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The Mildred Robinson

 

Gallant Act Saved Vessel

A Louisburg, C. B. dispatch of June 7, 1923, to the Halifax Chronicle, gives the following detailed story of the narrow escape from destruction of sch. Mildred Robinson from burning and the plucky act of the skipper.

The Gloucester fishing sch. Mildred Robinson put into port last evening seeking medical aid for the master, Henry Rearden, who was badly burned about the hands and body by an exploding lamp.   The Mildred Robinson was engaged on a halibut trip and was out from port one week with powerful crude oil engines.

About 7 o'clock yesterday morning an oil lam in the engine room exploded.  Capt. Rearden caught it up in his arms and ran with it through the engine room and cabin and up on deck and threw it overboard to prevent the flames spreading to the woodwork of the vessel.  Before reaching the rail the mate said the captain was a veritable mass of flames; his shirt and clothing was burned through and he suffered some painful burns on his body and hands.  First aid treatment was given and the vessel headed for Louisburg for medical treatment.

Dr. Morrison dressed the wounds and said that while the burns were of a painful nature they were not very deep and he expected a quick recovery.  The master will not leave his vessel, but will remain in port for two or three days receiving treatment and will sail with his ship to complete the voyage.  The captain did not think he had done any more than any of his sailors would have done had they been near at hand at the time.  He said his vessel had on board 19 fishermen who owned their fishing outfits which were valued well up to $200 each, and if the fire had spread to the oil tanks or the engine room woodwork, they would not only have lost a fine vessel but the individual loss to each fisherman would be a heavy one.  Nothing could have saved their vessel if the oil tanks had caught fire, it would have been a hurried scramble for the dories.  He had seen a similar accident happen some years ago in the port of Gloucester, but five fishermen were killed in the explosion which followed the catching of fire of the oil tanks.

The matter of grabbing up the burning oil lamp was, he said, but the impulse of a moment, and he did not feel the burning pain until he struck the cool wind on deck.  He said he was holding onto the lamp so hard that his muscles were tensed and he did not think he could have dropped it if he wanted to until he arrived at the rail and hurled it overboard.

The crew felt sorry for the captain and realize what he had done for them and assured him that if he could, in safety to himself, sail with his vessel, they would see that he would not have to do a hands turn during the remainder of the voyage.  The captain said the work of the skipper is not the easiest job on board, but he had about as fine a bunch of fishermen as it was possible to get and intended sailing on his vessel.  By the time he arrived in Gloucester with a good fare of halibut, his burns would be well healed and he would be little the worse for wear.

The owners and underwriters of the vessel also have been saved a considerable sum of money by the captain's heroic action, and they should see to it that this trip means a little more to Capt. Rearden than his usual share of the net sales of his cargo of fish.

 

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