Saturday, May 31, 1913
Thought Lost- Fishers Live
Two of Local Italian Boat Fleet Rode Out Two Days Gale
with Feed Pipe Broken—
Towed in Today
Caught in a heavy wind squall Thursday afternoon, which
broke the feed pipe of their gasoline tank, Nick Parisi and his brother
Joe, well known members of the little fleet of Italian boat fishermen at the Fort
had a most thrilling experience of being left helpless outside for two nights, which they
would not care to repeat again.
After drifting several miles in their disabled craft, they
finally anchored on Middle Bank and waited for assistance, which came at length this
morning, when they were rescued by Paul Scola, one of the Italian fleet,
and towed back to port, much to the relief of their anxious relatives and friends who had
almost given them up for lost.
The boat left Fort wharf about 3 o’clock Thursday
afternoon in charge of the brothers to make a set outside. A little later Paul
Scola, a brother-in-law of Nick started out in his boat and 12
miles east of Boston light they set their gear. Scola saw the Parisi
brothers about a mile away and later started for port, leaving them still on the
grounds.
On the way in a heavy breeze sprang up northwest. It blew
hard and Scola had quite a time of it getting in, not arriving at Fort
wharf until dark. In the meanwhile, the family of the Parisi brothers
anxiously awaited the arrival of the little craft, but as the men failed to return they
became deeply alarmed. At 9 o’clock, still no tidings had been received of the
missing men, and Capt. Nelson A. King and crew of the Dolliver’s
Neck Life Saving Station were notified and started out in search of the boat, accompanied
by Scola.
The power life-boat cruised off Boston light over an area
where the men had fished, and it was thought might have drifted, but nothing was seen of
them. At 1 o’clock, the crew returned to the station.
All day yesterday anxious inquiries were made for the
little craft and its occupants. It blew quite a gale during the morning and considerable
fears were entertained for the safely of the men.
In the meanwhile, however, the fishermen were safe at
anchor and remained in their boat, waiting for help to come. Just as they were about to
start for home Thursday afternoon, a heavy sea tossed the little boat with such fury as to
start the gasoline tank and snap off the feed pipe. The fishermen worked for hours, vainly
trying to make a connection, while their craft drifted out to sea. Finally they gave it
up, and brought her to anchor and decided to lay by in hopes of sighting some passing
craft.
Outside of being hungry, they suffered but little hardship.
They weathered the blow all right, and when Scola's craft put in sight
this morning and caught their signal of distress, their joy knew no bounds. On reaching
the men, Scola first ascertained that they were all right, and putting a
line out astern, started to tow them in, arriving here at noon.
The deep gloom which had spread among the Italian colony,
was quickly transformed into joy and the men hastened to their homes where there was
joyous reunion. |
