New Britain herald., 1927-11-01
GHOST SHIP AIDS
 IN THE RESCUE
Convinced They'd Seen Wrath,
 Sails Put Back

London, Nov. 1.-tP-A moving story of the perils of toilers of the deep, its pathos heightened by the attendant circumstances of Irish superstition, was told today of the disaster which overlook with terrible suddenness the Irish fishermen of the west coast in the gale of Friday night.
 The storm swept the British Isles, and took, all told, by land and sea, some sixty or seventy lives. Final figures are not yet available, as re ports of widespread catastrophes are arriving piecemeal, and it may be days before all is known.
 No fewer than seventeen ships are posted at Lloyd's as casualties, and it is feared that the tale of these ship ping losses is still incomplete.
 Airplanes Search Coast
 But all the suffering endured in England pales before the horror Of the disaster which befell the west coast Irish fishermen, whose priests were today pronouncing "conditional absolution" for those who would never return to their sorrowing families. Airpancs were engaged in the task of searching the coasts of Galway and Mayo for the bodies of those who fell victims to the angry sea.
 About 45 of these ill-fated fisher men, who had started out on fine night and were having good catches. were suddenly overwhelmed by the gale, driven on the rocky shore and dashed to death in sight of their homes and their wailing wives and children watching from the shore.
 Mere RowbOats of Canvas
 Three separate fleets of boats were thus overtaken and more than a hundred women and children lost husbands and fathers. Many boats were only tarred canvas, propelled by oars and they were helpless against the storm. The fishermen of Connemara are too poor to have better boats.
 Superstitious people in the neigh borhood are talking of wrath ship which one night last week followed g. fishing boat from Inishbofin, Gal way. which refused 10 answer to any hail, but it remained by the boat all night. This the crew interpret cd as a warning of coming disas- ter, and declined to go out again
 Other stories are current of sim liar ghostly warnings. An actua happening was that Father Quinn parish priest of LaCHan. one of th' stricken villages, got warning of the coming storm on his radio set, and rushed to the shore to warn the fishermen, but it was too late
 Many ot the fishermen sacrificed their lives in attempts to save then nets, and heartrending tales are toi' of incidents in the hshermen's 9l minute fight for life with the pltiles wind and seas.
 Heavy Loss in Lancashire
 Another place which suffere' heavily in the gale was Fleetwood put here the loss of life was far les serious This Lancashire town wa marooned by the gale and flood, Twelve hundred of its houses wer damaged; all business was at standstill It was deprived of llgh owing to the flooding of the electri works, and only maintained too supplies with difficulty.
 Hundreds of poor people in th low lying districts were rendtre' homeless and were obliged to talk refuge in public institutions.
 No trains have been able to reacl within four miles of the town. whil six persons lost their lives, NO tran or omnibus can move in the streets boats are the only means Of trans port, and the flood waters are no .,,-r.@d to subside for many days.