September 2008 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 27.
Maritime History:
Events of the 1890s
The following is a compilation of rigging and get back on board. He and Bruce Beach and became a total loss on 12 April. Winterport and is a widower with two
numerous articles from the Bangor Daily managed to keep the vessel afloat until they She grounded about 0500 hours and not children. Earlier this year he gain notoriety
Commercial from the 1890s. were rescued by the steamer VEGA on 23 long after began breaking up. It was thought by rescuing many of the Cuban filibustering
* * * * * August, who landed them at St. Michaels. that the some of the crew had been washed expedition who were on the sinking steamer
The schooner F. MERWIN, Captain * * * * * overboard while trying to set the anchor. No J. W. HAWKINS off Montauk Point, New
Brackett, left Frankfort, Maine on 15 October 10 April 1894: Captain W. R. Heagan of bodies at the time of this report had come York, 28 January. It is known that he has
loaded with granite for New York. Not long Prospect Ferry was master on board the 533- ashore. Female apparel came also came frequently visited the Cuban Junta in New
out they were hit by a vicious storm and the ton bark BELMONT, which left Port Spain, ashore, but it was not known if there was a York, and Captain L. V. Bube said that he
vessel began taking on water. Despite the Trinidad for Boston with a cargo of sugar on woman on board. would not be surprise to find that he has
consistent pumping the water continued to 19 March. They had fine weather as the The fishing schooner SMUGGLER had gone to Cuba to assist in their cause.
gain. The following morning with the vessel passed Cape St. Antone. At that point the spoke with the CARTER, which flew a distress * * * * *
awash fore and aft the lifeboat was made weather turned heavy. They entered the signal, 45 miles off Highland Light on 10 4 November 1896: There was a huge
ready and the crew boarded her. Not long South Channel on 7 April with a fair wind. April. Assistance was offered but Captain explosion on board the Lubec schooner
after they sighted the schooner C. H. FABENS Almost as soon as they saw land the vessel Ober refused them. EMMA J. GOTT, Captain Herbert H. Hunt, at
and were taken on board. Forty-five minutes struck bottom and ran along a bar. With a The CARTER was carrying a cargo of Salem Harbor, Massachusetts. Eleazer
later the F. MERWIN went down. heavy sea running she continued until one stone from Sullivan, Maine to Tinkham, the cook, was badly injured in the
* * * * * of the huge waves struck her starboard bow, * * * * * blast. It is thought that he had gone to the
25 June 1891: It was announced that the pushing her towards shore where she hit 10 October 1896: The Boston schooner galley, stoked the stove full of wood and
Bowdoin Scientific Expedition would be hard. The masts went over the side and soon GEO. P. PIERCE rolled over at City Point, when he struck the match and the explosion
heading to Labrador on board the schooner the BELMONT was coming apart. The crew Bangor on 8 October after being loaded with ensued. The deck was blown into the air, and
JULIA A. DECKER. She was built at Keyport, was washed over the side. A couple of men laths from the James Walker & Company. It Tinkham was blown upwards and landed on
New Jersey in 1860. Her dimensions were: found themselves on top of the cabin as it was thought that she would be righted and the port rail suffering internal injuries and
length 78 feet, beam, 23 feet, and depth 8 feet. floated towards shore. The two then heard then taken to the Stetson railway, where the badly burned around his face neck and hands.
She had spent most of her career as either a a voice and after clearing away some cargo would have to be removed before she The first mate, Thomas McFadden was
fisherman or a coaster. She will be under the wreckage discovered the steward, who had can be hauled. The schooner had recently working at the pump on the stern of the
command of Captain N. P. Spear, who has a broken arm and was senseless. They tied been overhauled and was in first class shape vessel at the time of the explosion and was
been her skipper for the last ten years. It was him to the cabin top as best they could and before rolling over. To raise the PIERCE, blown again the rail and was also badly
noted that she has had additional ballast then noticed that a lifeboat was coming out another schooner was brought along side injured. The captain and his ten-year-old
placed on board, as well as all her provisions. for them. and a tackle was run from her masts to the son were asleep in the cabin. The captain
The DECKER is scheduled to leave Rockland The article states that the BELMONT PIERCE. By use of the capstan the boat was was thrown out of his berth and his son
on 27 June. They will make a stop at Halifax was built at Milbridge and owned by John S. lifted up. Captain Pinkham thought that when stayed in his berth, but was hit in the forehead
and St. John for provisions before heading Emery of Boston. the schooner keeled she struck a rock, with a piece of wood causing a huge wound.
