This Week in Maine History March 6-12

March 9th 1921 

A British Tramp Steamer called Wandby shipwrecked near Walker's Point in Kennebunk. Captain David Simpson's hearing was off when he thought the buoy whistle he heard was the one near Portland Lightship . Thinking that they were in the clear and heading in the right direction the captain left the bridge, letting his chief engineers take the reign. They had just found the charts and their location when the lookout yelled "Breakers AHEAD". Captain Simpson ran back to the bridge shouting orders to avoid a calamity. A witness on the shore said, "...the noise of the enormous hull grinding on the rocks that foggy morning was strongly suggestive of a boiler factory falling down two flights of stairs."

It seems no one was hurt, except maybe the Captain's pride, as he was demoted for the incident.

Parts of the wreck are still on the ocean floor and can be seen via scuba diving.

March 12th 1921

University of Maine Women's Varsity basketball team played against New Hampshire. When the clock ran out the score was tied 13-13. The game went into over time. Both teams played fairly, but in the end New Hampshire scored the first basket in overtime giving them the win 15-13. The first women's varsity game for Maine was over, but it was just the beginning of a long run of great seasons.