The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-07 00:00:00

FISHING CALAMITY.

The following communication, sent to TA( Tones for
publication, we have pleasure in reprinting, thinking
it not unlikely that some of our readers may respond
to the app-al :

A sad and heartrending calamity has lust happened on
these Islands. Five fine hardy, honest fishermen have lost
their lives in pursuit of their calling, and In their enoeavour
to raise themselves by their own exertions irony want and
distress. It is well known that a great emount of distress has
prevailed on these 'elands during the last winter and spring
To alieviate this I made an appeel to the public, and
they nobly responded to my call, and In • few weeks
nearly £l,OOO was placed in my hands to relieve the
distress principally by means of loans of money to the peer
Ihhermen to enable them to purchase fishing gear In
which they were miserably deficient. Fully three-fourths of
this sum has been subscribed by generous Englishmen,
whose ears and hearts and purses are ever open to hear and
feel for and relieve distress whenever It occurs. I had di.
trihutei all the money riven to me in this way, and spurred
cn the fishermen, now that Brevet, had given them friend.,
t show themselves and prove that they were men and lisd
the energy work like men. F.verything seemed to favour
the undertaking. ehoels of fish were mekii g their appear-
ance roiled the Island, and among the descriptions numbt re
of sun fish. The oil from one of these fish le worth g. 2 A
few evenings ago a hen., crew from Shark Island went in
pursuit of .e ; successfully speared, and played It for three
or four hours, the Ilth carrying the boat away for several
miles. At length he is brought up, the crew are about
lashing him to the gunwale of the boat t the second harpoon
is driven Into him, so that he may be well secured fore and
aft ; the fish gets restless ; the coil of the first harpoon
snaps, the fish's head Is free. Away he dashes, dragging
out with Min the coil at such a rate that it wore more than
two inches tato the gunwale of the boat ; It catchee in the
legs of the men at the stern, who is paying out the coil ; be
is going overboard : his c iiirndes try to save him , the boat
gets • sadden heel eve with the strain and nine men are
precipitated into the water, five of them never to rise
again . four men are picked up nearly exhausted by the
second boat, which was near at hand. They haul on the
coil which went overboard with the p oor man at the stern,
and there he Is found—dead, clutching the rope so tightly
that It could not be removed till cut The other four bodies
have not yet been found. The former has left • widow and
five y ding children totally unprovided for ; two of the WWI
have left aged widowed mothers wretchedly poor t another 1111
aged widowed mother and three brothers ; and %nether a father
and mother. Nearly all the survivors by this ead calamity
haw: beets thus at one instant deprive,' of all earthly mean, of
supple. I would, therefore, melte the newt urgent appeal
to those whom God has bleued with means to contribute •
few pounds to place these people In some way of living on the
Island. The poor widow with her five small orphan children
Is deserving toe sympathy of the charitable. I hope and
trust m) appeal may not be in vain.
I only ask • few pounds. They shall be judiciously laid
out and accounted for to the contributors in due comm.

It I. a sadder calamity here than I can describe. None but
an on witi.on can have • conception of it.
Contributions for this purpose may be sent to me, addreued
6, Percy place, Dublin, and they will be gratefully ac-
knowledged.
THOS. F. BRADY, Inspector of Irish Fisheries.
Innisbutlin island, Cu. Galway, May 30.