USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Truro > Truro-Cape Cod; or, Land marks and sea marks > Part 38
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46
Rev. Dr. Freeman says, " In the time of the contest between Great Britain and America, four masters of vessels, with all their men, the greater part of whom belonged to Truro, were lost at sea." Although this event happened less than a hun- dred years ago, and in the nature of the case, must have over- shadowed the town with desolation, yet I have not been able to gain a shadow of further information.
The ship America, owned by Col. Elisha Doane of Well- fleet, commanded by his son William, foundered at sea 1783. It is understood that there were several Truro men on board but I can learn nothing further.
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Ephraim Paine Rich, aged 30, d. at St. Lucas, 1793. Freeman Collins, aged 26, d. on his passage from the W. I., 1895. John Brown, aged 20, John Dyer, aged 28, Jesse Brewer, aged 22, and Joseph Smith, aged 13, d. in the W. I. June 1, 1795 ; probably a whole crew. Jonathan Collins, son of Joseph, aged 17, and Anthony Snow Jr., lost coming from the Grand Bank, 1796; Archelaus Smith, his eldest son, Ephraim, brother-in-law Thomas Kenney, and Zephaniah Hatch, were lost in one vessel, Dec., 1795 ; Reuben Rich, aged 23, d. at S. C., 1796; John Atkins, aged 21, lost at sea soon after leaving Carolina, 1797 ; James Atkins, aged 45. 1797 ; Samuel Avery, aged 17, 1797; Elisha Rich, 1797 ; Isaiah Paine, aged 22, 1798 ; Capt. Silas Knowles, aged 36, 1798 ; Jeremiah Hopkins, aged 20, d. at Virginia, 1798; Richard Stevens, aged 20, 1799 ; Richard Jr. about 1795, and Snow, aged 22, 1799, brothers of Capt. Doane Rich ; Sylvanus Jr. aged 23, son of Esq. Sylvanus Snow, d. at London, 1799 ; Isaac Snow, aged 23, d. at New Providence. Captain John Hughes, aged 48, Captain Shubael Coan, aged 34, Paul Dyer Jr., aged 29, and Hutta Dyer, aged 17, were drowned at the Pond Landing from a whale boat, returning from their vessel , Richard Rich 4th, Noah Rich, and Benjamin, aged 14, son of Samuel Treat, d. at Havana, 1799, supposed from one vessel ; Daniel Lombard, aged 23, 1799; Jonathan Paine, aged 34, 1799; Ephraim Lombard, aged 25, 1799; Joseph Atkins, aged 39, d. W. I., Dec., 1799 ; Sylvanus Rich, aged 20, d. at Surinam, 1800 ; James Webb, aged 24, d. at Carolina of small- pox, 1800; Ebenezer Collins, aged 22, d. on passage from the W. I., 1800 ; James Laha, aged 18, d. at sea 1809 ; Richard Knowles, aged 24, d. in Europe, small-pox, 1800 ; Obadiah Rider, aged 17, d. with yellow fever on passage from W. I., 1800; Barnabas Higgins, aged 32; Josiah Snow, aged 41, lost returning from the Grand Bank, 1800; Sept. 8, Caleb, aged 18, son of Paul Dyer, and Richard Jr., aged 17, son of Richard Rich 3d., d. at Norfolk, 1800 ; Joshua Rich Jr., aged 23, sailed from Liverpool for Boston, never heard from, 1799.
