Page 28. MAINE COASTAL NEWS November 2008
Maritime History:
Various Articles from the 1890s
By Jon B. Johansen Winthrop climbed on the train and went to Castine. Those that have read Wheeler’s prevented this. The UNISON was built at
The following is a variety of articles from Boston. The 107-ton two-master MARY history of Castine notes that the schooner Freeport in 1860.
the “Bangor Daily Commercial” from the ELIZA was built at Newburg, NY in 1851.She NANCY was the first vessel built at Castine, 1 September 1900 – The lobster catch
1890s and 1900. The articles cover a wide was owned by Scott & Bridges of Boston. but in fact is likely the vessel built at Bangor. was down and the reason was unknown.
range of topics, but mostly disasters as I There was no insurance on vessel or cargo. The first steamer on the Penobscot River Lobster dealers claimed that it was because
compile more information on the history of 13 February 1895 – The Bangor three- was the 105-ton MAINE, Captain Seward there were too many short lobsters being
Maine built vessels. masted schooner EDWARD E. BLAKE, Cap- Porter, which arrived at Belfast on 22 May caught and the canneries were consuming a
8 September 1892 – The ship FRANK tain Smith, was towed into Vineyard Haven 1824. The following day she headed up the high quantity of the catch. Some just thought
PENDLETON, Captain Nichols, arrived at by the steamer BROOKLINE, who was on her Penobscot to Bangor. She was owned by the that there were none left. The fishermen
San Francisco from Calcutta on 7 September. way to Boston from Jamaica. Captain Smith Kennebec Steam Navigation Company and thought that it was due to the regulation of
On the voyage two men died from cholera. said that they were hit by hurricane force to see if there was enough business for a not taking any lobster under 10½ inches in
This vessel was built at Belfast. winds on the 8
th
, which swept the deck load connecting line to be formed. The following length. A reporter interviewed Charles
It was announced by the naval bureau of pine over the side. Soon she became day the MAINE loaded 120 passages and Newman of Southwest Harbor, who claimed,
chiefs that the torpedo boats and torpedo waterlogged and on the 12
th
and 140 miles made her way to Bucksport, let the passen- “It is all wrong. Everything about it is wrong.
boat destroyers will be awarded to several sou’west of Gay Head she was taken in tow gers off for about an hour, and then came They allow us to take the breeders – all we can
builders around the country. The yards named by the BROOKLINE. Captain Smith is frost- back to Bangor that afternoon. get, but they put a bar on the smaller ones that
was Union Iron Works of San Francisco; the bitten and the crew are completely exhausted. I June 1896 – The Islesboro schooner do not reproduce at all. The whole thing lies
Maryland Steel Company; Neafie and Levy, The BLAKE was nearly a total loss, with ANNA D. PRICE was making a voyage from right there. I have been a fisherman all my life
Philadelphia, PA; Harlan & Hollingsworth, damage to her forward house and hatches. Bangor to Boston with a cargo of lumber and I have talked with men twice as old as I
Wilmington, DE; Fall River Iron Works; W. 4 March 1895 – The Calais schooner when she encounter heavy winds off the am who have done nothing else and I have
R. Trigg & Company, Richmond, VA; George MARY E. AMSDEN, Captain P. J. Warr, was Thathcher’s Island. One sea washed her never heard one of them say that he ever
Lawley, Boston; and Bath Iron Works, which on a voyage from Calais to Barbados with deck load off, swept away her yawl boat, found a lobster under 13 inches long that was
was awarded three or four torpedo boats. lumber. She was hit by hurricane force winds, ripped her sails and damaged her steering a breeder. They don’t begin to breed till they
Lewis Nixen of Elizabethport, NJ; the which cleaned off her deck load. She also system. The tug SAMSON took off the crew are about that size. Now that the law says that
Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, began to leak and the pumps were manned. and took the schooner in tow, but when off you musn’t take a single lobster under 10½
RI; Columbian Iron Works, Baltimore, MD; Several days later she was hit by a squall that the Isle of Shoals she went over and was inches long consequently all the lobsters
Gas Engine & Power Company, Morris caused both masts to go over the side. The abandoned. The crew was landed at Boston. you get are breeders except the few that come
Heights, NY, may also be awarded contracts. crew survived on hardtack and water, but 13 June 1896 – The steel bark-rigged in between 10½ and 13 inches. The only
26 September 1892 – Several vessels this was running out. After a couple of weeks yacht ELEANOR is sitting at Tebo’s yard in reason why lobsters are scarce is because all
were damaged at Tarpaulin Cove, Massa- of extreme hardship, the steamer SUEVIA Brooklyn, New York and with permission one the breeders have been caught and there are
chusetts during a heavy blow on 26 Septem- rescued the crew after standing by for nine could get a tour of this magnificent yacht, none left. A farmer would never think of
ber. The schooner NELLIE EATON, Captain hours and brought them into New York. which in one cruise went 42,804 nautical killing off all his breeding cattle and sheep.
