The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-06
CAPTAIN AND THREE
OF CREW LOST WHEN
BOAT IS ABANDONED
Schooner z arker Strands Off
Nantucket Coast-Survi.
vOrs Taken Aboard
Lumber Vessels

Portland Me-. November 5.--The
probable loss of their captain, Vincent
Nelson. and three of their mates and
the death of one, form part of a tale
of the sea brought here tonight by
the survivors of the crew of the Glou-
cester fishing schooner, Annie NJ. Par
ker The fact that their abandonment
of the stranded schooner. near Nam
tucket and the loss OF life was un-
necessary, was not known to the crew
until word reached them tonight that
the schooner was in port at New Bed
ford virtually undamaged.
Nine survivors of the Parker's crew
reached here aboard the lumber schoon-
er Tifton. from Jacksonville. which had
picked them from dories 80 miles off
Nantucket Sunday morning after they
had been afloat "a hours without food
or drink
A tenth survivor. Henry Nelson OF
Beverly. son of the captain, was left
behind on the Boston fisherman, Josie
and Phoebe, exhausted from his exper-
ience, but hoping to find trace of his
father.
when he was swept overheard from a
dory while his mates looked on power.
less to help. His home was at Glen
wood. n. S. He leaves seven children
The missing men, besides Captain Mel.
son, are:
Lester Fletcher of Argyle Sound, N
81 Ross Worthen of Pubnico Head, N.
s., and Thomas Landry of Arichat, B. c.
Carried Off Course
The Annie NJ. Parker bound home
from the fishing grounds and carried
off her course by adverse winds, went
aground on Rose and Crown shoal, Off
the Nantucket coast, early Saturday
morning. The vessel was wrecked by
the waves, and the crew agreed witn
Captain Nelson that hope for safety lay
in getting clear of their craft. So they
abandoned her.
Three boats were put over the lea-
ward side before one was launched
The first was smashed the second was
swamped, the third was floated and
elsht men put out in 1T. Two other
boats were dropped overheard safely
on the windward side. The first held
three men, the last contained Captain
Nelson and three of his crew
1t was pitch dark and the dory
crews were lost to the view of eacn
other almost in a moment. The last
seen of the boat in which Captain Mel
son left his ship was when it was
rounding the bow of the schooner. The
seas were running high and in one of
the hollows between them the little
craft swung around the bow and out
of sight.
The men in the other. two boats did
not see each other until daybreak
When they got together it was found
that neither had water nor food.
They drifted about all that day and
the following night, constantly buffeted
by heavy seas, one of which carried
Kenney, the cook, over the stern. Ken
ney Fought hard to swim back to the
boat, but went down before his COM
rades could reach him.
Survivors Exhausted
When they were picked up by the
Triton Sunday morning all the sur
vivors We're almost exhausted. The
supplies aboard the Tifton We're low
and the 10 added hungry mouths taxed
the schooner's lockers to their utmost
The Boston fisherman, Josie and
Phoebe. was hailed The skipper had
no fish on board, but he set a trawl
and pulled in a goodly catch, which,
with flour and meal, was turned over
to the Tiftons captain.
Harry Nelson remained with the Jo-
sic and Phoebe in the hope that he
might be able to obtain some trace of
his father and three mates. BY an odd
chance the Parker preceded her crew
into port. Stanch and firm apparent
ly, and with only a iib missing, she was
towed into New Bedford today, raising
the question, "Why should a good ship
be abandoned by its crew. and where
was the crew."
The Parker had floated herselfvfrom
the ledge. and had been sighted Mon
day drifting with all sails set by the
British steamer Arstrakhan. The steam
er placed a prize crew aboard, and the
schooner arrived at the whaling port
in tow of the revenue cutter Gresham,
which was summoned by wireless.
The Parker sailed from Sydney, n. s..
for Gloucester, October 26. Shortly after
leaving Sydney the fishermen ran into
northwest gales, and she was driven far
off her course. After days of jockeying
the elements, Captain Nelson found
himself last Saturday morning near
Nantucket and was unable to work his
vessel off the shore.
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lean people ON the defeat Of Tam