A memorable gale occurred November 20, 1798. The Salem Gazette of November 30, 1798, at Essex Institute, has
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the following : " There are said to be seven vessels ashore on Cape Cod that have gone to pieces." The account given to a vessel that anchored off near the shore since the gale was, that twenty-five bodies had been picked up and buried. It is uncertain whether any lives have been saved. The schooner Rachel, Captain John Simpson, of Frenchman's Bay (Sulli- van), was no doubt one of the vessels above named. Refer- ring to this notice we welcome to our already over-crowded pages, the long account furnished by John S. Emery, of Boston, not only as a beautiful tribute of family affection, but as an example of historic interest and veneration worthy of imitation :
About the middle of November, 1798, Captain John Simpson, of Sullivan, Maine, a prominent citizen of that town, sailed from that place for Salem, Mass., in command of the schooner Rachel, a vessel of about one hundred tons, nearly new, of which he was sole owner, laden with lumber, and having on board a crew consisting of the following persons, viz. :
William Abbott, mate, who had been in charge of the vessel the previous summer; Stephen Merchant, Zachariah Hodgkins, and James Springer ; also Paul Dudley Sargent Jr., son of Colonel Paul D. Sargent of Sullivan, who was intending to spend the following winter at school in Salem. They left Sullivan in company with the new schooner Diana, commanded by Captain Josiah Simp- son Jr., a brother of John, and came through the inland passage from French- man's Bay to White Head, coming through Deer Island and Fox Island thoroughfares. On arriving at White Head they made a harbor at Seal Harbor, and both vessels sailed from there probably about the fifteenth of November, and on arriving off Herring Gut Harbor, St. George, Maine, some ten or twelve miles from White Head, the weather became threatening, with the wind northeast, and giving indications of a storm. The Diana hauled up and went into Herring Gut, while the Rachel kept on for Salem. The vessels were so near that the two brothers talked over the situation, and the captain of the Diana decided to make a harbor, while the captain of the Rachel concluded, as it was a fair wind, he would keep on, hoping to make a quick run to Salem.
The impending storm proved to be one of the most severe ever known in New England, the snow falling to a depth of from four to six feet, greatly impeding and obstructing the travel on what were then called the "post roads," for a long time. The newspapers of that time, in describing the storm, said that it par- tially cleared off once or twice after its commencement, and then came on again more violent than ever.
After the storm was over, seven vessels were found to have gone ashore on Cape Cod, and many, or most of their crews, were all lost. Among them was the Rachel. She was found ashore, with all her crew lost, a short distance below or south of where the Highland Light now stands, between the second and third hummocks, or sand-hills.
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The bodies of the crew were all found on the wreck or on the beach, and that of Captain Simpson was easily recognized from his clothing and things found in it. And that of the young man Sargent was known from his wearing apparel being different from that of the crew of the vessel. There were many little things found belonging to Captain Simpson which were carefully preserved and sent to his family. Among them were a small trunk covered with seal skin and a small pocket handkerchief that was put in his pocket by his little daughter (then five years old) the day he sailed from home, and also a pearl-handled pocket-knife. The above articles are now in possession of his grandchildren. The bodies were all carefully buried in the old burying-ground at North Truro; and the following summer Captain James Sullivan, a brother-in-law of Captain Simpson, and in charge of one of his vessels, went to Truro and put up a rough slatestone slab at his grave, which afterwards helped to identify the place of their burial. He also received the little relics that were saved, or found, and took them home to Sullivan.
In 1878, John S. Emery and Erastus (). Emery of Boston, grandsons of Captain Simpson, went to Truro, and by the aid of Captain Jesse, and Miss Polly Col- lins, whose father helped to l ury the Rachel's crew, found their resting-place ; and later, the same year, John S. Emery erected a marble tablet of large size over the grave of his grandfather. It is set in a base made from Sullivan gran- ite quarried near the home of Captain Simpson, and the tablet is of fine Italian marble, made by Messrs. Bowker, Foriey & Co., of Boston, and bears the follow- ing inscription :
" This tablet marks the burial-place of Captain John Simpson, of Sullivan, Maine, aged 35 years, master of sch. Rachel, of that place, who, with his entire crew, consisting of the following persons, viz., Paul Dudley Sargent Jr. (passen- ger), William Abbott, Stephen W. Merchant, Zachariah Hodgkins, and one other [James Springer, name not positively known when tablet was made] were lost on the wreck of the above vessel near this place, in the memorable snow- storm Nov. 20, 1798, and afterwards buried here.
"Erected in 1878, in memory of Captain Simpson, by his grandson, John S. Emery of Boston."
