August 31, 1927
Men of Marion McLoon Had To Battle For Lives
Loss of Craft and Thrilling Time at Sea
Told by Members on Reaching Halifax
"The worst storm we ever experienced" was the
statement of the major part of the crew of the wrecked Gloucester schooner Marion
McLoon, who arrived at Halifax on the steamer Chedabucto en route home.
The McLoon went ashore in Yankee
Harbor, near Whitehead, N. S. , in the gale of Wednesday, and, according to members of the
crew, she will be a total loss as she received a terrific pounding after she had dragged
her anchors and gone ashore.
"We dropped anchor about 5.30 in Yankee Harbor and
everything was snug and ship shape," said one of the crew when interviewed by a
newspaper man. "And then she came on to a blow. What a night it was. About 9.30 it
came on, and we were all below deck then. We rushed on deck and just about in time. The
windlass was pulling clean out of the deck, and we endeavored to get the chain and hawser
around the foremast, but before we could get it finished there she was, piled on the
rocks. She had dragged about 80 fathom of chain and the anchor."
"Well," he continued, "the waves were
dashing all over her, and it was not possible to stay on deck, nor was it possible to
launch a boat and get ashore. There was about 150 feet of boiling water between us and the
rocks and the old craft was pounding her life out. We took to the rigging and there we
hung praying, and praying, that the wind would stop."
"In about three hours it did," he said. "We
climbed down and got our stuff together, soaking wet, and made for the shore. It was still
risky business, as the seas were running high, and breaking; but we make it, and saved
most of our effects. We stayed there and the Chedabucto picked us up and here we are, and
darned lucky to be here, as in all my years at sera I have seldom seen a worse
storm."
Capt. William Keating is the skipper and
she carried seven of a crew, all of whom are Nova Scotians, with the exception of two
coming from this port. They are Capt. William Keating, John MacDonald, David
Boudreau, W. Ireland, Alphonse Boucher, Fred Sampson, Andrew Lawson, Charles Conrod. |
