Destructive Gale in the Bay of St. Lawrence

Friday, August 29, 1873

Destructive Gale in the Bay of St. Lawrence
Thirty-two Gloucester Vessels Ashore
Twenty-one Lives Lost

The northwest gale of Sunday last proved a very severe one to our fishing fleet in the Bay of St. Lawrence. From the dispatches received during the week, it appears that thirty-two vessels belonging to this port have been stranded in that vicinity, one with all her crew of nineteen men, and two others, it is feared, will prove a total loss. Although the damage to most of the stranded vessels will prove slight, yet the expense of getting them off, and the breaking up of the voyages, will prove a serious detriment to the business, and the aggregate loss cannot fall much short of $100,000. The loss of life is the saddest feature of the disasters, and we fear that the worst is not yet known, as the gale was one of the most terrific ever experienced on that coast, and the list of losses is daily being swelled. Below we publish the list of disasters to the Gloucester fleet, as far as ascertained up to the time of our going to press:

Sch. Charles C. Dame of this port, went ashore during the gale, at North Cape, P. E. I., and all hands perished. Her crew consisted of nineteen persons.

Sch. Fanny R., ashore at Hawkesbury, lost two of her crew, Charles Rose and William Brien. She also lost masts, sails, cables, and anchors.

Schs. Clytie and Morning Star , ashore at high water mark, at Port Mulgrave, both slightly damaged and will be got off.

Sch. Far West, ashore at the same place, tide rises and falls in her.

Sch. Otis D. Dana, went ashore at Straits of Canso, Port Mulgrave, and was got off with little damage.

Sch. Constitution and Evangeline, ashore at Harbor Bouche, slightly damaged.

Sch. Knight Templar, ashore at North Sydney, C. B., badly damaged, but will be got off.

Sch. Belle Gilmore, ashore at St. Peter's, not much injured.

Sch. Centurion, ashore at Ship Harbor Point, C. B., damaged slightly. Had landed mackerel; no water in hold.

Sch. Ann Eliza, also ashore at this place, with loss of cable and two anchors.

Sch. Lydia A. Harvey, ashore at East Point Chapel, P. E. I., and it is feared that she will be a total loss.

Sch. Mary S. Hurd, ashore at Cape Canso, and will probably prove a total loss.

Sch. Addie M. Story, went ashore at the same place, and was slightly damaged. Has since been got off.

Sch. Amos Cutter, ashore at Cape Canso, slightly damaged.

Sch. Highflyer, C. P. Barrett, Electric Flash, Oliver Eldridge, J. J. Clark, Freedom, Enola C., Catalina, C. P. Thompson, Marion Graves, E. L. Rowe, William H. Raymond, Charlotte Augusta, Typhoon, Arizona and D. H. Mansfield are ashore at Magdalene Islands, not much damaged, and will probably be got off.

Sch. Mary Louise was caught in the gale of Sunday, twenty miles south-west of Seal Island, and badly shaken, She put into Sydney for repairs.

Sch. Carrie C. Rich of Provincetown, went ashore at North Cape, P. E. I. and all hands lost.

Sch. Seddie F. Callen of Salem, a fine, new, three-masted schooner, is also ashore at Cow Bay.

Upon the reception of the news, the Gloucester Fishing Insurance Company immediately dispatched Mr. H. N. Andrews to the disaster, and further particulars are anxiously awaited.

At Halifax, N. S., the gale is reported as one of the heaviest experienced for many years, and the disasters all along that coast lave been numerous.

Additional Losses