THE HALIFAX HERALD

Friday, January 7, 1910 - Front page

THE BATTERED AND WEATHERBEATEN BROKEN HULK.

                Nothing short of amazement expresses the feelings of those who at Whitehead today viewed the battered and broken hulk that protected and saved the lives of Harvey Munroe and his crew of two others during the last two and nights in the awful blizzard that swept them twenty miles off the coast, away from their homes at Whitehead.  Frost-bitten, hungry and almost discouraged, with their frail boat well-nigh unmanageable, with main boom broken, mainsail gone, jibs torn to shreds and with about half of their foresail, they battled with the elements since ten o'clock Tuesday morning until today, when they got in.

                Harvey Munroe is a man thirty-six years of age, in the prime of life, but he shows the marks of a terrible anxiety of the last forty-eight hours.  In danger every moment of being swamped they threw over their fish and bailed for their lives with pumps and buckets.

THE REMARKABLE ESCAPE OF
ANGUS FELTMATE

                Angus Feltmate and his crew had a miraculous escape.  In an utterly helpless condition with every stitch of sails gone, bulwarks carried away, nothing but the battered hulk left, and practically sinking.  Matthew Munroe's boat, while reefing sail and making repairs, drifted down on the helpless craft and with the most skilful maneuvering was able to take off the crew, a most dangerous undertaking in the mountainous seas which threw the boats about like toys.  A false move or cant in the helm by Captain Matthew Munroe would have meant destruction for both boats and their crews.  Too much praise cannot be accorded Captain Mat for his brave and successful effort in rescuing his comrades in their helpless condition.  His boat was perhaps the staunchest and best fitted out.  Her sails were new, but before reaching safety were badly torn.

LOTTIE WAS SINKING
WHEN RESCUED

Captain Charles Richards, in the Lottie B., of Dover, says they were sinking when Captain Alden Munroe and his crew of five ran down alongside and picked them off.  The Dover boat's deck was washing off piece by piece with every sea, dories gone, and with hope nearly gone also, they bailed with buckets for their lives.  Towards evening the welcome sight of a steamer bearing down on them proved to be the Cabot, which took the exhausted men on board and the almost helpless boat of Alden Munroe's in tow, and reached Whitehead about ten o'clock Wednesday night.

                There remain yet two boats unaccounted for, James Rhynold of Dover, and Reuben Munroe, of Whitehead.  John Boudrot who was picked up with his crew by the steamer Rappahannock and taken to Halifax, says the last he saw of Rhynold was on Tuesday afternoon.  He was then standing east towards White Point under a foresail.  The fear is that even at that time all his other sails were gone and the foresails probably ripped to pieces in the increasing gale before he was able to make land, and with no sails left to work the boat there was nothing left to them but to drift as long as they could keep afloat.  Every shred of hope that they may be picked up by passing steamers  __ cherished and the arrival of steamers at the various ports is eagerly watched.

THE HANDSOME OFFER OF THE
STEAMSHIP MEN

                That this is not such a matter of fact community as some people would imagine is shown by the offer made to Agent Harvey, of the mar-

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

THE CABLE SHIP MINIA SEEN NOTHING
OF MISSING CREWS.

                The last ray of hope for the rescue of the six Nova Scotia fishermen, the crews of the Whitehead and Dover fishing craft Hazel Maud and Juanita, which have been missing since early Tuesday morning, was practically abandoned late last night, when the cable steamer Minia reached Halifax after a futile search for the two crews.

                Badly battered, with a big lifeboat and part of her rail carried way, the Minia came up the harbor shortly after nine o'clock last evening and is docked at Cunard's wharf.  The cable steamer sailed from Halifax New Year's eve on a repairing trip off Burin, Nfld., and from the time she left this port unprecedented rough weather was encountered.  All the way up a strong westerly gale raged, and when the break was located the storm was so severe that repair work was impossible and Captain DeCarteret was forced to put into Great St. Lawrence harbor.  Tuesday morning the storm was still raging, but the Minia put out to work and late that night completed the repairs and started for Halifax.  The wind was still blowing strong, a blizzard raging, and mountainous seas were sweeping the cable ship from stem to stern.