on to Labrador. They will stop at Hamilton breaking open a plank or two causing water The first to arrive at the damaged
Inlet, where a party will go up the Grand River At the U. S. District Court in New to rush in. schooner was a boat from the schooner
and try to photograph one of the most Hampshire, Judge Aldrich offered his * * * * * EMILY of Ellsworth, with Captain Charles
impressive falls in the world. Once this is decision in the case Isaac N. Grant verses the 22 October 1896: The Bangor Daily Lanse and three men on board. They were
complete, they will head further northward schooner ROBERT GRAHAM DUNN. The Commercial office was visited by Captain credited with saving the crew from drowning,
to Hopedale to visit the Movarian mission Ellsworth two-masted schooner CAPTAIN Frederick F. Stewart of the schooner IRA for in less than five minutes the schooner
there. Then it was on to Vain, where they will JOHN sailed from Rondout, New York for LAFFERINIER of which Captain William filled and sank.
set up headquarters. One of the most Boston on 16 September. Four days later the Clark of Hampden had been master. She was The schooner was carrying a cargo of
important aspects of this expedition was DUNN, Captain George O. Pierce, left docked at Sterns Mill in Hampden loading 400 cases of dynamite and 150 cases of
anthropometry, which is the physical Portland for Newport News, Virginia. That lumber for New York. Stewart offered a gasoline from New York to Boston and Salem.
measurements of the Esquimeaux. This will evening these two vessels collided off the statement about Clark and his murder/ It was stated that the explosion was the
allow scientists to accurate place the Chatham Bar with the starboard bow of the suicide. Stewart had brought the schooner naphtha gasoline and would have been much
Esquimeaux in the scale of evolution. The DUNN hitting the starboard bow of the to Bangor from Boston and reported that he more devastating had the dynamite exploded.
plan was then to be back in Rockland the CAPTAIN JOHN. The DUNN suffered had seen Clark for three weeks in Boston and * * * * *
beginning of September. damaged to her jib-boom and foremast and said that he was quiet and sober. He did note 10 November 1896: The 450-ton three-
* * * * * a crushed her boat, but the CAPTAIN JOHN that he had concerns about the captain’s masted schooner WILLIS L. MAXFIELD
1 October 1891: No word had been went to the bottom along with her crew. The sanity the first couple of weeks, but the last was launched from the yard of John P. Gordon
received from the Bangor barkentine crew consisted of three men: Captain time he saw him he said that he was rational in Franklin at 1400 hours. She is owned by
THOMAS J. STEWART. On 8 September Milliken, Bertrand B. Betts and Leander and more like himself. Clark discussed with her builder and will be under the command of
she left New York for Boston with a load of Milliken. Stewart about his family trouble and that Captain F. T. Gott. She will be used in the
coal for J. Albert Walker & Co. and is about The judge stated that the DUNN was another man had been with his wife and that West Indies trade.
three weeks overdue. Just after she departed running light at about 8 knots, which was he could not stand the situation any longer. The above information is from the
New York a heavy storm struck the southern further increased by the current of the tide, He would walk the deck seemingly very newspaper, but from another source she is
New England coast causing a lot of damage when the red running light of the CAPTAIN troubled regarding the situation. Stewart the 315-ton WILLIE L. MAXWELL, Captain
to vessels. A few days later another storm JOHN was sighted. They could also see the tried to tell Clark not to think about the affair. Franklin P. Gott. Her dimensions were length
struck, causing even more damage to vessels. sails of the CAPTAIN JOHN, which were set On one day in Boston Stewart got 131.6 feet, beam 20.7 feet, and depth 9.5 feet.
