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Ethie’s Crew
and Passengers Had Terrible Experience
The particulars to hand so far concerning the loss of the S.S. Ethie
go to show that one of the worst marine tragedies in the history of the
[sic] the country was averted only by the coolness and undaunted courage
of Captain Edward English and the devotion of duty of his heroic crew.
The Ethie left Cow Head on Wednesday evening at 4 o’clock and shortly
afterwards ran into the height of the gale which veered from south west
to north west and increased to hurricane force with blinding snow
squalls. The only course left open in the face of such conditions was to
head the ship off the land and avert the terrible danger of a lee shore
in such a gale.
Full steam ahead was kept up all Wednesday night while the seas made
a clean sweep from the forecastle deck to tafrail [sic], rolling over
the ship with such frequency as to keep her practically submerged the
greater portion of the time. When daylight broke the land was plainly
visible on the port quarter, and the Captain realized that the long and
terrible night they had passed through under full head of steam had not
taken their ship one miles further off land then they were when darkness
set in the previous night. The wind had now gained force and the
thermometer was at zero. Every portion of the ship from waterline to
mast heads was coated with ice, the deck being iced almost to the level
of the rails. Nothing moveable was left above decks, boats were smashed
and frozen solid in the chocks. Weather shields of the bridge and
portions of the permanent bridge structure were torn away, saloon
windows and doors smashed as the ship labored heavily in the mountains
sea. Realizing the awful conditions, the captain went below and made a
personal appeal to firemen and engineers, to make a desperate struggle
to force the ship a few miles along the coast in the hope that the bluff
rugged headland which lay leeward of them be passed where the only
possibility of rescue after stranding which was now inevitable was
offered.
He had been twelve hours on the bridge with a couple of short
intervals for a “mug-up.” Leaving the engine room he passed through the
saloon and second cabins to hearten the terrified women and children and
other passengers, and then went again to the bridge. The gale seemed to
increase with the rising sun and the ship made little headway along the
rock-ribbed coast a few miles to the leeward against which the seas
dashed hundreds of feet high and where instant destruction awaited the
ship and ship’s company if they could not weather it and round the
headland five miles beyond.
Every fireman and engineer stripped to his work and assisted by
seaman labored as only Newfoundland seaman can labor when face to face
with such conditions. No man could live on the ship’s deck below the
bridge during the five terrible hours which followed in battling for
life on the lee shore in a practically helpless ship. To allow her to
get broadside to wind and sea meant instant destruction so the ship had
to be kept bow on to the sea heading off while endeavoring to progress
along the coast to round the headland known as Martin Point to the south
of which was the cove into which the distressed ship might be run with
some chance, though a desperate one, of saving those on board.
Hour after hour passed as the little ship staggered along the lee
shore under a steadily increasing hurricane drifting nearer and nearer
to the rugged headland, against which the mountainous seas dashed,
sending form and sprays inland before the gale. The whole coastline was
one mass of ice from the summit of the cliffs to the shore. At times it
seemed their efforts would be vain and then a lull would give them hope
and they would forge ahead and gain a little off the shore.
In this way the little steamer fought her way towards the coveted
goal which was gained shortly after noon. It was then up to the Captain
to make the dash which meant life or death to those on board. Gauging
the chances with an accuracy that could not be excelled Capt. English
took the plunge. Having rounded the headland he put the ship before the
gale and dashed into the little cove named Martin’s Point, putting her
head on into the rocky shore. The ship struck with terrific force,
settled for a minute or two, and the sea made a clean breach over her
stern, sweeping the full length of ship and the next instant she was
lifted bodily and carried the length of herself, shoreward, listing
heavily to portside and lay solidly wedged amongst the rocks. Even then
safety did not seem any nearer at hand to the anxious passengers and to
all the scene which was presented as mountainous seas washed against the
shore and retreated in boiling foam, the gale soaring at its highest
while snow drifts made it at time impossible to see more than a few
yards distant. There were no boats to launch and even had there been
they would have been utterly useless. Capt. English conferred with his
crew as to what could next be done and volunteers were forthcoming to
make the attempt to reach the shore with a line. This was, fortunately,
not necessary as the residents of a settlement appeared on the shore
inside the ship signifying their readiness to assist. Lines attached to
empty keys were put out and these driving quickly ashore the men on land
secured the ropes, and by this means a cable was hauled from the ship,
and fastened to the cliff above. Then a boatswain’s chair was rigged and
the work of rescue begun. Women and children were one by one placed in
this chair and safety transferred to the shore by the united efforts and
daring of the seamen and residents. The male passengers followed and
finally the crew, the Captain being the last to take his place in the
life saving chair to be hauled to shore.
One child, two years old, was placed in a mail bag, and taken in the
arms of one of the male passengers and safely landed and the child shows
no ill effects of the ordeal. There were sixty-twp [passengers and
fourteen crew with mail clerks and purser all of whom escaped without
any injury except frost bites and bruises…
The Evening Herald
December 17, 1919
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