The New York herald., 1922-06-26
Tiny Craft Became Sepa-
rated in Fog and 3 Went
in Wrong Direction.
LAST SEEN IN HEAVY SEA
Lifesavers From Sable Island
Station Find No Trace of
Missing Men. /.

speciol Cabis TO THE Nnw YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1899, by THE New YoRK HERALD
HALIFAX, N. s., June 25-"The Puri-
tan struck the northwest bar of Sable
Island on the evening of June 23. All
hands left the schooner in dories, hav-
ing much trouble keeping them up
right on account of the sea. I saw
one dory capsiZe, but do not know
whether the men were picked up by
their shipmates or not. The remainder
of the dories probably rowed north. 1t
is doubtful If any of the missing men
will be found. On leaving the ship
she was a total wreck, being in an
open position"
Thus briefly Capt. Jeffry Thomas,
master of the Gloucester fisherman
Puritan, built as a challenger for the
international fisherman's cup race,
records the story of the drowning of
they were drowned seems now no
longer a matter of doubt, for in that
wilderness of treacherous currents and
lashing waters off TIE coast of Sable
Island there would be little hope of
the frail dories surviving these many
hours.
Runs on Shoals I'm Fog.
1t is poss now from the several
reports that We filtered through to
piece together the frayed ends of the
affair. In banketing fog on Friday
evening the Puritan was off the north
west bar. fighting the tempestuous seas
which threatened to enguf her. IN
aware of the proximity of the shoals
the captain laid course that might
carried along by merciless sea, the
Puritan drove her bow fast into the
quicksand, with force that loosened
everything on deck. In an instant she
was hard and fast. exposed to the buf-
fets of mountainous waves which hurtled
over her deck. washed everything NOV
able overheard and tore her canvas to
ribbons.
The Puritan heeled over to port, and
Immediately the seas lashed down into
her cabin as she settled lower in the
water. filling her and sealing her fate
| in a few brief minutes.
The dories were piled on deck. and to
| launch them was a task made increas-
! ingly difficult by the biackness of the
night and the impenetrable fog, One
by one they were dropped overheard
filled with men, every minute threaten
ing to smash them to splinters against
the hull of the schooner.
Unable TO Establish Course.
To establish course was next to
impossible. There was nothing to guide
the shipwrecked fishermen, while to
keep together was impossible The
energies of all We're directed to keeping
their tiny craft, which at the most could
hold only three men, afloat. They also
We're uncertain of their location, know
ing not in which direction lay Sable
Island. The dories became separated
after striving to keep company for some
time, and therein lay the tragedy.
The fog lifted in a few minutes, but
came down again. but not before It had
revealed to Capt. Thomas the first pos
sible fatalities of the wreck. The seas
swept the dories to the crest OF the
back into the trough. 1t was in one
of these moments that the first frail
craft. containing part OF the crew was
swamped. The dory capsized and i'm an
instant the men were struggling in the
water at the mercy of the seas.
Whether the dory contained two or
three men II is impossible to say Who
they are is not known. and whether
they were rescued by the others is not
known.
Three Dories Reach Safety.
Three OF the dories tried to make their
course in a southerly direction while the
remainder struggled to the north It
was the former who, battling through
out the night. finally reached the bare
sands OF Sable Island. Exhausted and
in state of utter collapse. dawn found
them In safety on the shore.
The seven survivors were Capt Jeffry
Thomas. Charles Hatcher, cook ID. Dou-
cette. Abel Meuse, Peter Thomas, brother
of the captain: Israel Larkin Lucen
Doucette, and Alexander Young. a New
foundlander.
Struggling to the life saving station,
Capt Thomas reported the loss of his
vessel. He told Superintendent Henry
OF the sixteen remaining members Of the
crew adrift on the ocean in open dories
When last seen during the temporary
dissipation Of the fog. they had been
rowing northward. away from Sable ISL
and and safety.
Once more the fog enveloped the ISL
and making II impossible to locate what
part of the northwest bar the Puritan
had struck. But preparations had been
made 70 launch the llfeboat and scour
the seas around the bar. favorable
opportunity was awaited and came when
light breeze raised the blanketing
shroud.