Howard W. Middleton | 07:53AM Mar 22, 2008
Taking advantage of a particularly low tide today, I decided to make my way down to Higgins Beach and have another go at the wreck of the Howard W. Middleton.
I felt that given the subject matter a black and white toned image would work perfectly for this shot.
After doing some research I found this article about the Middleton on Wikipedia.
“Howard W. Middleton Shipwreck
The Howard W. Middleton wrecked at Higgins Beach on August 11, 1897. A coastal schooner, the Middleton was behind schedule and was sailing at night. In dense fog, the vessel, bound for Portland with a load of coal, strayed off course and struck a ledge in the mouth of the Spurwink River. The fog was so thick that the crew didn’t realize there was a community at Higgins Beach and went ashore at Cape Elizabeth. The Next day the fog lifted and it was discovered that the ledge had ripped a hole in the vessel below the waterline.
Tug boats came from Portland and tried in vain to pull the Middleton off. A dew days later, filled with water, the keel broke with the action of the tides, and the vessel was declared a total loss. The Middleton was stripped for salvage, and most of the coal was saved. It has been said that the legitimate salvage crew worked by day and a clandestine group worked by night. The group of locals put up enough coal to last three winters. In September of that year, a storm drove the Middleton further inland. The remains are still visible on the beach near the bank of the Spurwink River.”
