July 29, 1891
ANOTHER COLLISION AT SEA.
Picked up and Towed in,
Completely Under Water.
The schr. William belonging to Edmund Seward, of Fox Harbour, Trinity Bay, left here last evening for the above port with a quantity of salt and supplies, and was commanded by Captain Best. Everything went well until she reached off Logy Bay, when a schooner was sighted about a mile ahead apparently bearing down on her. In a short time the strange schooner reached the William, and striking her heavily caused her to fill with water, and threw her on her beam-ends.
In a Sinking Condition.
News of the collision was received by Messrs. Thorburn & Tessier this morning, and their steam launch was dispatched to the scene of the occurrence. In the meanwhile the schr. which ran into her reached here about 8 o’clock this morning, and a reporter of this paper boarded her, where he found Captain Best and the crew of the derelict schooner and elicited the following particulars:
Captain Best’s Story.
We left here last evening in the William with salt and supplies for Fox Harbour. She was about 38 tons, and was owned by Seward, of Fox Harbour. We had a very good time, the wind being W.S.W. up to ten o’clock last night. Everything went well with us up to that time. The second-hand was on watch with another of the crew when they espied a schooner about a mile ahead, bearing down upon us at the rate of four knots. We were going about the same rate. The second-hand shouted to me. I came on deck and took the wheel. The schooner came right on. She had no lights up. My lights were in good trim. We shouted to them three times. They did not mind, but came right on and crashed into our starboard quarter. I was thrown down from the shock, but scrambled to my legs again as quickly as I could and shouted down the cabin to Mary Benson, who was on board at the time as cook, to come up at once, that we were sinking. She did so, and I got her on board the schr. all right. I then got aboard myself, and we arrived in here at 8 this morning. We saved nothing but what we stood in. The girl got aboard in her night-dress. No damage was done the schooner. Ten minutes after striking, our schooner filled with water and keeled over on her starboard side.
The Second Hand’s Statement.
I was on the lookout and saw the schooner about a mile off, I told the captain to luff along. He did so. The other vessel kept right on, never altering her course. Our vessel just had time to come to the wind when the other struck her on the starboard side, aft of the mainmast. I shouted to them three times to keep off, but they did not seem to hear me. I don’t know if there was any person on her deck. The night was bright and fine as could be. She ran clear of our bow and I thought she might possibly escape us. This occurred off Logy Bay. The stranger had his helm up and also his main peak dropped.
In Conversation
with one of the crew of the colliding schooner we learned the following: She was purchased at the Westward this spring by Mr. Martin Power of this city, and was formerly a French trader vessel. She was repaired at St. Lawrence, and left there on last Thursday for this port. During the fog yesterday morning she got down to the Northward, and was making for here when the occurrence took place. It was impossible, he says, to avoid a collision when the William was sighted, on account of being so near.
Boarded by Captain Ried.
At daylight this morning the schooner Speedwell, Captain Ried, of Trinity, bound here for salt and supplies, came across the wreck of the William off Torbay Head, and as she was abandoned and in a sinking condition he took charge of her. He got three lines to her from his schooner, by which means he managed to keep her partly afloat, and sent a couple of his crew ashore in a dory to Messrs. Thorburn & Tessier with the information. They dispatched their steam launch to her assistance. In the meanwhile the steam-tug Daisy with one of the crew of the William left here for the scene of the disaster and thought to take her in tow, but Captain Ried would not give her up. He says there was no person on her. He remained by her all morning and kept her from sinking. At a quarter past nine Thorburn & Tessier’s launch came along, and taking her in tow brought her into port at one o’clock and moored her at Thorburn & Tessier’s wharf. She was completely under water, only the starboard side and just a portion of the topmast is visible over water. Her sails all set were under water, and she presented a curious sight as she was towed up the harbour. The girl Benson is in a destitute condition, and her case is deserving of the attention of the charitably inclined. The collision no doubt will be a subject of enquiry.
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Transcribed by Katie Alyward, October 2019
These transcriptions may contain human errors. As always, confirm these as you would any other source material.