Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-02
L9sr PILOTS.
The TurIcy's Disappearance Recalls
Losses In PAST Days,

The TurIey's Disappearance Recalls
Losses in PAST Days.
Special Correspondence OF Gazette and Journal
LEWIS, april 20 The sad fate OF the
pilot boat 4 farley calls up the memo
ries OF some OF the aged residents of
Lawes, and the following brief record OF
the loss of life and boats engaged In the
perilous calling of the Delaware pilots,
gained principally from the recolleotions
OF two OF the citiz4ns of Lewes, VIE
William =. Mauil and Henry Wolfe, may
probably be Of some interest to persons
connected with the old families of those
whose lives were lost, and others in.
terested in the business
The frat pilot boat whose loss can be
recalled was the New Kit or Little Kitty,
lost at sea in 1916 with Pilots David
johnson, SiiRs Miles and others lost. an
aged lady, the widow of an old pilot.
gives this boat as lost up the Delaware in
squall and several persons drowned
She had on board pilots families and
others. These two accounts cannot both
be correct. The first seems to have prefer
ence, as the old lady is the only one CIV
ing the boats loss as inside the cspes.
May, 1919, the pilot boat Mathew L.
Bivan was lost Of sea with ali hands.
Names Of those on board were: Pilots
George Mariner, Samuel Rowland,
Nathaniel Harris, James Harris, John
Gunnue, Arthur Psynter and two COL
ored men. 1t is remembered that Pilot
George Mariner was betrothed to the
daughter of ship builder of Lewes when
he was lost His brother Gilbert Mar
riner married her and SONS OF their de-
scendants are now leading citizens Of
Philadelphia.
In the gale OF September, 1891, known
by the old people OF Lewes as the great
September gale, the pilot boat Oscar B.
Davis was lost on the "Hens and
Chickens" shoal. The pilots lost were
Richard Westley, ST., his SONS, George,
John and Samuel, Thomas Yirden,
Samuel Marshall, and boy, named John
Dougherty, whose body came ashore in
the boat. 1t is said the loss OF her hus.
band and sons so affected the mind of the
widow and mother that she became
slightly deranged, and for years, and as
long as she lived, she would daily leave
her dwelling and take position on the
bank in front Of the town and looking
! anxiously seward, repeat the words :
They are not lost they are not lost
they will soon come" The yagaries of
her diseased mind were never realized
June, 1925, is the date Of another
terrible gale. In 1t the pilot boat Louisi.
ana Was lost at sea and Pilots Joseph
West, Thomas Saunders, John Thomp-
son and the crew of several men met a
watery grave. Many years ago there was
| provided at Cape Henlopen light house a
i &aIG ode f,k n ,,.inAaA hall
was hoisted when the keeper discerned a
vessel in the ofing needing pilot. When
the ball was seen whale boat with an
expert crew OF men would put of with a
pilot to board her. A whale boat and
crew were lost in January, 1880. Pilots
Elzey Virden aud George Orion with
three or four cnlored men went down or
March 10th, 1st7. The pilot boat Henry
F. Mierken was lost on Plum Point shoal
five miles above Lewes. The boat was il
charge of William Brown, boat keeper
the pilots having been put on boarC
vessels the day before. A storm came OF
that night and either through incom
peteney or frigh. she was driven out o.
her course aud wrecked. The Grew
landed in bost all right, but Brown
benumbed and exhausted, misst his way
got into the creek near Lewes and per
ished
10 lS55-the exact date not at hand
the pilot boat Thomas B, Chopper wa
lost at Green Bun, Va. She had beer
sSa.Su u = oes wFerkers to assist i
h5ating i coming % 81
@ss driyeu or the beach which ended he
career sue being an old boat. No live
I Were lost
The pilot boat Enooh Turley was Ist
! seen by pilots on the pilot boat }. H. n
: munds April 6 b, 1889, 25 miles soutt
east OF Fenwick Island light ship. ST
was built Ia 1912 a. Baltimore for pilo
John Kelley, Luster D. Schsllinge
james Clamp-tt William Edwards, Josep
: Snodgrsss and others. She got on Il
! beach near Indian River inlet in IL
! winter Of 1913 was So badly broken i
that new Keel was put in her and 7
. paired before she was foated in the spriI
: OF 1s44. Sac was rebuilt by Mr.. Moo
Z at Wilmington in 1862 and aga
2 by jackson & Sharp at Wilmiu
= ton in 1880. in this last !
! building every unsound and dsiecti
. timber was replaced BY sound ones. 81
has always been considered an able nj
safe boat and tayorite among DslAwa
pilots ell through her long and usef
d career. James a. Orion one Of tho
on the farley is grandson OF Geor
IS otton mentioned above as lost in t
d whale boat.