 The Cheseborough, wrecked off the coast of Shariki, Aomori, Japan in 1889. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 America | |
| Name | Cheseborough |
| Owner | Arthur Sewall & Co., Bath, Maine [1] |
| Launched | 1878 [1] |
| Fate | Wrecked, October 30, 1889 [1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 1461 tons bm [1] |
| Length | 204 ft (62 m) [1] |
| Beam | 40 ft (12 m) [1] |
| Depth of hold | 24 ft (7.3 m) [1] |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
The Cheseborough was a 19th-century American merchant ship which wrecked off the coast of Japan in 1889.
The full-rigged ship Cheseborough was built and owned by E. & A. Sewall in Bath, Maine, U.S.A. She was named after Andronicus Cheseborough, a prominent shipping merchant from San Francisco. She was steadily employed in the grain trade between North Atlantic ports and West Coast ports of North America, until 1889 when she was diverted from her normal routes to transport case oil to Japan. [2]
After discharging most of the 65,000 cases of oil from Philadelphia in Kobe, Japan, she proceeded under ballast to Hakodate where she took on 2,230 tons of sulphur. She set sail on October 28, 1889, for New York. Two days later on October 30, she lost her main-topgallant and head sails in a typhoon and ran aground off the coast of Shariki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. [3] In a courageous rescue, the villagers saved a number of the crew and nursed them back to health.
All aboard would have been lost had not the villagers, braving the wind and waves, tied ropes around themselves and ventured into the sea in a heroic attempt to carry any survivors to safety. Those remaining on shore also gave the best of their efforts by lighting fires, bringing food and clothes. Two youths ran the entire 40 miles (64 km) to the prefectural capital, Aomori, to summon help. Of the twenty-three crew members, nineteen drowned, and the other four were rescued by fishermen and villagers who worked through storms at the risk of their lives. Reports from the time indicate Mrs. Kudou, a local villager, held a frozen sailor against her bare body in an effort to save his life.
From this incident, a friendship began between the village of Shariki, Japan, and the city of Bath, Maine. In 1994, officials of both municipalities signed a sister-city agreement promising future cooperation and further exchange.
A letter from President of The United States to the citizens of Shariki, Japan:
—Bill Clinton [4]
In memory of the event, the town of Shariki hosts the "Cheseborough Cup Swim Ekiden." The event is a relay which combines a swim race and long-distance run. Its slogan: "Sending a message of Courage and Love across the Seas."
Aomori, officially Aomori City, is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 1 August 2023, the city had an estimated population of 264,945 in 136,781 households, and a population density of 321 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total area of 824.61 km2 (318.38 sq mi). Aomori is one of Japan's 62 core cities and the core of the Aomori metropolitan area.
Aomori Prefecture ([a̠o̞mo̞ɾʲikẽ̞ɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, Iwate Prefecture to the southeast, Akita Prefecture to the southwest, the Sea of Japan to the west, and Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait to the north. Aomori Prefecture is the 8th-largest prefecture, with an area of 9,645.64 km2 (3,724.20 sq mi), and the 31st-most populous prefecture, with more than 1.18 million people. Approximately 45 percent of Aomori Prefecture's residents live in its two core cities, Aomori and Hachinohe, which lie on coastal plains. The majority of the prefecture is covered in forested mountain ranges, with population centers occupying valleys and plains. Aomori is the third-most populous prefecture in the Tōhoku region, after Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture. Mount Iwaki, an active stratovolcano, is the prefecture's highest point, at almost 1,624.7 m (5,330 ft).
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. Bath is included in the Brunswick micropolitan. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its 19th-century architecture. It is home to the Bath Iron Works and Heritage Days Festival, held annually on the Fourth of July weekend. It is commonly known as "The City of Ships" because of all the sailing ships that were built in the Bath shipyards. Bath is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan statistical area.
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Shariki was a village located in Nishitsugaru District in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The village was situated on the west coast of Tsugaru Peninsula, facing the Sea of Japan.
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Hirosaki University is a Japanese national university in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Established in 1949, it comprises five faculties: Faculty of the Humanities, Faculty of Education History, Hirosaki University Medical School History, Faculty of Science and Technology, and Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science. Its abbreviated form is Hirodai.
Tsugaru Nobuyuki was the 10th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain in northern Mutsu Province, Honshū, Japan. His courtesy title was Dewa-no-kami, to which was later added title Jujū, and his court rank was Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade.
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