1836 — Oct 25, steamer Royal Tar burns and sinks near Fox Island, Penobscot Bay, ME–32

–32 Howland. Steamboat Disasters and Railroad Accidents in the United States. 1843, p. 89.
–28 passengers (20 male and 8 female).
— 4 crew. [31 deaths were due to drowning and one elderly female was a fire victim.]
–32 New England Historical Society, “The Wreck of the Circus Ship, Royal Tar.” (Webpage.)
–32 Snow. Marine Mysteries and Dramatic Disasters of New England. 1976, p. 166.

Narrative Information

Howland: “The Royal Tar. The fine steamer, Royal Tar, 400 tons burthen, commanded by Capt. Reed, and which had been plying for some months, between St. John, N.B. [New Brunswick], and Portland, Me., took fire on her passage to Portland, at 2 o’clock, P.M., on the 25th of October, 1836, in Penobscot Bay, within two miles of the Fox Islands, and was destroyed. The fire originated under deck, and had obtained such ascendency before it was discovered, that the fire engine, which was also under deck, could not be got out on account of the intense heat, which also prevented the men below from working the steam engine sufficiently long to run her ashore.

“The Royal Tar left St. John, N.B., on the 21st, with from 90 to 100 persons on board, including the crew. On deck, were an elephant, two camels, several horses, and a number of animals in cages, composing a traveling caravan. On the 25th, when crossing Penobscot Bay, and about two miles off the entrance of Fox Island Thoroughfare, it was found that the water was out of the boilers, and as the wind was blowing a heavy gale from the north-west, the boat was anchored for the purpose of filling the boilers. In about half an hour after, she was discovered to be on fire, aft; the engineer, with fifteen others, immediately jumped into the largest boat, and made for the nearest land to the leeward, which they safely reached in about four hours. Capt. Reed took the only remaining boat, and took a position at a distance to the windward. Three gentlemen passengers, good swimmers, swam towards the boat, and were taken up. The cable was slipped, and sail made on the boat, with the hope of reaching the shore; but the flames spread so rapidly, that her mainsail was destroyed in a few minutes, and her tiller ropes burnt away. She then came broadside to the wind, and was drifting directly to sea. A signal of distress had been made, and it was fortunately discovered by the U.S. revenue cutter, stationed at Castine, then four or five miles to windward, which bore down to her relief. Capt. Reed put on board her the persons in his boat, and commenced taking off those on board the steamer. At this time she was on fire nearly from stem to stern. A small place forward, which had not taken fire, was crowded with the survivors, as well as the bowsprit, bobstay, &c. Those on the quarter deck were driven over by the flames, and such as survived, were hanging to the davit tackles, and to the chains and ropes attached to the rudder. Many were suspended on ropes secured on deck, but, as the flames reached their frail dependence, they were precipitated into the sea, and perished. [Even good swimmers could be overcome by hypothermia in cold October Maine waters.]

“The cutter, unfortunately, had no boat sufficiently large to render assistance in taking off the sufferers; and as Lieut. Dyer did not deem it prudent to approach very near the wreck, on account of his vessel being an armed one, fearing the fire might communicate to his powder, the work of rescue was slow. Capt. Reed, however, firmly and resolutely persevered with his boat, though it was with some difficulty that he could obtain an efficient boat’s crew to approach the wreck, they fearing that the elephant would come overboard and destroy the boat. The last boat left the wreck a little before sunset, with one solitary frantic female, the last on board, whose sister and child had both perished before her eyes.

“The prompt and praiseworthy decision of Capt. Reed in securing the boat, was the only means by which the life of a single individual remaining on board the boat, could have been saved.

“The elephant, camels, and horses, jumped overboard, and all the animals in cages, were burnt. No baggage was saved. Many of the trunks and portmanteaus were thrown overboard, in the hope that they might be picked up. The cutter landed the survivors about 8 o’clock, P.M., at Isle au Haut, where they received the most hospitable treatment from the inhabitants.

“Additional Particulars. The whole number of passengers on board the Royal Tar was 85, of whom 28 were lost – 20 males and 8 females. Four persons attached to the boat were also lost, making 32 in all. Four of the persons attached to the caravan were among those lost. But one person was burnt, and 31 were drowned. The person burnt was an aged Irish woman, who was not seen on deck at all. Capt. Waite, of Portland, held on to a rope until it burnt off. He then swam to the rudder, got his arm into the chain, and for an hour and a half thus sustained himself and a lady and a gentleman – holding the former by her hand, while the latter held on to his leg.

“From $50,000 to $100,000 in money was lost. One gentleman had $10,000 in money and drafts – all lost. The whole loss is estimated at nearly $200,000.

“The animals on board were an elephant, six horses, two dromedaries, two lionesses, one leopard, one Bengal tiger, one gnu, a pair of pelicans, and a number of their creatures belonging to the caravan, besides Burgess’s collection of serpents and birds, Dexter’s locomotive museum, with its six horses and valuable contents, and all the musical instruments belonging to the band. The unfortunate caravan men were paid off at St. John, and were bringing home the proceeds of their summer’s expedition is specie, — all of which they lost, and were left penniless.