GREAT AND MIGHTY SEAS SWEEP
THE STEAMERS DECKS

                It was in the height of the gale that a mighty sea swept over the deck, wrenched the lifeboats from the davits and tore part of the rail away.  Shortly after nine o'clock Wednesday night the wireless operator on board the Minia caught a message sent out to his ship from the Marconi station at Glace Bay.  The message told of the loss of the Dover and Whitehead fishermen and asked Captain DeCarteret to keep a lookout for the vessels.

                The message was no sooner received than an extra watch was placed on deck, and with the aid of the powerful searchlights the storm tossed ocean was scanned throughout the long night, but no trace of them could be found.  At daylight a heavy vapor covered the ocean, but the search was continued, the Minia zig-zagging about, but there was no sign of the vessels or wreckage; and the crew of the Minia are of the opinion, that if the two crews have not already been picked up, they have surely perished.

PAGE 3

CREW OF DOVER BOAT

          RESCUED FROM DEATH

                    AND BOUGHT TO HALIFAX

-------------------

Two Boats and Six Men Now Unaccounted for.

- Three Men from Dover and Three From White-
head -- More Steamers Leave and the Search

Still Goes On With Hopes That Further

Rescues Will Be Made.

INTERVIEWS WITH SURVIVORS IN HALIFAX

(From Thursday's Evening Mail)

Eight rescued Dover fishermen arrived in Halifax yesterday on the Rappahannock, from London for this port.  They were picked up Wednesday morning and are all in good health.

        At noon yesterday Whitehead reported tow boats with nine men missing and Dover still looks anxiously for news of two boats with ten men.

        Yesterday the wind was inshore and the boats, with what sail they have, may be able, if still afloat, to make land.  More steamers have been sent out to scour the sea and soon the fate of the missing men will almost certainly be ascertained.  "Hope springs eternal in the human breast" and every crew reported safe gives ground for renewed hope for those still missing.

THE ZORAYA SAILS SAFELY INTO
PORT BECKERTON.

        Yesterday afternoon the welcome news was received that the Zoraya, from Whitehead, had arrived at Port Beckerton yesterday, with all well on board.  This leaves the Juanita, with three men on board, the only boat missing from Whitehead.  The Milo and the Hazel Maud, of Dover, have not yet been reported.

        Yesterday the welcome news was brought to this city that another crew had been rescued.  On board the Furness liner Rhappahannock was the crew of the Trilby.  News of the rescue was sent to Canso by the captain, and the fears of the relatives were allayed.

THE CAPTAIN OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK
PICKS UP EIGHT MEN.

        Captain Buckingham, seen by the Herald representative yesterday, expressed his pleasure that he had been able to be of assistance to the unfortunate fishermen.  He was bound to Halifax when the look-out man saw the signal of distress on the little sailless schooner.  It was about 11:30 a.m.  There was no need to look at the signals, for the men had sighted the big ocean steamer and were making frantic efforts to attract the attention of those on board.

        The Rappahannock bore down on the distressed fishermen and soon they were comfortably established on the big liner with the officers and members of the crew vieing with one another in looking after their material wants.

SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES OF

THE FISHERMEN.

        From the rescued fishermen, Captain Buckingham learned something of the experiences of the men.  The Trilby, of Dover, owned by the master, Captain John Boudro, had left Whitehead at four o'clock on the morning of January 4^th.  Up to the time the storm came on 2,600 pounds of haddock had been taken on board.  It was about noon on Tuesday that the storm burst on the fleet of fishing boats, of which the Trilby was a member.  Immediately sail was made for Whitehead, but no headway could be made against the terrific gale which carried along the snow filled atmosphere with a violence which could not be resisted.

SAILS TORN FROM THE POLES
BY FIERCE BLAST.

