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ShipwrecksFLORIDAOn February 9, 1896 the schooner Florida, out of Portland,Maine, was wrecked on Salisbury Beach. Built inBelfast in 1872, she was 133 feet long, 32 feet wide andweighted 286 tons. The ship was owned by Joseph Simpson,Zeb Maker, and Charles Ryan of New York City and HenryMiller of Portland.The captain of the vessel was Arthur Brown. His booksand papers which washed ashore showed the names of threecrewmen - A.M. McCullough, age 45 of Maine, William Wilesof the West Indies, age twenty, and Arthur Willianty of St.Johns, New Brunswick, age forty-nine. Three other illegiblenames had been crossed out. Charles Fowler, who had firstobserved the Florida heading broadside into the breakers,was sure he had seen seven men aboard. He ran to the “SeaSide House’’ to give the alarm, and word was sent to the LifeSaving Station on Plum Island.The vessel was so close to shore their calls for help couldbe heard by onlookers. They signalled to the boat that helpwas on the way. The wind was blowing from the Northeastand snowing so hard they could hardly see.As soon as the news of the disaster was received in Newburyport,a telephone message to Captain Noyes of the PlumIsland Rescue Station asked that the life saving apparatusbe sent to the beach. The apparatus was further down theisland, and men with horses were sent to get it. Severalhours elapsed before they were able to reach the beach.Meanwhile, at the station, the surf boat had beenlaunched to cross Plum Island Basin to the beach. The boathit an object hidden in the water and sprung a leak. Rowing57