Forum Title: LIZZIE BORDEN SOCIETY
Topic Area: Fall River and Its Environs
Topic Name: The Wreck of the "Portland"

1. "The Wreck of the "Portland""
Posted by Edisto on Aug-30th-02 at 10:12 AM

There's a really neat syndicated news story today (found it in the Washington Post) about the discovery of the wreck of the paddlewheel steamship "Portland" which went down off the coast of Massachusetts in November 1898.  Apparently there was a fierce gale, and the ship's captain, on an overnight run between Boston and Portland, Maine,  thought he could outrun it.  Wrong!  Nearly 200 people were lost.  Nobody knows exactly how many or who they were, because there was no passenger list on shore.  This storm might be a candidate for the one in which the Borden sisters' warehoused goods were lost.  The exact location of the wreckage is being kept secret because of the threat of looters, but it was between Cape Ann and Cape Cod.  A website with info on the Portland is:
                          www.maine.rr.com

(Message last edited Aug-30th-02  11:22 AM.)


2. "Re: The Wreck of the "Portland""
Posted by Susan on Aug-31st-02 at 3:04 PM
In response to Message #1.

Wow, thanks for the cool info, Edisto! 


3. "Re: The Wreck of the "Portland""
Posted by Doug on Nov-2nd-02 at 1:03 PM
In response to Message #1.

I have been looking for these two books regarding the steamer Portland.

After the Storm: True Stories of Disaster & Recovery at Sea, by John
Ronsmaniere (sp?)

Four Short Blasts: The Gale of 1898 and the Loss of the Steamer Portland, by P.D. Bachelder & M.P. Smith


4. "Re: The Wreck of the "Portland""
Posted by harry on Nov-2nd-02 at 1:20 PM
In response to Message #3.

Doug, Bookfinder. com is a great place to look.

Here's the URL for the first book:

http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=3n65tD3IVWf2xIg2QV4t8Rq4o,g_6463046767_2:32:79

Here's the second:

http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?author=&title=Four+Short+Blasts&submit=Begin+Search&new_used=*
&currency=USD&mode=basic&st=sr&ac=qr



Copies are available on both.


5. "Re: The Wreck of the "Portland""
Posted by Doug on Nov-2nd-02 at 3:40 PM
In response to Message #4.

Thanks, Harry, for the information on Bookfinder and the two books about the steamer Portland. I had heard of the Portland wreck but don't know much about it.

(Message last edited Nov-2nd-02  3:41 PM.)



 

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