HOW THE “FIFE” WAS
LOST
From passengers who arrived by the way train last
night and men on the ‘Walrus’ while collecting the ballot boxes in St.
Barbe’s, we got the details of the loss of the s.s. ‘Fife.’ Four days
the ‘Walrus’ lay in St. Barbe Hr., during a continues storm. On Friday
16th the ‘Fife’ made the port and had to remain all night. Leaving
Saturday morning, the weather was all that could be desired. In crossing
outside St. John’s [sic] Bay, second officer Kennedy was in charge of
the bridge, while Capt. Major went below. The land was quite visible and
the inner Twin Island was supposed by Kennedy to be.
The Nearest Land.
At 11:30 a.m. the lookout left his place and was
lighting his pipe in the galley, and Kennedy was in the wheel-house,
when, to their surprise, and that of all on board, the steamer struck on
a shoal. She was then at full speed-10 knots. The velocity attained
carried her right over the sharp rocks into deep water, but fearful
rents had been made in her bottom, water poured in everywhere and it was
fortunate she continued on to the low-lying rock that marks the Outer
Twin. She ran up forward for some distance, and within a few hours sank
stem first until.
She lay on the bottom.
The water flowed over her aft to the funnel, even the
rail being under, and the crew barely managed to get clear in boats with
their clothes. The ‘Walrus’ shortly after came up and took the crew to
Bonne Bay, with the exception of Capt. Major, officer Kennedy, stewed
Smith and H. Crossman, who remained on the nearest island, 200 yards
from the wreck, where three houses, with stoves and fuel, erected by the
residents of St. John’s Bay for summer fishing, provided them with
shelter. On arrival of the ‘Glencoe’ at Bonne Bay last week she took on
board the crew who were there and proceeded to the wreck, but it is
thought will do no good, as during the past week a heavy N.E. gale swept
the Straits and played sad havoc along the coast. As a fearful sea is
generally created about the Twin Islands the ‘Fife’ had undoubtedly
become a total loss.
The Evening Herald
November 29, 1900
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