was swept back like a chip. It was then decided to try shooting a line to the wreck, but this could not be done until daylight. With the first appearance of dawn, the gun carriage was drawn up for service. Seven men could be seen clinging to the rigging of the vessel. A line was shot toward the schooner but it fell Short, The attempt was twelve times repeated without success. Meanwhile tbe wind shifted more to the northerly, and was colder, and the snow had turned to hail.
Spurred on by the sight of the men and the increasing severity of the storm, another trial of the surf boat was made. The craft was tossed back on the beach. Seven times the boat was launched and the most persistent efforts of the crew to breast the waves was of no avail On the eighth trial, however success came and under the tremendous strokes of the men. the boat was driven from wave to wave till she reached the vessel. One Seaman had perished, but the captain, mate and four sailors, who were barely alive, were rescued and taken to the station. The vessel was the Amelia G. Ireland. When the messenger who brought the story of the wreck and rescue left Gayhead the shipwrecked men were all in serious condition from exposure. Several members of the life saving crew were more or less injured while engaged in their attempt at rescue.
The Clara Leavitt was a three-master of 395 tons, 125 feet long and was built at Cape Elizabeth, Maine, in 1877. The Amelia U. Ireland was also a threemaster. She was owned by the Tidewater Oil company of New York aud was bound from Bayonne, N. ,1., to Boston, with a cargo of oil in tanks. She was 270 net tons, 124 feet long and was built in Somerset, county, Maryland, in 1800. She will be a total loss.
Storm Bonds Broken NEW YORK, Dec. I.—Port Jefferson, L. 1., has just emerged from the snow embargo. The story of the havoc done In Port Jefferson buy by the storm came with the first train. Wrecks of pleasure and commercial Craft arc strewn about the shores or lie on the bottom. During the height of the storm the fishing schooner lard Chance attempted to make the harbor, but was driven on’ the rocks at Oldtield point, when she lies, broken in two. It was impossible to aid the vessel, and her crew of four men perished. The body of her captain was found in the hold oi the schooner.
Early in tho gale the beautiful steam yacht Halcyon, owned by Commodore Smith of tbe Stemford Yacht club, was driven side on against a rock, where she crashed into the stern of those shooner Mary E. Cuff. The steamer’s side was crushed in and she sank at the doe!;.
The steam yacht Rival dragged her anchors across the end of Bayles dock. carrying away her stern. She drifted on the beach, where the heavy seis soon demolished her deck house and stove in her hate lies. The yacht Alsocionne filed and sank at her an, borage. The schooner yacht- Carlotta, Wayward, Comanche and Neara drag»jed their anchors and went ashore.
The schooner Olive Leaf was driven against Darling’s deick and lies there, a complete wreck. All of the sloops and catboats housed in the basin were ground into kindling wood. The damage to shipping at Port Jefferson bay is estimated at more than (100,000.
A Lightship Lost
WOODSHOLE, Mass., Dec. 1 – The lighthouse tender Ariel arrived here this morning after a fruitless search of two days for the lightship, which has been missing from the Hen and Chicken shoals since the blizzard Sunday. Captain Gibbs reports that he left New Bedford last Tuesday night and allthough he cruised for miles in the vicinity of Cuttyhunk. he failed to find any trace of the missing lightship.
A Crew Rescued.
BALTIMORE, Dec. I — Captain O. Appleby and the crew of tbe American Lark St. Lucie, which is now supposed to be at the bottom of the Atlantic, were rescued by the British ship Grithia of and from Glasgow, and were lauded here today. The n sciie-el in addition to the captain, are Chief Mate William Parks, Second Mate Alfred Smith, Steward Fred Byrne and Seamen Carlson, Schleglemilk, Moore, Basmassen, Hendricksen, Poulsen and Englehardt. Seaman Henry Ileynieyer was drowned by the cap sizing of the bane’s life boat.
All Hands Lost
Philadelphia , Dec. 1 —A private dispatch from Boston says the schooner L. V. Beebe, Philadelphia for Boston, with coal, has been wrecked on Black Hock, near Cobasset, Mass.. and that all hands, eight in number, perished. This vessel and cargo were valued at (35,000. She was commanded by Captain Daniel-, whose son was mate.
Wreckage Coming Ashore
BARNSTABLE, Mass, Dec. I – Great masses of wreckage have been coming ashore on the inside of Cape Cod since Sunday. A piece of the vessel marked “Emma, Philadelphia,” came ashore at Sandy Neck, near Barnstable light last night and three bodies were found near there on the beach.
A Crew Rescued
BALTIMORE Md., Dec. I—The steamer Lettespaye, from Glasgow, arrived today and reports that on November 25 she rescued Captain Appleby aud his crew of eleven seamen from the barkentine St. Lucie of Antwerp from New York for Santos. The St. Lucie was dismasted during the gale and lost one man.
A Lightship Adrift
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. I – The American Line steamship Switzerland from Antwerp for Philadelphia, which passed in the Dais Ware cares this morning, had in tow the Pollock Rip lightship which she picked up adrift yesterday afternoon. The lightship was located off the New England coast at the eastern entrance to Nantucket Sound. It is probable that she lost her anchor during Sunday morning’s blizzard, and she had. therefore drifted helplessly at sea three days before being picked up by the Switzerland. Estimating the Losses .
New York. Dec 1 – Marine underwriters of this city estimate that the losses sustained bj the insurance companies as a result of the storm beginning last Saturday, will probably amount to something more than $1,000,000