“Titanic of New England”

Filmmaker David Conover to Show and Discuss Wreck of the Portland the “Titanic of New England”

SS Portland on the bottom of the sea, courtesy NOAA

SEARSPORT, ME, August 22, 2013 - Thursday, September 5, at 7:00 pm, filmmaker David Conover will show and discuss his hour-long film documentary Wreck of the Portland. Known as the "Titanic of New England," the loss of the SS Portland is one of the greatest maritime disasters to occur off the Northeast coast of the United States.  On Nov. 26, 1898, the passenger ship, SS Portland, on route from Boston to Portland, was caught in a fierce blizzard. Struggling through the night with raging seas and 90-mile-per hour winds, the Portland finally sank with all 190 passengers and crew on board.  Little of the shipwreck and few victims were ever recovered, and the exact location of the tragedy was a mystery.  During the summer of 2002, 104 years after her disappearance, a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) was used to locate the wreck of the Portland.  This film was produced for the Science Channel series "Science of the Deep."
Conover graduated from Bowdoin College.  He worked for years as a professional seaman and crossed the Atlantic twice in small boats.  He worked for Outward Bound, then made a film about Outward Bound which was aired on National Geographic Explorer.  David Conover’s company is Compass Light Productions in Camden, Maine.
This film will be shown at Penobscot Marine Museum’s Stephen Phillips Memorial Library, 11 Church Street, Searsport.  Tickets in advance $8 members, $10 non-members, or at the door $12 members, $15 non-members.   Buy tickets over the phone at 207-548-2529.