December 17, 1933
Three Lost Lives - 23 Saved in Disaster to
the Marshall
Skipper's Son Among Victims When Dory Crashed on Rocks
Survivors Due Home Wednesday
Twenty-three survivors, including Capt. Albert
Hines, the skipper of the Boston hadocker Ellen T. Marshall,
which was consumed by flames 25 miles south of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, Friday night,
either succeeded in reaching land since Saturday or were rescued by steamers. All
told stories of having battled their way against great odds in fighting the elements, when
a blinding snowstorm coupled with raging seas and biting cold weather, threatened time and
again to end their careers, and forced them to lose each other after the men in seven
dories abandoned their flaming vessel.
Three of the crew, including Ivan John
Hines, the skipper's younger son, were drowned being unable to make Seal island
as their dory was swamped. The dead are:
Ivan Hines, assistant
engineer, East Boston
Joseph White, fisherman, Malden
Vincent Muise, fisherman, East Boston
The Ellen T. Marshall was
double dory handlining, having as a complement, the skipper,a cook, two engineers, and 22
men, since she carried 11 dories. She left Boston last Thursday noon, scheduled to
try her luck on either Brown's or LeHave banks, and had not begun fishing when the tragedy
occurred, making the spark which coupled with the rising wind velocity, conquered the
104-foot knockabout schooner before the crew could get an opportunity to master the blaze.
The survivors were landed at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and will be given
transportation to Boston through the courtesy of the American consul. The Nova
Scotian coast is no excursion ground during the winter and winter haddocking in that
region is always perilous. Friday night was no exception, when the wind blew a
hurricane, whipping the sea into a fury.
Although the crew could not figure out just
what started the blaze, they do know that it took hardly any time at all for the gale to
send the flames scurrying on their errand of destruction through the ship. Capt. Hines
was quick to note the seriousness of the situation and ordered his men to take to the
dories. Eight dories were hastily launched, but the 26 men used but seven of them.
The skipper ordered the men to row for the shore as best they might, making an
effort to stick together. Each boat kept hailing the other through the long, weary
hours of the night, while the men, poorly clothed because of having to leave without
proper apparel, bent over their oars, striving to conquer the fatigue which gripped them
as they fought against the blinding sleet and snow. It was another one of those
valiant struggles of Gloucester fishermen against the elements, which have made these men,
trained to endure untold hardships, heroes. The weather kept thickening, and before
long, the boats were lost to one another, leaving each to wage its own separate struggle
against death.
Two of the dories with four men each sighted
the lights of Salt island, outside of Yarmouth, early Saturday morning, before dawn.
In the first boat were Joseph White, Vincent Muise, Ivan
Hines, and William Beatty, of West Roxbury. To those who
know the stark danger that lies in trying to best the pounding surf of the Nova Scotia
coast during a storm, it would have seemed folly to venture through it, and the wiser
course would have probably been to remain outside until daylight might possibly see a
break in the gale, and a subsiding of the sea. But under such conditions when they
had been rowing with the grim specter of death all night, and then suddenly heard
the roar of breakers that signified land ahead, little wonder that they plied their oars
with renewed frenzy in a mad rush for safe harbor.
Seal Island was heaven to them, and throwing
all caution to the wind, they placed their lives at stake to run the lashing gamut to the
shore. Three of them lost. Muise was the first to be hurled
from the dory as he frantically gripped his oar, lending every effort to help his comrades
through their plucky fight. His dory mates were so wearied that they hardly knew he
had been snatched from the boat, but it was impossible to try to save him, and on they
continued to meet the breakers that rolled seemingly mountain-high above their
craft. Their frail craft was no match for the mighty surf, and before they knew it,
the dory was literally reduced to kindling wood, and the splinters tossed high into the
air, while two more of their numbers, young Hines and White,
failed to survive the thrashing and were drowned, while the sole survivor, Beatty,
was fortunately cast ashore where he was picked up by many willing hands, for the
inhabitants of Seal island were there to carry him to shelter, where for hours they worked
over him to give him the warmth and nourishment he needed.
