Annie C. Maguire shipwreck
Encyclopedia
Annie C. Maguire, a three-masted bark
, was sailing from Buenos Aires
, on December 24, 1886, when she struck the ledge at Portland Head Light
. Keeper Joshua Strout, his son, wife, and volunteers rigged an ordinary ladder as a gangplank between the shore and the ledge the ship was heeled against. Captain O'Neil, the ship's master, his wife, two mates and the nine-man crew clambered onto the ledge and then, one by one, crossed the ladder to safety.
The cause of the wreck is puzzling since visibility was not a problem. Members of the crew reported they "plainly saw Portland Light before the disaster and are unable to account for same."
Today, letters painted on the rocks below the lighthouse commemorate the wreck and the Christmas Eve rescue.
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
, was sailing from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, on December 24, 1886, when she struck the ledge at Portland Head Light
Portland Head Light
Portland Head Light is a historic lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine that sits at the entrance of the shipping channel into Casco Bay. The headlight was the first built by the United States government, and is now a part of Fort Williams Park.-History:...
. Keeper Joshua Strout, his son, wife, and volunteers rigged an ordinary ladder as a gangplank between the shore and the ledge the ship was heeled against. Captain O'Neil, the ship's master, his wife, two mates and the nine-man crew clambered onto the ledge and then, one by one, crossed the ladder to safety.
The cause of the wreck is puzzling since visibility was not a problem. Members of the crew reported they "plainly saw Portland Light before the disaster and are unable to account for same."
Today, letters painted on the rocks below the lighthouse commemorate the wreck and the Christmas Eve rescue.
External links
- http://www.portlandheadlight.com/park.html