For more than fifty years, a beautiful March day would often be associated with "The three Salem Ships," and every great snowstorm following a fine day in March, would revive the story of "The three East Indiamen from Salem" Through the attention of Mr. John S. Emery of Boston, who perhaps holds the most valuable files of shipping news in the country, I have been furnished with copies of the Boston Independent Chronicle, from which I gather the following his- tory : -
March 4, 1802 :- On Sunday last week the three following ships, belonging to G. Crowningshield & Sons, sailed from Salem on foreign voyages, viz. : The
-
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Ulysses, Brutus and Volutia. Capt's Brown, J. Cook and S. Cook. Accounts from Cape Cod make it appear too probable that the whole were cast away on the back of Cape Cod.
March 8th : - With respect to the fate of the Salem vessels, mentioned in our last, we extract the following from the Salem Gazette : A state of anxious uncer- tainty concerning the fate of the Brutus and her consorts, the Ulysses and Volutia, has existed ever since the first report of their being wrecked on Cape Cod in the late severe snowstorm, until yesterday, when a melancholy relief was afforded by letters from Capt 's S. & J. Cook. These three valuable ships sailed from Salem together on Sunday, the 21st ult. It appears from the letters that they kept com- pany together until twelve o'clock at night, etc.
The three ships were driven ashore not far from the Peaked Hills, at about the same time, a mile or two from each other. The Brutus was a total loss ; five only of her crew were saved. Both of the other crews were saved; the ships were a total loss.
During a severe easterly storm in 1880, a portion of the bank was washed away where the Brutits was wrecked. Under the bank was found the skeleton of a man with silver coin and a watch, which had stopped at two o'clock. It is supposed to have been an officer of the Brutus. Two o'clock was about the time she came into the surf, and the wheels of the watch and the wheels of life stood still and had been wrapped in their sandy winding-sheet for seventy-eight years.
In 1804 Captain Paul Knowles, aged 43, with his eldest son Paul, aged 14, and William Lombard, first officer, aged 50, were lost in a gale on Cohasset Rocks. He was in a brig from Spain bound to Boston, had had a long passage; was spoken a few days previously and reported had suffered severely by sickness and scarcity of food. A well-preserved portrait of Captain Knowles, painted in France according to the fashion of the times, is in possession of Mrs. L. P. Rich.
Captain Caleb Knowles, aged 38, of ship Confidence, died on his passage from Senegal to Boston, October 8, 1805. Mr. Damon remarks, " He was an enterprising and benevolent man. In his death not only his family and friends sustain a great loss, but many poor people in the town." Thomas Atkins, second officer, also died on the passage. His chief officer, his younger brother Isaiah, took charge of the ship.
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After his arrival at Boston was placed in command for a voyage to the coast of Africa. He sailed March 24, 1806. The first night out was capsized in a white squall near Race Point, and every soul was lost. The wreck drifted on the Shoal Ground of Wellfleet. Captain Knowles was twenty-six years of age. I here introduce a single verse from the " elegy " of twenty-six, that were written on that occasion.
'Twas on the twenty-third of March, Upon a Sunday morn, There sailed the fair ship Confidence, To India she was bound.
