The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-26
NO 9IDINGS YET.
Sixteen Men Of the Schooner
johnson Are Adrift.
Captain Briers Tells the Story
of the III Fated Voyage.
Many A1xious Hearts at Provincetowu Arc
Now In Terrible Suspense.


are many anxious hearts in Province
town, caused ny the arrival OF the Ash
ing schooner Joseph p. johnson. flying
her flag at half-mast for 1s OF her crew,
all residents Of Provincetown. and many
OF them married. The schooner sailed
last week Cor the fishing grounds with a
crew. all told, of 10. only three of whom
are now known to be alive.
All 1s put off from the schooner early
Friday morning. but the fog that set
tied down over the ocean three hours
later swallowed them UP. and when. af-
ter three days of waiting, 1t lifted, no
trace Of the men could be found.
The story that Captain Brier tells Is as
follows: I'VE had a good run down to
the banks after leaving here on May 1s
with comparatively clear weather and
scarcely any fog. so that when we an
choned on the Western bank. Thursday
night, there was every prospect of good
weather for some days to come.
Preparations had been madethe night
before so that when the men came on
deck early Friday morning they were
all ready to start out with their travis.
Breakfast was soon out of the way,
and then the men began launching their
. dopies. Each of the little craft had a
good sized jug of water, a can. or two Of
hard-tack and a small compass, for we
all knew what had happened bsfore, and
what might happen again.
by o'clock the men had set their
} travis. the furthest being about three
miles of the schooner. Two men beside
myself remained on board, one Of them
being the cook.
Everything appeared all right for an
hour or two, when suddenly / saw a
terrible bank of mist rushing UP from
the southwest, had just chance to
take a hasty sight Of the men when the
fog shut in, and they were all lost to
sight.
Il Immediately began blowing the fog
horn and blew for hours, being relieved
only by the cook at intervals. but not the
slightest response did we get Along in
the afternoon / ran up short way to a
place that would bring me between the
dories While under way we continually
used the fog horn and kept 1T up after
anchoring.
During the night the fog lifted. and
as soon as II was light 1 went to the
masthead in the hope of sighting some
cern. ! was almost sure that was near
the place where they were last seen, but
II seemed as If the ocean or the fog had
swallowed them up. For two hours /
stayed aloft looking in all directions
with my glass. but at 6 o'clock the fog
came again and blotted out everything.
The fog continued until about l o'clock
Saturday afternoon, when the wind
shifted to the north. and began to blow
hard, clearing the air almost immedi-
ately.
Sunday morning came and still there
was no trace of the men, and so after
waiting for nearly three days and doing
my utmost to locate them turned back
toward Provincetown."
Provincetown is in mourning, while all
the old sea captains are going about
among the families of the missing men.
trying to speak a consoling word and
endeavoring to encourage the afflicted
with the hope that their loved ones NAV
have been picked up by passing vessel.
There are. however. quite q number
of old fishermen here who are of the
opinion that the men will be seen again.
either by being picked up or perhaps by
8 long row to the mainland of Nova
Scotia, almost 200 miles distant.
The missing men are Joseph Enos.
John Cation, Frank Joseph. Joe Frad.
Joe G. Miles. Frank Veara, August
Frates. Manuel Souza, Jesse Cabral,
George Bilveira, August Lima, Frank
Delgoda, Joe Bretano, Frank Alves.
Joe Rose, Henry p. Silver.