Schooner Alice E. Clark Lost Of Maine Coast
By James Donahue
The Alice E. Clark was an impressive four mast schooner when it was launched at Bath, Maine, in 1898.
The hull measured 227 feet in length. This ship sailed the seas as a bulk freight hauler for 11 years before it wrecked off
Isleboro, in Penobscot Bay, Maine, on July 1, 1909.
There is little more to tell about the Clark. The vessel was laden with coal when it got off course
in fog, struck a rock ledge and was declared a total loss. The crew escaped without loss of life. The wreck lies in about
60 feet of water. Divers say the bow is broken but the stern remains intact. The vessel lies on its starboard side.
The Clark’s one claim to fame occurred on November 1, 1898, when she came upon the Clyde liner
Croatan burning off Cape Charles. The Clark was there to rescue 22 passengers and crew members and bring them safely to Vineyard
Haven, Massachusetts. Five drowned in the disaster.