Zaccheus Knowles, aged 44, was lost overboard near Wood End from a small vessel from Plymouth, November 11, 1814. The above four were brothers ; sons of Captain Paul Knowles, who built and lived in the house last occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Childs. Captain John Elliot Knowles, aged 30, and Reuben Brewer, aged 25, officer, were lost, with all hands, on the passage to Honduras, 1832. Captain Zaccheus Knowles, son of Zaccheus above, aged 25, d. at Mariguana, W. I., 1822. Was the father of Mrs. O. R. Gross of New York, and Mrs. Winslow of Provincetown. John Snow Jr., aged about 22, d. at same time with Captain Knowles ; Nathaniel Dyer, aged 44, d. abroad, 1801 ; James Stevens, aged 32, d. at Norfolk, 1801; Benj. Lewis, aged 19, d. at Havana, 1801; Thomas Knowles d. on passage from W. I., 1801; William Treat, aged 18, d. at Havana, 1801 ; Sylvanus Treat, aged 24, d. away from home, 1801 ; Uriah Rich, aged 26, d. at Havana, 1801 ; Joseph Small Jr., aged 24, d. on pas- sage from W. I., 1801 ; Simon Lombard, aged 45, d. at the eastward, buried on Green Island, 1802 ; Joshua Dyer, aged 28, and William Thayer, aged 16, boat capsized by a squall while they were fishing in the bay, 1803; John Avery Jr., aged 29, d. at Charleston, S. C., 1804; Jesse Small d. suddenly at sea, 1804 ; Solomon Snow, aged 22, son of Esq. Sylvanus, d. at sea, 1805 ; Captain George Pike, 1805; Nehemiah Somes Rich, 1805 ; Captain John Snow 3d, d. at Savannah, 1805 ; "a friendly and benevolent man." I have also a record
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of Captain Jonathan Snow, died the same year at Savannah aged 33. It is reasonable that the same individual is meant, and as the first is made by Mr. Damon, it is most likely to be correct, but I have no assurance that they are not both reliable.
John Cole, aged 22, d. at the West Indies, 1805. Captain Thomas Smith Rich, aged 32, d. in Charleston, S. C., 1807. Captain Benjamin Parker Lombard, aged 31, d. on his home- ward passage from the River La Platte, 1807. Thomas Smith, aged 21, 1809. David C. Cobb, aged 22, 1808. Elisha
Higgins, 1808. Cornelius Shaw, aged 27, d. at Havana, 1809. Thomas Millon, aged 19, d. on passage from West Indies. Captain Benjamin Rich, aged 23, lost in the Medi- terranean Sea, 1809. Reuben Rich, aged 23, d. at Charleston, S. C., 1809. Richard Rich Snow, aged 28, killed at sea by the breaking of a boom, 1809. Captain Jonathan Harding aged 31, d. at St. Pierre, Martinique, of yellow fever. " He was an active and industrious man ; his death was a great loss to his family, and a loss to society." James Rich, aged 41, 1810. Solomon, aged 24, the last of six sons of Paul Dyer, fell overboard from the topmast, 1809. Samuel Atwood, d. at the West Indies, 1809. Captain Isaiah Harding, aged 24, d. on his homeward passage from the West Indies, 1809. James Harding Dyer, aged 50, drowned near Freeport, January 7, 1810. Nathaniel Rich fell from aloft, instantly killed, 1810. Hawes Atwood, aged 22, d. at Havanna, 1810. John Brewer d. at Tonningen, 1810. Richard Higgins Paine, aged 22, d. of small-pox on homeward passage from Cadiz, 1810. "A steady young man." Sylvanus Dyer, aged 47, in a boat alone which was capsized near Pamet Harbor, from Boston, 1810. Joseph Atkins Lombard, aged 18, d. of lockjaw at the Cape of Good Hope, 1810. " A steady and promising youth." Richard Snow Collins, aged 23, lost on homeward passage from Cadiz, 1810. "A very active and likely young man." Job Avery, aged 21, son of John, was lost overboard, home- ward passage from Tonningen, 1810. "A steady young man." Enoch Snow, aged 20, lost on his homeward passage from Gottenburg, 1810. "He was a steady and promising young man." Captain Obadiah Rich, aged 35, d. December
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24, 1810, on his passage from Archangel to New York, and was buried on Staten Island. Captain Rich is referred to by Doctor Dwight. He was a prosperous and energetic master mariner. He was by intuition a skilful navigator. He could keep a better dead reckoning with fewer figures than any sailor ever known. A few chalk marks on the cabin door or at the head of his berth, and he knew his position on the Western ocean, whatever wind or weather, as well as if in his father's cornfield. His book-learning was not much, but his percep- tion was powerful. Thomas Mayo, master, aged 40 ; his son Thomas, aged 18; his brother Samuel, aged 35; brother-in- law Moses Paine, aged about 27 ; father of Captain Jeremiah Paine ; James Rich, aged 40 ; and Zoheth Smith Jr., aged 17; perhaps others sailed from home on the schooner Washington, for a second fare to the Grand Bank, 1815 ; never heard from.