        About four o'clock on Tuesday afternoon the sails were torn from the poles by a blast of wind which almost drove the boat beneath the waves. With terrific strain the bob slay broke and the bowsprit, left without support from below, broke off and shortly after the foremast went by the board.

        Under these conditions it would have been folly to make further endeavors to get back to land.  With the temperatures hovering above zero, the men had to bestir themselves to save themselves from freezing. The boat was allowed to run with the wind, the raging waters in the meantime breaking over her.

        The Trilby was a twelve ton schooner, decked over and with room below for the storm battered men.  Those who were not required on deck went below and a good fire was maintained around which the men warmed themselves.  They were obliged to take turns at the wheel and at the pumps for the vessel was so strained from the fight with the elements that water was pouring in through her opened seams. This was strenuous work, and one pump scarcely sufficed to keep the water at a safe level

ALL NIGHT LONG AT MERCY
OF THE ELEMENTS

        All Tuesday night the vessel was at the mercy of the elements.  She had been only four miles from land when the storm broke, but the wind was driving her out to sea  at a rapid rate.  When dawn broke on Wednesday morning the little schooner was about thirty miles away from her home port.  Through the morning she continued to run before the wind.  With the approach of daylight a signal of distress was hoisted in the form of a piece of oil clothing, the only mast left standing being used for the purpose of a signal staff.

        When the Rappahannock saw the boat she was forty-two miles south-by-west of Whitehead Island.  She had been driven out to sea nearly forty miles since the breaking of the storm.

THE BOAT WATER LOGGED AND IN
LEAKY CONDITION

        The schooner, when the steamer took the men off, was in a water-logged condition.  When the boat left Whitehead she had three dories.  One of these which was being towed behind, was carried away early in the storm.  Another which was on deck became so filled with ice that she was thrown overboard.  One dory was left as a last resort and this little craft was kept as free from ice as possible.  It took continuous effort on the part of the men to keep the vessel from settling beneath the water by reason of the great amount of ice which accumulated on the decks, sides and ragging.  The schooner was utterly inseaworthy and when the men had been taken on board she was allowed to go adrift.  Doubtless she founded shortly afterwards, for with that pump not in use she could not float long.

ALTERED HIS COURSE TO LISCOMB
HOPING FOR OTHERS.

        Captain Buckingham was hopeful of picking up more boats and he altered his course towards Liscomb.  No trace of other boats was seen, however, and the steamer resumed her voyage to Halifax.

        Captain Buckingham telegraphed Mr. Whitman, of Canso, of the men's safety, asking that the men's families be apprized of their safety.

        It was noon before the Rappahannock tied up at the Furness pier. She had been delayed in the stream while her cargo of explosives was being taken on board the lighter.  As she tied up the rescued men lined the rail of the big liner, looking with interest at the busy scene below.  They were clad in ordinary clothes, none having oil skins, but they all looked none the worse for their experiences.  One of the crew was a mere boy, some were veterans of the deep.  All were weighed down with a sense of loss.  While they were safe they feared the worst for their comrades and in their hearts was a dread to face the loved ones at home without the relatives that had accompanied them to the fishing grounds on the momentous Tuesday morning.  Greetings of welcome went up from the longshoremen on the wharf, and the cheer instilled into their hearts by the kind officers and men on the steamer together with that from the shore tended to lighten their heavy hearts.

        When the Herald reporter sought an interview with Captain Boudro, three feet of water and an almost inaccessible wall of steel separated them from the representative of the newspaper.  Several men from the wrecked schooner reached down willing hands and the reporter was shaking hands with the survivors, who were very responsive to the hearty greetings extended them.

CAPTAIN BOUDRO READILY TELLS
HIS EXPERIENCES RESCUED MEN

        Captain Boudro was quite willing to tell of the storm and the others, after they had been apprised of the safety of many of their comrades gathered around, interjecting information from time to time.

        The rescued men were the following, all hailing from Dover.

