March 15, 1939
Two Fishermen Swept To Death
Adventure Is Raked During Storm Which Carried Away Pilot House
Six children were left fatherless when a huge
comber raked the Gloucester sch. Adventure, Capt. Leo
Hines, 107-foot Essex-built dory haddocker, Monday afternoon on the northern edge
of Georges Bank, and swept two of the seven fishermen in the pilot house at the time, to
their deaths in the mountainous seas, besides carrying away the entire pilot house, and
causing the craft to spring a leak.
Three others, including the skipper, were
injured and removed to the Chelsea Marine hospital on the arrival of the craft at Boston
Fish pier shortly before 2 o'clock this morning. The two drowned were William
Nolan, 44 years, East Boston, married with four children, the oldest being seven
years of age; Alexander Muise, 35 years, Lynn, married with two young
children. Muise was formerly of this city, later moving to Lynn.
The American flag on the Adventure was at half mast in
tribute to their memory, as she made her way to the wharf.
It was the first report of casualty to the
fishing fleet from the winter's worst blizzard, and brought sorrow to the waterfront where
both men were known for their prowess as dory fishermen, and for themselves.
The Adventure which
will be remembered here as the last command of the late Capt. Jeffrey Thomas
of this port, left Boston at noonb last Saturday bound for a dory trawling trip on
Georges.
The craft had hardly reached the grounds, and
was jogging, without power , to ride out the heavy storm which threatened the safety of
the schooner. Practically all of the crew of 27 men were above deck at the time,
some of them in the rigging, and seven inside the pilot house. Capt. Hines
was standing against the wheel. The seas were high, and the wind was howling at a
pace, estimated at 50 miles an hour. Capt. Hines, however, believed
with the others of his crew that the Adventure would not be
harmed, but would ride the gale in safety.
Then the greatest sea of them all smashed down
upon the Gloucester fisherman, whacking her on the after part of the deckhouse, and
literally lifting the house off the deck and overboard. Those on the rigging were
jostled off their perch and thrown to the deck, considerably bruised.
Those in the pilot house fared much worse.
Both Muise and Nolan were swept into the briny
and no sight of them was ever seen again. Their heavy oil clothes and boots weighted
them down so they disappeared beneath the waves.
All was chaos on the site of the pilothouse,
werhe five other men were hove around the deck like so many chips of wood. Capt.
Hines was slatted against the rail, and it was feared today that he had suffered
injured ribs besides being badly bruised.
Emanuel Marshall, 45 years,
of Somerville, wwas badly bruised, as was John Dort, 60 years, of
Dorchester. Both were so shaken up that they were forced to take to their bunks, and
were removed with Capt. Hines to the hospital on reaching port.
They will all recieve X-rays in an effort to determine whether they are more
seroiusly injured.
Despite his injuries, Capt. Hines remained
in command, the rest of the voyage, and directed the men at the pumps to keep the Adventure
afloat. She was leaking badly from the battering she had been sjubected to.
However, the valiant crew managed to keep her afloat, and made good time.
The storm started the planking of the cabin,
and did considerable damage to the rear of the vessel. The craft will go on the
railways for repairs before proceeding again to sea.
Nolan hails from Newfoundland
and resided in Greater Boston since coming to this country to go fishing. Muise,
however, a Nova Scotian, has fished out of Gloucester practically all his life, numbering
among his skippers, Capt. Iver Carlson of this port, besides going in
other dory haddockers. The craft is managed today by Capt. Phil Manta
of Boston. |
