December 2008 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 29.
Maritime History:
Various Articles from the 1800s
to be a schooner, and hoisted a signal of and that man who does not point out an error ses, but with the exception of the seamen’s With the end of a boat hook they man-
distress. She saw us, shifted her course, and when discovered, falls short in his duty to the clothes, nothing whatever was taken out of aged to get hold of it, and hauled it into the
in about half an hour we came up with her. community. On the other hand, he who her. Annexed you have the name of her crew, boat, when it proved to be the trunk of a man,
The sailors had covered us over with great attempts to hide or palliate his want of judg- which be pleased to insert for the relief of bent head and knees together, and so wasted
coats, that the people might not see how ment, attaching blame where it does not exist, their relatives, as well as the preceding state- as scarce to be felt within the ample clothes
many we had on board, lest they refuse to creates an alarm which may cause the navi- ment, for the information of those concerned: which had once fitted it in a state of life and
take us in. Our second mate now asked the gator to doubt in times when decision is all “Edward Cornell, master, of Bristol, R. I.; strength.—The boat’s crew hastened back
captain to take some poor castaways in. important, and do an injury which cannot be Joshua Stutson, mate, of do; Wm. Cahoone, to the Amethyst with this miserable remnant
“Aye, my sons,” he replied, “we will take you repaired. I refer the reader to Capt. Stevens’s Wm. Robbins, Wm. Larabee, Thomas of mortality; and so small was it in bulk that
in.” Immediately we sprung up in the boat, own statement, and to the following, copied Richardson, Joshua Rooke, Samuel Bissel, a lad of 14 years of age was able with his own
and our number struck the captain with as- verbatim from the Pilot, and will only ask him, Jacob Tilman. hands to life it into the ship. When placed on
tonishment. But he and his men, being eight whether the courses here pointed out would “Seamen, passengers - Samuel C. Sparks, deck, it showed for the first time, to the
in number, received us with tears in their run him or any person into danger? The Pilot Richard S. Gladding, John Gladding, and J. E. astonishment of all, signs of remaining life; it
eyes. I was no sooner on deck, but I fell on says, “Saco is a barred place, and has not Cornell, all of Bristol, RI.” [Salem Gazette, 30 tried to move, and next moment uttered in a
my face and burst into a flood of tears. The above 10 feet at high water, which makes it March 1821] hollow sepulchral tone, “there is another
vessel proved to be a Marblehead fisherman. not fit for a stranger to go in;” and also * * * * * man.”—The instant these words were heard,
As there were many schooners from contains the following directions for Wood The Skeleton of the Wreck.—While sir sir Michael ordered the boat to shove off
Marblehead on the banks, we met with sev- Island Light: “In running for the light, bring Michael Seymour was in the command of the again for the wreck.
eral afterwards, and were shifted from one to it to bear N. N. W. and run till within a cable’s Amethyst frigate, and was cruising in the The sea having now become somewhat
another till we arrived safe at Marblehead on length with safety. You may go into this Bay of Biscay, the wreck of a merchant ship smoother, they succeeded this time in board-
the 23d of May.” [Salem Gazette, 2 March harbor either at the eastward of westward of drove past. Her deck was just above water; ing the wreck; and looking into the cabouse
1821] the island. There are several Rocks to the her lower masts alone standing. Not a soul they found two other human bodies, wasted
* * * * * westward of the island, and likewise a long could be seen on board; but there was a like the one they saved, to the very bones,
SACO, MARCH 2. -Entered, February bar which lies to the S. W. abut one quarter cabonse on deck which had the appearance but without the least spark of life remaining.