        John Boudro, (captain), Abner Boudro, Daniel Munro, George Munro, George Harnish, William Haines, and Charles Bushey.  They were more or less related, in many instances to one another.

        Captain Boudro and Abner Boudro were the owners of the schooner, which was uninsured and valued at $700.

Captain Boudrot's Story of His Experience

        Asked for the story of the catastrophe, the captain said he could speak only for his own crew as after four o'clock Tuesday all trace of the other boats had been lost.  The Trilby, his vessel, was a well built schooner of 12 tons.  At four o'clock Tuesday morning he and the crew had embarked and set sail for the fishing grounds about seven miles from White Point.  They had set the trawling gear and spent several hours in getting fish when snow set in about ten o'clock.  The three dories were out and good fares had been taken.

        At noon a bad storm appeared to be brewing.  Captain Boudro called to his men to cut their gear and to get on board at once.  The men obeyed the order with alacrity.  About a dozen boats were in sight and the dories from these were soon on board their respective vessels. 
All of them set sail for their home

ports, all being under way by 1 p.m.

CAPTAIN BOUDROT LAST TO
SEE THE MISSING BOATS

        At 4:30 the Trilby had not made any progress towards land.  The storm increased in violence.  Just before everything was blotted out from view Captain Boudrot saw the two missing Dover boats, the Milo and the Hazel Maud, close behind his vessel.  A moment later and they were lost to sight.  Darkness closed in and nothing more was seen of any craft.

        At nightfall the schooner had lost the foresail and jibs.  Her bowsprit and foremast had been carried away. The schooner lay to and the men pounded ice in order to keep the little boat afloat.

        Shortly after midnight, the mainsail, the only sail left, was blown right out of the bolt ropes.  From then on the boat was at the mercy of the elements.

        Shortly before noon the

Rappahannock was sighted.  An oilcoat was hoisted to the masthead and the steamer came right alongside the boat taking the men aboard.

        Conditions were pretty bad when the rescue was effected.  Everything burnable had been used in the stove; all the "grub" had been eaten and the water supply was exhausted.  The schooner was making water at the rate of 150 strokes an hour when she was abandoned.

        The Marine and Fisheries Department continued its efforts yesterday to send assistance to the missing boats.  Agent Harvey was very busy man and no stone was left unturned in the cause of humanity.

        The Cape Breton left Sydney Wednesday night at 7 o'clock, had orders to search all day for the missing boats.  She would arrive on the scene about daylight and should give valuable assistance.

ABERDEEN WAS TO LEAVE
TO JOIN IN SEARCH

        The Aberdeen, which was at Beaver Harbor Wednesday night, was expected to leave to assist in the search yesterday morning.  The other steamers previously mentioned are still assisting in the search.

        The cable steamer Minta passed 15 miles of Whitehead Wednesday.  Agent Harvey got into wireless communication with Captain DeCarterat.  He had seen no trace of fishing boats.  He reported having encountered heavy gales with high seas.  The Minta was badly iced up, had had part of her rail carried away and had lost one of her starboard boatsand davits. Captain DeCarterat said that the missing men would probably be nearer to Sable Island than he was.

        At noon a wireless message was received from Sable Island saying that the patrol of the island had been completed at 8 a.m. and nothing had been found.

THE LIST OF BOATS AND
MEN STILL MISSING
        At present the boats and crews missing are as follows:

HAZEL MAUD, 10 tons, hailing from Dover, Master Captain James A. Rhynold, brother-in-law to Captain Boudro, of the Trilby and cousin to Captain Rhynold of the Milo, wife and two children. John Rhynold, brother to Captain, wife; Norman Fougere, single.

JUANITA, 19 tons, hailing from Whitehead, Master Captain H. Munroe, married; _______ Munroe, son; Courtney Feltmate.

        The other missing boats were ___ accounted for yesterday (Copy is cut off here so gets bad..RC) ____________ Captain Harvey Munroe's boat got in yesterday afternoon.  (The last two paragraph's are pretty much illegible…sorry..RC)

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