November 13, 1896
The fishing smack W. W. Story which
sailed from Fulton Market, New York on September 25, with a crew of eleven men, has not
been seen or heard from since October 14. On that day she was observed running off shore
near Absecom, N. J., with no sail left. Later on, one of her dories was found on the beach
near there. It appeared to have been washed ashore and there was no indication that it had
been used by any of the crew in reaching land.
The boat's crew consisted of :
Captain L. Lovigh
Charles Hester
Tom Totten
John Teterson
Louis Coleriz
John Hegland
Tarlak Garan
Ludwig Larrsen
Peter Helgensen
Louis Olsin
Albert Anderson
Captain Lovigh, whose home is at No. 256 Sackett street,
Brooklyn, has a wife and three children. Two other members of the crew, Peterson
and Garan, are married.
The Story was formerly a pilot
boat, but had recently been rigged as a fishing smack. She was old and not very strong and
fitted out for a two weeks' trip, blue fishing. Four weeks ago was the last time she was
seen. Since then, in addition to the dory which was found on the Jersey coast, pieces of
her woodwork have been picked up or seen drifting along the shore.
It is believed that she was caught in the equinoctial
storms that raged about the middle of October and shattered. None of the fishermen around
Fulton Market have heard of her or believe that any of the men that sailed on her were
saved.
Many thought for a time that the crew of the craft had been
picked up by a passing steamer, but if that was the case they would have been heard from
before this. The Story was 49.59 tons, built at Greenpoint, N.
J. in 1874. |