Morrison, which was making a voyage from 16 January 1896 – The Seal Harbor 55- miles. At the time ELEANOR was owned by He never kills his calves that he wants to save
Calais to Newport with lumber was anchored ton schooner SEA PIGEON, Captain C. L. William A. Slater of Norwich, Connecticut. either. It’s just the same with lobsters. If you
in the cove. During the squall she dragged Lynam, had been blown out to sea on 6 Her dimensions are 231-feet long, beam 32 kill the ones that make the lobsters you get no
into the Bangor schooner MARK PENDLE- December. She had arrived at Seal Harbor feet and draws 17½-feet. The interior of the more. Why, I should think that anybody
TON, Captain Pendleton. The PENDLETON from Bangor with a cargo of grain and lumber. yacht was very well appointed, especially could see that.” A petition was being sent the
was making a passage from Deer Isle to New During the night a gale came on and she, the main saloon. The saloon contains length of the coast and when Newman got it
York with a cargo of stone. She lost her head along with two Italian crewmen, was blown couches and chairs on either side, an open there were over 1,600 signatures on it. This
gear and jib-boom. The schooner ALASKA, out to sea on 6 December. The two crew fireplace all finished with paneled mahogany petition was asking the legislators to change
Captain Bremer, from Rockport to New York members were awaken when the schooner hit and polished decks. The saloon also contain the lobster law to say that lobsters over 12½
with a cargo of lime, dragged into the schoo- on the ledge leading out the harbor. They many mementos from around the globe. The inches would be thrown back, as well as
ner MARY ANN MCCANN, which was head- were able to jump ashore and make their way owner’s stateroom, which is forward of the those under 9 inches.
ing to New York with a cargo of lumber. Both to the captain’s home. However, when all main saloon, contains a berth, writing desk all Off Newport, Rhode Island the United
suffered minor damage. three returned the schooner could not be done in carved mahogany. His head is fin- States Navy did its first night test of the
1 February 1893 – The Portland schoo- seen. They searched along the coast and up ished in polished hardwood and marble. submarine HOLLAND. The U. S. Navy used
ner BERTHA WARNER, Captain George the Bay of Fundy, but no one had seen her. Across the companionway are guest state- the tug LEYDEN with a large search light as
Locke, was making a passage from Barbados Nearly a month later she was discovered and rooms. ELEANOR also contains reading well as the torpedo station with its search
to St. Jago, when approximately 500 miles towed into Bermuda. SEA PIGEON was built rooms, social hall, dining room, officer’s mess, light. The HOLLAND left the harbor with her
from Martinique when they heard cries for in Canada as the ONWARD. and captain’s dining room. It was said that running lights on and the observers had no
help. Scanning the sea they discovered a 12 March 1896 – The Portland fishing she cost about $500,000 and that her yearly problem in locating her. However, once these
man adrift in a yawl boat. Quickly the crew put schooner FAIRY QUEEN, Captain George expense was twice that of the President of the were extinguished they could not see her
to to offer this man assistance and soon he Cushing, sunk after hitting the rocks at the United States’ salary. One reason for this is until she was within 150 yards of the LEY-
was on board the schooner. The crew learned entrance to Biddeford Pool during the night the number of crew she carries. They are DEN. There were also two torpedo boats out
that he was a Russian Finn and that he had of 11 March. She was trying to make port in captain, two secondary officers, physician, there, MORRIS and RODGERS, and both of
departed a German bark without their knowl- a blinding snowstorm with all sail set when three engineers, carpenter, four quartermas- these were seen due to the smoke emitted
edge and had been without any food for nine the captain lost his bearing and the vessel hit ters, four apprentice boys, a bo’s’n, 15 able from their engines.
