Thursday, September 4, 1924
Find No Trace of Distressed Craft on Banks
Coast Guard Cutter Ossipee Returns After Extended
Search of Banks—
Fears Felt for Safety of Sch. Helen E. Murley
The U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Ossipee,
Commander Ridgely, arrived here last evening from Georges banks after
searching since Sunday morning for possible disabled fishing vessels. Capt. Ridgely
found no vessels in need of assistance but encountered wreckage of various kinds which was
brought in to be identified. Capt. Ridgely offered to proceed to sea
again if it was thought advisable but after conferring with Mayor William J.
MacInnis, Capt. Ben Pine of the Atlantic Supply Company and L.
J. Hart of the Chamber of Commerce, he decided to return to the cutter’s
station at Portland, Me.
From the initial report made by Capt. Ridgely
it is apparent that the Coast Guard has performed a valuable service. Within a few hours
after the Mayor’s message had been sent, the Ossipee was
proceeding to sea from Portland and the Acushnet put out to the
southwest from Wood’s Hole. Both vessels scoured the sea for miles in zigzag courses,
covering practically all of Georges and the locality in the vicinity of Nantucket Shoals
Lightship. Since leaving Portland, Capt. Ridgely reported steaming over
700 miles.
A yellow dory found by the beam trawler Ocean
is believed to belong to sch. Helen E. Murley of New Bedford and
a report from New Bedford today states that hope is disappearing that the vessel will
return. When last seen by Capt. Robert Jackson of Edgartown the Murley
was anchored near the Nantucket Lightship. This was on the night before the
hurricane of Tuesday, August 26.
The men in the missing craft are:
Capt. Andrew J. Kinney, married, 55,
native of Riverhead, NFL
Patrick Baker, 28, of NFL.
William Welch, 46, of NFL.
Arthur Reutenhizer, 38, of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Wilson Bushing, 45, of Canada
Francis Maney, 40, of Lunenburg, N. S.
Friday, September 19, 1924
Abandon Hope For the Murley
Believed to have foundered in the gale of August 26, the
New Bedford swordfishing sch. Helen Murley, Capt. Andrew
J. Kinney and his crew of five have been officially given up as
lost by her owner, Capt. Murley.
The Murley was last seen near
Nantucket Lightship on the day of the storm by sch. Hazel M. Jackson
and her skipper, Capt. Robert Jackson believes that she possibly
foundered in running before the storm, as the Hazel Jackson herself
had a hard time getting over the rough waters around the Lightship to shelter.
The Murley herself was a rescue
ship having rescued four survivors from the fleet of nine fishing schooners sunk by German
submarines during the war, was a staunch little boat, built in Friendship, Me., in 1914,
and was 45 feet over-all. Her captain was very well known along the New Bedford
waterfront, having sailed from the whaling port for a period of 35 years. He was a native
of Riverhead, N. F., and married.
The other members of the crew were
Patrick Baker
William Welsh
Arthur Reutenhizer
Wilson Bushing
Francis Maney.
Baker and Welsh, both
Newfoundlanders, have not been long in New Bedford vessels, but the others are well known.
Maney hails from Newfoundland, Reutenhizer from
Lunenburg, N. S., and Busing form somewhere in Canada.
When last seen by Capt. Robert Jackson of
Edgartown, the craft was anchored near the Nantucket lightship. This was before the
hurricane struck, and Capt. Jackson said he thought if the Murley
remained where she was she would be all right. Capt. Murley,
the owner of the schooner, said he gave up hope of seeing his schooner again when she
failed to make port two weeks ago. |
