The Portland daily press., 1886-01-08
The Christmas of the Fishermen.

The Cape Ann Advertiser Of Jan. con-
tains column of news, CURLY told, which
every member Of Congress ought to read
On Christmas heavy northeast gale
swept along the New England coast. Dur
ing Christmas night and the following day it
showed furiously off the shore The fishing
fleets from Gloucester, Rockport ortland
and Eastport suffered severely. The skele-
ton narratives of such Of the disasters as
have already been reported require only the
details which imagination can supply to
make them read like romances of peril and
sufferingat sea.
The Gloucester schooner Iyanhoe, of sew
enty-two tons, was anchored on the La Have
bank, southeast of Cape Sable, when the
storm struck her Her cable parted and she
lost her anchor. at O'Clock in the after
noon tremendous sea carried away her
manmas, jibboom, and sails leaving her a
wreck. The sea washed away the schooner's
dOries and the shock started a leak. The
men, says the brief despatch, ''clung togeth-
er on the deck, momentarlly expecting that
crash and the little craft went over on her
keel. The crew thought now that they were
face to face with death, but the disabled
schooner righted and another chance was
leIC The ndlI-lTOZ6n GIOuC6SICT uSHtIilltu
on board Of the Iyanhoe At II o'clock they
saw steamers lights, and they waved
torch as signal of distress. The steamer
went by without rendering any assistance.
The night passed YEARLY. After daylight
the next morning the Gellert of the Ham
burg line came in sight, launched boat in
the heavy sea, and succeeded in resculng all
seventeen of the fishermen. They saved
nothing but the drenched clothes they stood
IN.
GrI,n 4ha T Ill
Baxter came into port on Tuesday with her
flag at half mast for one of her crew, an old
halibut catcher named John McIntire. He
was the man who three years ago got aStray
from the schooner Polar Wave on the Banks,
and was tossed about alone in his dory for
six days and nights without food or water.
He was then picked up and carried to South
America. In this December gale Mclntire
Jared less fortunately; he was washed over
board and drowned. The Captain of the
all night before the Christmas hurricane of
binding snow, the men being engaged in
beating ice off the vessel in order to keep her
atioat. The sea swept her decks of every
thing. but by extraordinary luck the crew
reached home-all but John McIntire.
The Cleopatra, of ninety-nine tons, also
haling from Gloucester was engaged in the
paddock fishery on the Georges. The Christ
mas storm caught her, dismasted her, and
threw her on her beam ends. There were
eighteen men on board. Fourteen were
thrown into the sea, and of the remaining
four one was instantly killed. Eleven of the
fishermen succeeded in swimming back to
the Cleopatra; three went down. When the
vessel righted she proved to be so badly
wrenched by the tremendous conclusion that
the water passed through the cracks as fast
as the survivors could pump it out Some of
the crew were badly injured; but all were
kept at the pumps, pumping desperately for
life. Their supply of provisions had been
spoiled by the sea- At o'clock on Sunday
morning the English steamer Lord Cough
bound for Philadelphia, discovered the
wreck. The mate and five seamen of the
steamer volunteered to go in boats to the as
sistance of the crew of the Cleopatra and at
great risk succeeded in rescuing the men
whom the Christmas gale had spared.
Stories like these come from all along the
coast Thrilling as they are, they are COM
monplace enough beside others that the ex-
perience of the New England coast people
could supply. 1t is under such conditions
that the hardy fishermen of Massachusetts
ought to be the pride of the country. Their
business is no holiday yachting. When they
sail out on a winter fishing cruise they do
not know whether their families will ever
see them again. Their Christmases are of
ten like that of which the news columns of
the Cape Ann Advertiser afford us glimpse.
These men are keeping alive the old Ameri-
can spirit which deties the dangers of the
sea. They do not ask Congress to protect
them against hurricanes like that of ten days
about the Canadian armed cruisers mem
| toned by the British Minister in his letter to
| Secretary Bayard.
What they do ask of Congress is protection
| in the home markets. They only ask to be
| allowed to pursue. under fair conditions, the
perilous and honorable calling by which they
| support themselves and win bread for their
wives and children.