sinking of Obed's ship

["Sharon Knowlton" <Sharon_Knowlton_uid119@yahoogroups.com>]

The following is an account copied from a Boston Newspaper probably dated
November 22, 1908. It was copied as best as possible from the newspaper and sent to me by another family member.


. Minot J. Wilcox of the dredging com-
pany, which was hauling scows Nos.
17and 3 of the dredging company out
to sea to dump.
According to Mate Millberry, who was
on watch at the time, the schooner's
crew thought that the tug was alone
and did not see the lights on the barges
in the light haze, which partially ob-
structed their view.
Accordingly the schooner was headed
just to clear the stern of the tug, which
a few moments later crossed her bow.
Not until they were almost upon the
tow line did the crew of the schooner
realize their danger.
The next moment the schooner crashed
head on.
Her whole bow was stove in and she
began to settle immediately.

Threw Crew Into Water

Captain Knowlton ordered all hands in-
to the life boat which hung from davits
in the stern of the boat, and it was low-
ered away.
Seamen Mosher and Anderson, who had
been knocked from their feet in the colli-
sion, rushed on deck as the water surged
about them, and Mosher, running aft,
jumped into the life boat. Captain Knowl-
ton and all the rest of the crew save
Anderson, were already there.
The ship had already begun to sink and
Anderson leaped overboard and swam
away from the ship.
A few seconds later the schooner went
to the bottom. With her went her life
boat, somebody having tied its painter to
the stern of the ship as it was being low-
ered and her occupants not having had
time to cut it free. This threw all of the
schooner's crew into the water.
Then began the fight for life of the
Crew of the schooner and the boatman
Who had been on the first scow which by
This time had turned turtle.
Grabbing every available bit of floating
wreckage, they made the air ring with
their cries for assistance. They realized
that the tug was somewhere in the vicin-
ity, although the swell and haze prevent-
ed them from seeing her.
Finally the tug reached the spot where
Mate Millberry and Seaman Nordle and
Anderson were struggling, and after des-
perate efforts finally dragged the men to
safety, apparently more dead than alive.
Finally after cruising about for hours
and when the cries for help had long
since died away, the Wilcox's crew
turned their attention to saving the
barges. Both were towed up the harbor
and beached, one on Governor's Island
flats and another off Deer Island.
The Wilcox brought the rescued to the
Breyman Bros. wharf in East Boston
and they were later taken in charge by
The British consul and sent to the Mar-
iners' Home in North Square.
In the meantime the Gloucester of the
Boston & Gloucester line of steamers
came within an ace of running into the
wrecked craft on her early morning trip to this city.
Captain Ober of the Gloucester, who
discovered the wreck just in time to
avoid crashing into her, brought the
first news of the disaster to this city.
The wreck is lying about three-quarters
of a mile northwest of the Graves Light
and is a dangerous menace to shipping
being directly in the path of many lines
of steamers.
She is heading west by north and is
Lying perfectly upright. As all of her
sails are set and visible she presents
one of the strangest sights seen along
the New England coast in years.
She is in about 90 feet of water. At
low water all of her upper sails and about
15 feet of her lower sails are visible.
At low water about a foot and a half
of the stern of her lifeboat is also out
of water, the rest of it being tied down
by the painter. Her mainmast is split
open the whole length.
Mate Millberry, whose brother Stew-
ard Millberry, was one of the men
drowned, said last night that the
schooner's crew did not realize that the
tug had scows in tow until it was too late.


SIX LIVES LOST
WHEN VESSELS CRASH
Continued from First Page

The three rescued members of the
schooner's crew were saved only after
they had swum around in the dark for
nearly 15 minutes. They were finally
dragged aboard the Breyman Bros. Tug
Minot J. Wilcox, which had been towing
the barges, benumbed and almost dead.
The schooner, which was loaded with
850 tons of plaster consigned to the New
England Adamant Company of Charles-
town left Harvey, N.S., two weeks ago
last Thursday.
Rough weather compelled her to put
into Portland Harbor, which she left
early Friday morning. She made good
time into Massachusetts Bay, and was
saililng with a fair wind with every piece
of canvas save her main gaff topsail set
when she entered the southern Broad
channel at about midnight Friday night.
Captain Knowlton, a shipmaster known
the entire length of the Atlantic coast
and as popular as he was well known,
remained on the quarterdeck, while all
the rest but Seamen Mosher and August
Anderson, who went below, were scat-
tered about the deck.

Did Not See Barge Lights

It is an interesting account
Sharon


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