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Hestia porthole. Art MacKay
Bay of Fundy, NB Steamer HESTIA Lost, Oct 1909 Posted April 21st, 2010 by
Stu Beitler
From:
Gendisasters
GLASGOW STEAMER LOST.
THIRTY-FOUR MEN DROWNED IN THE BAY OF FUNDY.
SUFFERINGS OF SIX SURVIVORS.
The Glasgow steamer Hestia was wrecked on
Grand Manan Island, in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, in a storm on Monday, and thirty-four of those on board were drowned, only six being saved. There were five passengers on board, all of whom appear to have been drowned.
The vessel, says a Reuter telegram from East Port, Maine, ran on to a shoal at Old Proprietor Ledge, her bows were impaled on a rock, and her after part, swinging free, was tossed high by the heavy seas. The captain had the boats lowered at the first shock, and as the vessel heeled over, and great waves swept her deck, the work was exceedingly difficult. In one of the boats four Scottish boys who were passengers were placed, with twelve of the crew. The boat, however, capsized, and all were drowned except two of the men. Still another boat was lowered, in which the captain took his place, with all the rest of the crew except six, who were left on board. When the gale abated in the afternoon the six men left on board were rescued by lifeboats. These, says a Lloyd's telegram, are the third officer (STEWART), the second engineer (MORGAN), and four seamen, KEEN (?Brian), McKENZIE, SMYTH, and McVICAR. The Hestia is a total wreck.
Three of the boats drifted ashore on Wednesday; two were empty, and the third contained four dead bodies.
38 Hours In The Rigging.
The third mate gives the following particulars:
The discovery of the ship's plight from the shore was delayed by thick weather. The survivors were lashed to the rigging for thirty-eight hours without either food or water, and when they were taken off by the lifeboat their condition was pitiable. Their sufferings were so terrible that it is feared that one of their number will not recover. After they had been in the rigging for twenty-four hours there were indications that caused them to fear that the mast would fall, and they therefore changed their position, working their way slowly and cautiously to the bridge, which was still out of water. It was, however, so exposed to the seas breaking over the vessel that they were obliged to return to the rigging.
Crew Of Clyde Men.
It is supposed that the vessel was misled by a wrong light, with the result that she was carried miles out of her course. She left Glasgow for St. John's, New Brunswick, on October 10th, with a crew of thirty-five, five passengers and a general cargo.
All the crew were shipped at Glasgow, and were chiefly Clyde men. The four Glasgow boys reported drowned were on their way to Canada in charge of horses with which to start farming.
The list of crew and passengers is as follows:
Captain H. M. NEWMAN.
First Officer T. McNAIR.
Second Officer JOHN McPHUN.
Third Officer S. STEWART.
Carpenter WILLIAM CALDWELL.
Boatswain ALEX DUNIGAN.
A.B.'s JAMES SMYTH, JOE SMYTH, B. BRIAN, A. MURRAY, C. McVICAR, D. GIBSON, JOHN McKENZIE, and WILLIAM CANDLESS.
Ordinary Seaman D. SINCLAIR.
Chief Engineer P. F. MUNN.
Second Engineer A. MORGAN.
Third Engineer H. SCOTT.
Fourth Engineer W. S. BEST.
Donkeyman HUGH SPIERS.
Storekeeper W. WARNOCK.
Firemen CHARLES DOEHERTY, P. HANNAH, JAMES RODGER, A. DUBRAN, A. MARTIN, and JOHN DONOCHIE.
Trimmers DANIEL CLARK, JOHN McFARLANE, DAVID McLEON, and JOHN O'NEIL.
Chief Steward A. McLEAN.
Second Steward A. GRAHAM.
Cook R. LAVERY.
Assistant Steward W. HART.
Passengers, JAMES WELSH, JAMES GALLOWAY and R. GALLOWAY (brothers), T. REID and D. COWAN.
The Hestia was a steel screw steamer of 2,434 tons, built in 1890. She belonged to the Donaldson Line of Glasgow.
Hackney Express Middlesex London 1909-10-30