Josiah Skull, aged 21, lost overboard on passage from north of Europe, 1811. Abraham Coan, aged 24, killed at Queen Charlotte's Island, Nootka Sound, in an adventure when the natives made an attack on the ship, 1811. Lewis Lombard Chapman, aged 19, 1811. George W. Spencer Ellis, aged 12, drowned near Pamet Harbor, 1812 ; a lad who lived with Richard Rich. John Lee, aged 23, d. in Washington, N. C., 1812. Captain Nehemiah Harding, aged 24; ship foundered in a heavy gale on passage from Europe to Boston, Aug. 25, 1812. Captain Eleazer Lewis, lost on passage from a South- ern port to Boston, 1812. Ambrose Avery, aged 20, son of John, and David Elliot, lost on passage from Europe. Francis Pascall, aged 30, 1813, a native of Genoa ; he came when a boy to Truro with Captain J. Gross ; was noted for his gentle manners and good breeding ; had he been the son of an Ital- ian nobleman could not have been more polished ; married Sarah Dyer Rich ; was the father of Joshua R., Francis Pascall and Mrs Shaw.
Zaccheus Rich, aged 32, washed overboard from a five- handed boat, crossing from Truro to Sandwich, 1816. Ben- jamin Lombard, aged 20, d. in hospital at New Orleans, 1816. Captain Joseph Chandler, aged 45, d. at Charlotte, S. C. George Morris, aged 21, d. at N. C. John Thomas, aged 45,
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fell between the vessel and wharf in Boston ; lived but a few hours ; left a wife and eight children ; 1816. Jeremiah Knowles, aged 18, and Daniel Dyer, d. on the Grand Bank with the prevailing fever, May 25, 1816. That these two young men, nearly a thousand miles away, should die of the same sickness, and nearly at the same time, when most fatal at home, seems a remarkable fact in connection with the great sickness to which this refers. Edmund Cook, of sch. Welcome Return, Josiah Cook, master, of Provincetown, lost with all hands in the fall of 1816; most of her crew belonged in the Pond Vil- lage. Elisha Pike, aged 24, lost on his passage from France, 1818. Jesse Rich, aged 25, d. at the West Indies.
Andrew Collins Cobb, d. at St. Peters, Gaudaloupe, 1816. Solomon Hopkins Jr., aged 20, lost overboard on passage from Liverpool. Captain Isaac Paine, and brothers-in-law Reuben Chapman and Dean Snow, 1816. Benjamin Lewis, aged 18, d. at Havana, 1816. Henry Johnson, aged 36, d. at Port au Prince, 1814. Benjamin Coan, aged 22, drowned at the Back Side, 1815. Also, " Benjamin Coan, aged 24, lost on his pas- sage from a fishing voyage, 1818." Edmond Dana, Clark Cook, John Trabow and James Hopkins (evidently belonging to the same vessel), supposed to be lost on passage to Grand Bank, 1818. Captain Thomas Lombard, aged 33, was run down on the Banks in the fall of 1819, his second fare ; only a part of the crew were lost. Jesse Knowles, officer, aged 20, lost on passage to Liverpool, 1815. Ephraim Knowles, aged 24, d. at Matanzas, 1818. Daniel E., aged II, son of Free- man Lombard, lost on the Grand Bank, 1818. James Lom- bard, officer, aged 26, d. at New Orleans, 1819, a brother of Captain David. Nathaniel Harding, aged 22, d. on passage from Greenock, England, 1820. Sylvanus Nye, aged 41, drowned near Wood End, 1820. Benjamin Collins, aged 24, d. in Havana, 1821. Joseph Atkins, aged 24, d. at Liv- erpool, 1821. "A man of amiable disposition." Captain Joshua Paine, aged 29, d. at Havana, 1821. Josiah D. Atkins, aged 25, washed overboard, near Race ' Point, 1825. Lawrence Auford, aged 29, lost back of Cape Cod, 1821, is Mr. Damon's record ; I have another notice, d. at New Orleans. Ephraim
1
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Snow d. at Matanzas, 1822. John Gross Lombard, aged 18, d. at Havana, 1821. John Thomas, aged 25, 1825. Captain John Knowles d. at New Orleans, 1820. Josiah Damon Atkins, aged 25, lost near Race Point, 1825. "A remarkably steady and likely man." Jedediah Payne Dyer, aged 35, drowned near Wood End, 1826. Jesse Hill, d. by falling from aloft to the deck, 1827. Noah Rich, aged 25, d. at Charleston, S. C., 1824.