24, brig HESPER, of Newburyport, from St. of a mile distant. When you have the wind to of being recently patched with old canvas They were sitting in a shrunk up posture, a
Uhes, bound to Boston, with salt, to Cushing the southward, you may lay your course in, and tarpauling, as if to afford shelter to some hand of one resting on a tin pot, in which
& Johnson, of Newburyport. After a most and anchor near Stage Island, this is called forlorn remnant of the crew. It blew at this there was about a gill of water, and a hand of
distressing passage of 101 days, the crew Winter Harbor. ou may go in the eastern way, time a strong gale; but sir Michael, listening the other reaching to the deck, as if to regain
disabled, through hunger and fatigue, hav- and have room to turn your vessel, (which is only to the dictates of humanity, ordered the a bit of salt beef, of the size of a walnut, which
ing been on a short allowance for 20 days, an advantage you cannot have in going to ship to be put about, and sent off a boat with had dropped form its nerveless grasp.
their provisions being entirely exhausted, the westward) but here you are exposed to instructions to board the wreck, and ascer- Unfortunate men! They had starved on
except a very little bread. The HESPER made the wind at N. E. and E. N. E but if your cables tain whether there was any being still surviv- their scanty store, till they had not strength
Wood Island, and in attempting to go into and anchors are not good, you may run into ing with the help of his fellow men might have remaining to lift the last morsel to their mouths!
Winter Harbor, by means of the incorrect- the Pool, and lie safe from all winds.” from the grasp of death.—The boat rowed The boat’s crew having completed their last
ness of the directions laid down in the Ameri- Wishing Capt. Stevens may fully inves- towards the drifting mass; and while strug- melancholy survey, returned on board, where
can Coast Pilot, was run ashore the morning tigate the subject, and if he can point out an gling with the difficulty of getting through a they found the attention of the ship’s com-
of the 23d inst. between Wood Island and error, do it. I am, respectfully, his obedient high running sea close alongside, the crew pany engrossed by their efforts to preserve
Todd’s (or Negro) Island, (a small island servant, EDM. M. BLUNT. [Salem Gazette, 23 shouting all the time as loud as they could, an the generous skeleton, who seemed to have
situated to the westward of Wood Island, March 1821] object like in appearance to a bundle of just life to breathe the remembrance that
between it and Stage Island.) After discharg- * * * * * clothes was observed to roll out of the there was still ‘another man’, his companion
ing part of her cargo, some in to the sea, some Loss of the brig Delegate, of Portland. cabouse apparently against the lee shrouds
Continued on Page 30.
into the boats, and some into a sloop, the Extract of a letter from a gentleman who of the mast.
HESPER was got off 26th, without any mate- was a passenger in the British Packet
rial injury. Going into Winter Harbor, the QUEENSBURY, dated Falmouth, England
passage is between Stage Island and Todd’s January 28, 1821. “On the 8th ult. H. B. M.
DownEast Lobstermen's
Island. No mention is made of Todd’s Island, Packet QUEENSBURY, Capt. Hannah, then 3
in the American Coast Pilot; but the passage days out from N. York, fell in with a brig
Association
is said to be, between Stage Island and Wood having a signal of distress flying. On nearing
Island, and Capt. Stevens, very naturally, her, and seeing no preparations making on
mistook Todd’s Island for Stage Island, by board the Packet, Capt. Hannah sent his boat
which means he ran his vessel ashore. Ship on board the brig, which proved to be the
"By the Fishermen - for the Fishermen"
Masters would do well to look to this and Delegate, Cornell, master, 90 days out from
correct their Coast Pilot. [Salem Gazette, 6 St. Jago de Cuba, bound to Portland, where
March 1821] she was owned. She was found to be in great
WHO'S ENDANGERED NOW?
* * * * * distress, the sails blown from the yards, and
NAUTICAL, FROM THE N. Y. MERCAN- entirely destitute of both provisions and
TILE ADVERTISER. water. The crew had been for some time
The important subject before the public previous, on an allowance of half a biscuit a
will plead may cause, so far as facts may day, but even this scanty supply was ex-
Don't Be Left on the Dock!
justify, against the attack of Capt. Stevens, pended. Being quite exhausted by cold and
Join Today and Let Your Voice Be
late of brig HESPER, who lost his vessel hunger, and incapable of navigating the ves-
entering Saco Harbour, at the westward of sel, they requested to be received on board
Heard.
Wood Island. The AMERICAN COAST the Packet, which Capt. Hannah complied
PILOT is subject to the criticisms of every with, and the brig was in consequence aban-
Float Rope Issue
Navigator; as author of the work I solicit it, doned. She had on board a cargo of molas-
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