days, except for a flying fish, and only a few Nigger Island and then slid off onto Phillip’s body seamen, four firemen, two galley help- The eastern and western records for a
drops of rain to drink. Ledge where she went down. ers, three oilers, six stewards, four cooks, a trans-Atlantic crossing by a steamer was
1 January 1895 – The Machias two 4 April 1896 – The Commonwealth of barber, two deck boys, two Chinese laundry- broken by the Hamburg-American line
masted schooner DECORRA, Captain Berry, Massachusetts registered vessels before men and several others people for odd jobs. DEUTSCHLAND. In her crossing to Cher-
was carrying a cargo of plaster to the King 1790 and after that date those from the 19 September 1898 – The Machias two- bourg her time was 5 days, 12 hours and 29
Plaster Company of Boston. While nearing Penobscot River were registered at Castine. masted schooner REGINA, Captain Sanford, minutes. Her fastest day’s run was 584 miles
Boston she was struck by a steamer on the The earliest known vessel on the Penobscot was in a collision with the Thomaston schoo- with an average speed of 23.02 knots.
portside putting a hole just aft of her main belong to Colonel Jonathan Buck, founder of ner LIZZIE CARR, Captain Chadwick. The 3 September 1900 – The shipbuilding
rigging. This was a glancing low, but she was Bucksport, was a coaster he owned pre-1770. REGINA was making a passage from Machias industry saw an increase in the number of
still cut into to the cabin ripping away the In 1770 he built the 60-ton sloop HANNAH to Westerly, RI with a cargo of lumber when vessels built and documented in the United
bulwarks and rail for 50 feet. This also carried at Bucksport. Colonel Thomas Goldthwaite she collided with the CARR off Highland States for the fiscal year 1900, which ended
away the rigging for the fore and main, fore was commander of Fort Pownal on what is Light in dense fog, who was on her way to on 30 June 1900. There were 1,446 vessels
and main topmasts and snapped the fore- now known as Fort Point. He also owned a Portsmouth, NH with a cargo of coal. The built with an aggregate tonnage of 393,168
mast in two. Just as the captain decided to large number of vessels and in fact built a REGINA was struck on the port side carrying tons. There have been only two years since
beach his boat, the tug VESTA and assisted vessel, which was launched in 1774. One of away the rigging on that side. She immedi- 1856 that have bested these numbers: 1864
the schooner. The damage is estimated to his vessels, which he owned with John Ber- ately headed for Boston and when off Bos- with 415.740 tons and 1874 with 432,725 tons.
cost about $9,000 to repair. nard, was the FRANKFORT, which was used ton light she was taken in to by the tug Of the types built there were 409 (109,605
4 February 1895 – The Bucksport schoo- in the coastal trade in the late 1760s. She was LEADER. The CARR suffered damage to her tons) schooners, schooner barges and
ner N. F. SYMMONDS, Captain McInnis, sold along with her cargo of lumber, but year headgear, but continued on to Portsmouth. sloops; 25 (97,847 tons) Great Lakes steam
was running in a heavy gale on 26 January. later Bernard brought suit against 24 September 1898 – The Bath two vessels; 525 (74,860 tons) canal boats and
The captain sent two men, Neil Campbell and Goldthwaite for monies owed. masted schooner UNISON, Captain Barker, barges; 20 (60,369 tons) ocean screw steam-
Laughlin McKinnon to furl the flying jib, The first vessel owned above Bucksport was making her way from Boston to Bath ships; 375 (44,282 tons) river steamships;
which had become unfurled. While trying to on the Penobscot River was said to be the when she went ashore at Odiornes Point in and 4 (6,205 tons) square rigged vessels. One
get the sail furled the two men were swept schooner BLACK BIRD, owned by Colonel Rye, New Hampshire. Despite the heavy must note that there was more steam vessels
from the jib-boom and drowned. Jonathan Eddy of Eddington in 1785. Her seas running, the Wallis Lifesaving station built than ever previous. Also note that there
8 February 1895 – The Winterport register states she was built at Beverly, MA crew were able to get out to the vessel and were more steel constructed vessels than
schooner MARY ELIZA, Captain Thomas in 1780 and was sold to Colonel Eddy in 1785. rescue all three crew men. The UNISON was ever before. What surprised me was that the
Morrisey, was on her way to Boston with a It is stated that Deacon William Boyd in ballast and was hard to manage in the Cleveland was the largest builder of steel
cargo of hay when she went ashore at Shirley built a vessel in 1791, which was the first heavy weather. After grounding the seas vessels, which was followed by Newport
Cut, Deer Island and became a total wreck. vessel built in Bangor. The following year were breaking over the vessel. The crew tried News, Virginia. During the 1890s there were
The crew were all rescued and went to Boyd built another vessel for someone from to launch their boat, but the heavy seas 465 vessels, 742,830 tons, and of these 198,
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