At the time they did not realize the tragedy
that lay behind this grim struggle, until another dory with four more of the Marshall's
crew were more successful in their efforts to beach their boat on Seal island and from
these men, the story was unfolded, and the survivor and doomed were identified. All
three bodies were reported as having been recovered along the shore. Capt. Hines
who, with others, reached another portion of the coast in safety was stricken
with sorrow as he learned the new of the loss of three men, and was forced to undergo
medical treatment at Yarmouth, on hearing that his own boy who had hardly begun what
promised to be a brilliant career upon the water, had been taken away from him
forever. He had taken great pride in the fact that the boy had desired to become a
master mariner like his father..
Those in the second dory included John
Donavan, Howard Nickerson, and Ellard Spinney, all of Greater
Boston. They too had endured the hardships of the perilous row though the thick
weather and treacherous seas, but good fortune was with them and they a better landing
spot. Though each felt that his time had come as he attempted to beach the craft,
they were overjoyed once they struck terra firma, and were able to stagger out of the cold
into a warm retreat where Nova Scotian hospitality awaited them in the form of steaming
hot coffee and other nourishment. The men had been aroused from their slumbers to
abandon ship and were hardly clothed to meet the elements that they encountered on their
long row, but after a few hours thawing out were once more in condition to continue on
their way with Beatty to Yarmouth, to join the other survivors at the
Acadia house. Acadia to Longfellow meant a haven of rest and peace and everyone of
the Boston fishermen agreed that Longfellow as right.
Meanwhile, Capt. Hines and
six men in two separate dories had survived the fearful night and breathed a prayer of
thanks when their boats reached Pease's island. This spot lies between Cape Sable
and Pubnico, N. S., off the southwesterly tip of the province. The fishermen were
Capt. Albert Ameriault, Cecil and Truman
Crowell, Theodora Doucette, Albert Budreau and Howard Sturm.
All were likewise in need of medical attention. Capt. Hines and
the 22 other survivors of sch. Ellen T. Marshall will leave from
Yarmouth tomorrow for Boston, and are expected at the Hub on Wednesday. The victims
of the drowning tragedy may possibly be buried in Nova Scotia.
Throughout Saturday anxiety grew as the
families of the four missing men failed to hear any news of their rescue. It was
with great relief that they had heard the news flashed yesterday forenoon that the
remaining quartet had been rescued by the steamer Ellsworth, and
brought into Yarmouth. These men are Harry Reynolds, John Clements, Basil
Mullock and John Buroine. The had succeeded in reaching
land also, though their forced port of call was a forlorn outpost known as Mud
island near Cape Sable. The name of that island was far from "Mud" to
these men, however for in the future they will have the greatest respect for the charmed
spot. The steamer Ellsworth noted their signals of
distress and took them to Yarmouth.
The complete list of the survivors is as follows:
Capt. Albert R. Hines, skipper, East
Boston
Chesley Murphy, engineer, Malden
George Vickers, cook, Somerville
Capt. Albert Amerault, Boston
William Beatty, West Roxbury
Elard Spinnery, Everett
Patrick Smallcomb, Dorchester
John Clements, Boston
Charles White, Malden
John Donovan, Boston
Truman Crowell, Barrington, Nova Scotia
George A. Nesbitt, East Boston
Harry Reynolds, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Everett George, Canso, Nova Scotia
Howard Strum, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Albert Budreau, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Basil Mullock, Boston
Theodore Doucette, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Howard Nickerson, Everett
Cecil Crowell, Barrington, Nova Scotia
Harry Fletcher, Lynn
John Goodick, Boston
John Burbine, Boston
The Ellen T. Marshall was built
at John F. James & Son shipyards at Essex in 1919 for J. Manuel Marshall and the
United Fisheries Company of this city, being one of their fleet of haddockers, and at the
time cost $48,000 to build. She is owned by the United Fisheries, Mr. Marshall and
Capt. Albert Hines of East Boston, her skipper. She was 104.9 feet long, 23.1 feet
beam, and 11.2 feet draft, having a 120 h.p. engine, and being of 124 gross tonnage. |