One vessel damaged in this storm was the close-hauled with a strong breeze blowing concern and went looking for Clark. He went She was stranded at Port Alegre, Brazil on 17
Bath ship SOLITAIRE, which had to be out of the northwest, and she was heading to the hotel where Clark made his home when June 1919.
towed into port. Then two weeks later a northeast. The judge said that under these in town and they stated he had gone out with * * * * *
storm much more powerful than the others circumstances the CAPTAIN JOHN has the a big revolver and feared that he would take 13 November 1896: The Portland two-
hit. Many in town have little hope for the right of way. It was the responsibility of the his own life if not found. Stewart went around masted schooner SEABIRD, Captain
safety of this vessel, but hope that her 12 DUNN to keep clear and avoid the collision. town and found him back on board the Parsons, was going through the L-Street
man crew have been rescued. The judge also stated that the DUNN did not schooner. He confronted him and Clark made drawbridge in South Boston, when she struck
The 844-ton THOMAS J. STEWART standby and lend assistance to the stricken wild claims, but when asked about the a mud bank, filled and sank. At high tide the
was built by E. & I. K. Stetson of Brewer in vessel. The officers of the DUNN said that revolver he quickly stopped. Stewart felt following morning (13 November) just the
1890 at a cost of $45,000. She was the last they heard cries for assistance, but thought that Clark would have committed suicide, deck houses of the schooner were visible.
square rigger built on the Penobscot River. that the collision had been minor. The officers but he wanted one more chance to win the She is in the middle of the channel and thus
Her dimensions were length 164.9 feet, beam claimed that they stood by for an hour, but love of his wife. However, Clark stated that no vessel can pass in either direction. It was
36.4 feet and depth 19.0 feet. Unfortunately steamer H. F. DIMOCK passed over the his wife wanted a divorce so she could marry thought that an attempt to raise her would be
the fears were correct and the STEWART wreck at 2310 hours and heard the cries for the man. The story just says that Clark was attempted that day. It was also thought that
was never heard from again. Her captain, L. help. The DIMOCK turned around and involved in a murder/suicide, but does not the vessel was badly strained from the
C. Blake, had been her master since she was launched a boat and saw no other boat in the say who he murdered, his wife or her lover. sinking. She was carrying a cargo of tile from
launched in 1890. area. Clark was one of the best skippers to sail Keyport, New Jersey.
* * * * * With blame placed on the DUNN and out of New York. In fact, when he was master * * * * *
28 September 1892: The schooner MAX now a decision on the amount of the of the schooner NELLIE WOODBURY she 11 December 1896: When the wind died,
GIBBON, Captain Amos Sabean, was on a settlement will be forthcoming. There are was called the ‘steam schooner,’ because of the 15-ton schooner TWILIGHT, Captain
passage from Portland to Demerara when also other suits filed by the relatives of the her speed. King, drifted ashore on Rocky Point and as
she ran into a hurricane on 21 August. For men who lost their lives at the Hancock * * * * * the tide dropped she broke in two. The
two days the crew battled the storm. On the County Court House. These were stopped 27 October 1896: A report from Boston TWILIGHT was making a passage from St.
second day of the storm two waves boarded by the owners of the DUNN to limit their says that Captain William M. Howes of the Stephen, New Brunswick to Grand Manan
the vessel and washed overboard William liability and will now be heard at Portsmouth schooner LEANDER V. BEEBE has been Island. She was an old vessel and was valued
Bowers, C. Bowers, Douglas Bowers and on 9 June. missing for several days. Authorities think at $125. Her cargo was saved and taken to
Theodore Walf, which were all from Fort * * * * * that he took off with the freight money, Grand Manan by the schooner SEA FOAM.
Madison, Nova Scotia. Also John G. Bruce 13 April 1894: The three-masted which totals about $2,000. The BEEBE arrived
broke his leg. Captain Sabean was washed schooner JENNIE M. CARTER, Captain at Boston with a cargo of cotton on 4
Continued on Page 28.
over, but fortunately was able to grab the Wesley Ober, went ashore on Salisbury November. Captain Howes is from
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