October 23, 1891
Sch. Percy Given
Up
Her Crew of Twelve Men Undoubtedly Fill Watery Graves
The fears that the heavy gales in September
would result in disaster to some of the fishing fleets exposed to its fury, and that some
of them would never return to port, have been realized, and after weeks of weary waiting,
with hopes raised as others of the fleet overdue have returned in safety, only to be again
crushed as succeeding days failed to bring any tidings of their safety, the owners of the
schooner Percy have at last been obliged to reluctantly admit
that the vessel and her crew will never again return to port, and the names of 12 men who
compose her crew must be added to the long roll of those who left port but from whom no
tidings have ever returned. All that is know is that they sailed form port, but no tidings
of their last resting place or how they met their death will be known, till the sea gives
up its dead, and the secrets of the ocean caves are revealed.
The Percy sailed
form this port August 25 on a codfishing trip to Georges, and is the only vessel which was
exposed to the heavy gale of September 7 which has not been heard from, and in which she
is supposed to have foundered. Nothing has been heard from her directly since leaving
port, but it is said that on the night of the gale the sch. Fanny S. Orne was
anchored in her neighborhood, and previous to a sudden squall her lights were plainly seen
by the crew of the Orne. The squall threw the latter upon her
beam ends, and it was feared form a few moments that she would not recover herself, but
she righted after a heave struggle, when nothing more was seen of the lights of the other
vessel, and it is feared that she foundered in the squall.
The vessel was commanded by Capt. Oscar
A. Glade, a native of Finland, who has been a successful master for many years,
though a comparatively young man. He was about 42 years of age, and was twice married,
leaving a widow and two step-children in this city. She carried a crew of eleven men, as
follows:
Frank Tuttle, cook, of Maine,
leaves a widow and two children in this city
Joseph Boston, born in Spain, leaves a widow and one son residing in this
city
William Cluney, a native of St. John's, N. F., resided at Manchester
where he leaves a widow
Fred Lindman, born in Norway, leaves a widow in this city
Bartholomew Downes, born in Ireland, leaves a widow and children in
Boston
Charles Sandstrum, Sweden
Benjamin F. Wiley, of Boothbay
James Reynolds, St. John's N. F.
Charles Melville of Marblehead
John F. Lynch, Sweden, leaves a wife and several children in this city
Nathan A. Fuller, Of Boston
The Percy was owned
by Capt. James S. Ayer and measured 68.66 tons. She was built in this
city in 1878, and was insured by the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance Company for $3000
on the vessel and $500 on the cargo.
Fred Lindman, John F. Lynch, and
Charles Melville were members of the G. A. R. |
