1924 — Aug 27~, three Gloucester, MA fishing schooners lost in gale, Georges Bank —  17

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-25-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–17  Sheedy. Out of Gloucester.

–3  Alice and Wilson.  Sheedy.  Out of Gloucester.

–3             “                  Oneonta Star, NY.  “Man Washed Into Sea, Back to Ship.” 8-30-1924, 1

–8  Anita and Bernice L.  Sheedy.  Out of Gloucester.

–8             “                 Boston Daily Globe. “Gloucester Boat Given Up As Lost.” 9-19-1924.

–8             “                 Biddeford…Journal, ME. “Sword Fishing Schooner Lost.” 9-19-1924, 6.

–6  Helen E. Murley.  Sheedy.  Out of Gloucester.                      

–6              “                Kennebec Journal, ME. “Schooner Murley…Crew of Six….” 9.19.1924, 1

Narrative Information

Aug 29: “Gloucester, Mass., Aug. 29. – Three more names were added to the list of dead from the storm last Tuesday when the battered hulk of the Alice and Wilson, fishing schooner, was towed into her home port here tonight by the schooner Mary of New Bedford. The nine survivors of the crew told the story of the miraculous escape of Captain John Hall. Without warning the storm burst upon them, stripping the ship of both masts, bowsprit, boats deck gear and forecastle gang.

“With the gear went overboard Captain Hall, James Holland of Prince Edward Island, Joseph King, and Manuel Marks of Gloucester.  The backwash of the huge wave flung the first named  three back on the deck.  Captain Hall grasped a corner of a hatch.  The other two, bruised and battered, had no time to recover before a second wave again washed them away.  This time they did not come back.

“Helpless in a derelict ship, the nine rode out the fury of the storm.  Sixty-two hours later Captain Ambrose Smith of the Mary sighted the distress signals of the Alice and Wilson and took her in tow.”  (Oneonta Daily Star, NY.  “Man Washed Into Sea, Back to Ship.” 8-30-1924, p. 1.)

Sep 18: “Gloucester, Mass., Sept. 18. – With no report from the schooner Anita and Bernice L since the gales of August 27 the belief is growing today that another Gloucester fishing vessel has passed to the port of missing ships.  The Anita and Bernice L. sailed from Boston four weeks ago on a sword fishing trip to the Georges Banks.  She was last sighted on the banks just before the storms that swept the North Atlantic coast in late August.  The schooner was commanded by Captain Albert Larsen of this city and carried a crew of seven.  She was built at Friendship, Me., in 1917….”  (Biddeford Weekly Journal, ME. “Sword Fishing Schooner Lost.” 9-19-1924, p. 6.)

Sep 18: “New Bedford, Mass., Sept 18 – All hope has been given up that the schooner Helen Murley of this port will ever return or that the six men who sailed on her have been saved.  The Murley was swordfishing and left here five weeks ago….

“The Murley, though a small schooner about 47 feet on deck, was a stout craft, built by Morse at Friendship, Maine, in 1914.  When last seen by Captain Robert Jackson of Edgartown she was anchored near Nantucket Shoals lightship.  This was on the night before the recent hurricane struck, and Captain Jackson said he thought if the Murley remained where she was she would be all right, as the water is deep there.  If she attempted to come in over the shoals, however, she would be in great danger, as he, in the Hazel Jackson, a larger schooner, came near foundering when the blow struck….” (Daily Kennebec Journal, ME. “Schooner Murley with Crew of Six Believed Lost.” 9-19-1924, p. 1.)

Sheedy on crew of the Alice and Wilson: The lost men are:

James Holland, 32, of Prince Edward Island
Joseph King, 38, of Willow street
Manuel Marks, 40, of Friend street

Sheedy on crew of the Anita & Bernice L: “Following is a list of the members of her crew:

Capt. Albert Larsen, a native of Sweden, about 40 years, leaves a wife and three children
Edward M. Proctor, 42, leaves a wife and two children
Fritz Mann, the engineer, about 40, unmarried
Peter Nelson, unmarried, 50
Joseph Targett of Newfoundland, 50, unmarried
Charles Larsen, 50, uncle to the skipper, native of Sweden, unmarried
Alvin Selig, of Voglers Cove, Lunenburg County, N. S., 30, married
Hilary Conrad of Cherry Hill, Lunenburg County, N. S., 45, a cousin of Selig, married and has a wife and four children.

Sheedy on crew of the Helen E. Murley: “The men in the missing craft are:

Capt. Andrew J. Kinney, married, 55, native of Riverhead, NFL
Patrick Baker, 28, of NFL.
William Welch, 46, of NFL.
Arthur Reutenhizer, 38, of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Wilson Bushing, 45, of Canada
Francis Maney, 40, of Lunenburg, N. S.

Sources

Biddeford Weekly Journal, ME. “Sword Fishing Schooner Lost.” 9-19-1924, 6.  Accessed at:  http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eJhdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uFwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3426,1692662&dq=anita+and+bernice+1924&hl=en

Boston Daily Globe. “Gloucester Boat Given Up As Lost.” 9-19-1924. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com

Daily Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME. “Schooner Murley with Crew of Six Believed Lost.” 9-19-1924, p. 1. At:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=30584966

Oneonta Star, NY.  “Man Washed Into Sea, Back to Ship.” 8-30-1924, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com

Sheedy, R. “The Alice and Wilson.” Out of Gloucester. Accessed 7-23-2011 at:  http://www.downtosea.com/1901-1925/alcwlson.htm

Sheedy, R. “The Anita & Bernice L.” Out of Gloucester. Accessed 3-25-2025 at:  https://www.downtosea.com/1901-1925/anitabrnc_l.htm

Sheedy, R. “The Helen E. Murley.” Out of Gloucester. Accessed 3-25-2025 at:  https://www.downtosea.com/1901-1925/hmurley.htm