December 1, 1927
Shipwreck Caused by Pin in Compass Box
Lying with her bow buried in sand and rock, a gaping hole
in her side, and her engine room full of water, the Gloucester fisherman, Governor
Marshall, is a total wreck off Sand Point, McNutt’s Island, just inside
the entrance to Shelburne Harbor, having piled ashore early this morning. Capt. D’Entremont
and his crew of 20 men got away in the ship’s dories and later in the morning made a
successful effort to save their clothing. A northerly breeze freshening as the morning
advanced threatened further disaster to the beached ship, and the men were making frantic
efforts to save all they possibly could from the doomed vessel before the waves and wind
claimed her for their own.
According to members of the crew, the accident was due to
the presence of an iron pin in the compass box, which deflected the needle and sent the
ship in a south-southwesterly direction, instead of on a southeasterly course. Capt. D’Entremont
spent the morning aboard and will bring the 4-inch pin and the compass box back to shore.
The Governor Marshall has on
board 4500 pounds of fresh fish, and she put into Shelburne Harbor Sunday from the fishing
banks, to avoid dirty weather. About 3 o’clock on Monday morning she turned her bow
seaward, and with a favorable wind and very clear weather, started for her home port. At 8
o’clock she was piled upon the beach at Sand Pint, a total loss.
The Marshall was owned by J.
M. Marshall of Gloucester, Mass. She was 260 tons burden. |
