1898
On Sunday, February 12, 1899, a service was held at the
McClure chapel in memory of the fishermen who have been lost from this port during the
past year.
The services were in charge of Rev. E. C. Charlton,
chaplain of the Fishermen's Institute, who was assisted by Rev. F. H. Reed of the
Lanesville Congregational church, Rev. J. A. Mills of St. John's Episcopal church, Rev. R.
P. Hibbard of Trinity Evangelical church and Rev. George H. Perkins of the Prospect Street
Methodist church.
After a reading of the ninetieth psalm, a ladies' quartette
singing The Harbor Light and a reading of a portion of the fourth chapter of St.
Mark's gospel, the Rev. Mr. Charlton then spoke:
"Seventy men while engaged in the fisheries from our
port have passed away from our midst, 63 during the calendar year 1898 and seven in
December of the preceding year, an appalling statement to those who are less familiar with
our condition than we are. We calmly say it is a small number, much below the average. We
certainly ought to inquire into the causes and seriously to ask, can anything be done to
stay this mad rush to death?
... After careful analysis, I find 23 lives lost in two
vessels during heavy gales, and nine washed overboard. These were the direct victims of
the elements. Eleven were drowned by the capsizing or overloading of their dories, six
died on board their vessels or in hospitals, five went astray in their dories, nine were
run down by a steamer. Five drowned while fishing on the Lord's day, two were the victims
of Gloucester's bars, with the harbor mud for their dying pillows. The average age of
these men was 35 1/2 years, the oldest being 61, the youngest 21. They leave 19 widows and
35 orphan children. Their nationalities were United States 8, Gloucester 4, Western
Islands 1, Germany 2, English 1, Finnish 2, Scandinavians 13, British Provinces 34. These
statistics may not by absolutely correct but are the best we can obtain."
The congregation then stood while the names of the men were
read.
- Capt. John P. Aiken
- George K. Allen
- John Dagle
- John Moore
- Elijah Sneltzer
- Allred Sonier
- Daniel J. McDonald
- Henry Conrad
- Murdock Ervin
- Henry Kanuth
- Joseph Godet
- William Bushby
- Augustus Rickhorm
- Charles Mallett
- William Sunderman
- Olaf Gunderson
- Lawrence Meany
- Capt. Walter Chetwynd
- George Lloyd
- John Powers
- John Porter
- Patrick Quinlan
- Joseph McIsaac
- Abraham Landry
- Capt. Frank Miller
- Isaac J. Tilden
- Charles Keen
- Leander Joyce
- Albert Hanson
- Harry Olson
- Edward Anderson
- Albert Inmanson
- Theodore Johnson
- Frank L. Erickson
- Thomas Keating
- Lars Heljson
- Charles Wilson
- David Dalton
- Thomas Brown
- Frank Duffey
- Oscar Anderson
- James Burke
- John Devine
- Capt. Edwin N. Hall
- Dennis Broderick
- John Armstrong
- Anthony Stone
- Harry Hanselpecker
- Morris Munson
- Samuel Scott
- James Russell
- Patrick Coffee
- Philip Kirby
- William Hamilton
- Jeremiah Ryan
- John McLeod
- Frank Viator
- Spencer McKay
- John Welch
- Lawrence Drew
- Peter Anderson
- Alfred Hyder
- Dennis Kennefick
- Johan Stenvall
- Frank C. Cooley
- Kenneth McPherson
- John Campbell
- James Garrett
- John Muse
- Frank Welch
The service closed by the singing of Rock of Ages
by the ladies quartette and the benediction by Rev. Mr. Mills. |