“Six horses, belonging to the caravan, were backed overboard; three of them instinctively swam towards the nearest land; the other three swam around the boat until they sank exhausted. A large elephant, belonging to the menagerie, having retreated to a part of the boat which the fire had not reached, mounted his fore feet upon the rail, in which position he remained till about 4 o’clock, apparently calculating, with the characteristic sagacity of the animal, the prospects of escape, when it became too hot for him, and he leaped overboard, carrying with him, as he slid down the vessel’s side, several of the passengers who were still clinging there. His immense weight probably carried him to the bottom ere he rose, as he re-appeared after some time, at considerable distance. This animal also instinctively swam towards the nearest land; but as the boat was by this time drifted four or five miles out to sea, he must have perished. The rest of the menagerie, consisting of lions, tigers, &c., were allowed to become a prey to the flames, as on account of their ferocity, it was deemed dangerous to loose them.

“Annexed is a list of the passengers and crew lost:

“Passengers lost. –

Edward C. Curtis, Stamford, Conn.;
John Siller, Boston;
John Ryan, Newcastle, N.B.;
William (boy), Halifax;
William Prince, Merimachie, N.B.;
Mary Dorrough;
Sarah Smith;
Mary Smith and child;
Peggy Cochran;
Mary Caton;
Charles Curtain;
Mary Curtain and child;
Mary Hogan;
Nicholas Phremba;
Thomas Meheny;
Dennis O’Brien;
Mary Hickley;
Fanny O’Brien;
Old lady;
Child;
John Hogan, and Eliza Hogan.

“Crew lost. —

John Day, seaman;
Charles Ford;
Mary Bunn, stewardess….

“The following incidents are related on the authority of a passenger: The Royal Tar had been four days out, having experienced contrary winds. The chief engineer had been up all night, and was in his berth, and the engine was under the direction of N. Marshall, the second engineer, who, at the time of the disaster, had entrusted the care to a fireman, who was acting as his assistant. The son of the pilot discovered that the lowest cock refused to yield water, which indicated a deficiency. The lad told his father, who notified Marshall, but the latter disregarded the information, and gave both pilot and boy to understand that he knew his own business best. In a few minutes the empty boiler became red hot, and ignited a couple of wedges placed on it to aid in supporting the elephant. The moment Capt. Reed looked down the grating, her perceived that the utter destruction of the steamer was inevitable, an gave orders to slip the anchor, hoist distress signals, and let down the boats. He took charge of the first, and lay along side a few minutes, and ten took on board as many passengers as she could carry. Sixteen others jumped in pell mell into the long boat, hanging to the cranks, and cut the ropes and let her go. At this moment the revenue cutter rounded Fox Island. The hands on board of Capt. Reed’s small boat, when the cutter was first descried, refused to pull for her, as it was against the wind. He, however, peremptorily commanded their obedience, exclaiming – ‘I was captain of the big boat, and I will be captain of the small one; and if any one refuses to run for the cutter, I’ll throw him overboard.’ The schooner soon perceived the condition of the steamer, and bore down towards her with a fair wind, but dared not to approach very near as she had powder on board. The captain of the cutter was not on board, and, for a time, Capt. Reed seized her helm. Capt. Reed then returned to the steamer, in his boat, and took another freight. The pilot of the cutter was despatched with her gig, but though he passed under her stern, within thirty feet, and saw the perishing creatures hanging to the ropes, and calling on him to come near enough to take them off, he was so much terrified that he returned without a single soul. We have conversed with Mr. Fuller, who was thus situated. Some clung to the ropes thrown over the stern, two hours. Mr. H. H. Fuller’s strength failing him, he took a turn of the rope round his neck; it was necessary to cut the rope to clear him from the burning wreck. No less than four persons fastened upon Mr. Fuller, who relieved the pressure on his neck, by getting a twist of the rope around one of his legs, and a female made fast to his other leg. This was the second time that the British consul at Portland, Mr. Sherwood, had been burnt out of a steamboat near the same place, having been on board the steam brig New York, which was burnt thirteen or fourteen years since on her passage from Eastport to Portland.

“Capt. Reed, in his letter to the agent of the company, thus remarked, ‘I have no blame to attach to anybody as regards the fire. Had our engine been on deck, we could have put the fire out easily, It is a great oversight, having a fire engine to work below.’” (Howland. Steamboat Disasters and Railroad Accidents in the United States. 1843, pp. 87-93.)

Snow: “….When the steamer began her voyage that Friday morning [Oct 21], the weather had been fine in every respect, but before the sun set a high westerly wind started to blow. The wind con¬tinued several days and forced the Royal Tar to seek shelter in Eastport Harbor, Maine, where she remained until the following Tuesday afternoon. Shortly after she left Eastport, rising winds again forced her to seek shelter, this time behind Fox Island. While the vessel was anchored about two miles [end of p. 163] off Fox Island Thoroughfare, the order was given to fill the ship’s boilers.

Sources

Howland, Southworth Allen. Steamboat Disasters and Railroad Accidents in the United States (Revised and Improved). Worcester: Warren Lazell. 1843.

New England Historical Society, “The Wreck of the Circus Ship, Royal Tar.” Accessed 10-14-2021 at: https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/george-berkeley-world-famous-philosopher-moves-ri-1729/

Snow, Edward Rowe. Marine Mysteries and Dramatic Disasters of New England. NY: Dodd, Mead, 1976.