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Lot Essay
The Abner J. Benyon was built by Samuel Watts at Thomaston, Maine in 1874. She was named after the president of a bank in Boston that had extensive business interests with Maine shipowners. She was 227 feet in length and registered as 1955 tons. The Abner J. Benyon made many round trips sailing from New York and calling at San Francisco and Great Britain. She survived the adverse conditions and her fastest run from San Francisco to Antwerp was 110 days. In 1884 the Abner J. Benyon was sold to Snow & Burgess of New York, and her name was changed to Alfred Watts, who was the father of the ship's first master, Capt. Edward Brown Watts.
On 8 October 1887, under her new name, she sailed from Philadelphia under the command of Capt. Frank Johnson, with a large cargo of kerosene bound for Hiogo. After surviving a temporary grounding she sailed into a hurricane. She capsized, but did not sink; twenty-one crew members and passengers were drowned. Four seamen and one male passenger clung to wreckage bu the passenger did not last long and he was also drowned. Two of the seamen were taken by sharks. The two survivors managed to make their way to the capsized ship and fortunately as the cargo floated out of the hold they recovered some food, namely salt port and codfish. They survived for thirty days and were rescued by the Lizzie Perry bound for the West Indies, and arrived at Philadelphia on 3 February 1888, as crewmen of the brig Mary Bartlett.
On 8 October 1887, under her new name, she sailed from Philadelphia under the command of Capt. Frank Johnson, with a large cargo of kerosene bound for Hiogo. After surviving a temporary grounding she sailed into a hurricane. She capsized, but did not sink; twenty-one crew members and passengers were drowned. Four seamen and one male passenger clung to wreckage bu the passenger did not last long and he was also drowned. Two of the seamen were taken by sharks. The two survivors managed to make their way to the capsized ship and fortunately as the cargo floated out of the hold they recovered some food, namely salt port and codfish. They survived for thirty days and were rescued by the Lizzie Perry bound for the West Indies, and arrived at Philadelphia on 3 February 1888, as crewmen of the brig Mary Bartlett.