The year 1825 was remarkable in the annals of New Eng- land for a succession of severe storms and many sad losses. Captain Reuben Snow, aged 42, Thomas Hopkins, first officer, aged 37, and William Gallagar, aged 22, in the brig Onslow from Boston to Laguire, were lost March 1825, probably the second day out. In April the schooner Joseph was lost on her passage to Grand Bank. Was last spoken by Richard Paine in the Little Martha, near Sable Island. Her crew were Ephraim Atkins, aged 47, master ; Joseph Lewis, aged 25; David Doble, aged 25 ; Parker Lombard, aged 19; Joseph Small; Francis Churchill, aged 16, and Joseph Smith, aged 14.
In June the schooner Hornet, on a mackerel voyage, found- ered in a gale near Long Island, with all her crew. Leonard Snow, master, aged 31 ; John Snow, aged 17; Henry Snow, aged 19; Moses Collins, aged 18; Jonathan Collins ; Jon- athan C. Lee, aged 16; John S. Molenay. They were nearly all relatives and from the same neighborhood. It was stated in the journals of the day that nearly six hundred men from the fishing towns of New England were lost in 1825. A ves- sel from Charleston, S. C., with thirty or more estimable young men belonging on the Cape, who had been employed during the winter in the South, was lost with all on board.
April, 1828, Schooner Dart sailed for the Grand Bank ; was never heard from. Her crew were Thomas Sellew, master, aged 28, John Hughes, aged 23, Atkins Hughes, aged 32, John H. Sellew, aged 23, John Avery, Frank Gowen, John Curracio ; all belonging to the Pond Village. Captain John Stevens, aged 38, was thrown overboard with the deckload in a gale Aug. 24, 1830, on his passage from Boston to the West Indies. Captain Joseph Chandler, aged 28, in schooner Thea-
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tre, was lost with all hands on his passage from North Carolina to Boston, February, 1829. 1828, Caleb Upham Grozier, in command of a brig, was murdered by pirates with all his crew, second mate only escaping.
March 30, 1830, Captain Elisha Cobb, aged 35, d. at Mar- seilles. About 1875, Captain James Rich of Truro visited his grave, the first friend, or perhaps countryman, that had ever stood over his dust. I wish he had then planted a tree.
November 1, 1831, Reuben Dyer, aged 31, skipper of the pinkey Emily, and his brother-in-law, Elisha Mayo, were lost by collision with the ship Russell, of Boston. Joshua Knowles was a boy on board. The two lost men made the fatal mistake of jumping for the ship, supposing she would crush them like an eggshell. Heltzell Freeman of Provincetown, also jumped, but held on to the chain-plates. So desperate was his grasp, that the blood oozed from his finger-nails when rescued. He was the same night transferred on board a fisherman. The pinkey was only slightly injured. Captain Dyer was the father of Elisha M. Dyer of Provincetown. John McTiers married Achsah Lombard, lost ; I have no particulars.
December 16, 1832, Captain Michael Hopkins Jr., aged 28, lost overboard from brig Henry Clay on his passage from Rus- sia to Boston.
November 18, 1833, Nathaniel Rich Jr., aged 21, Lyman Rich, aged 20, George W. Rich, aged 19, part of the crew of schooner Joy, were drowned between the vessel and shore at South Truro by the swamping of the skiff. They were all promising young men, and were returning home to spend the winter. Inscription on the gravestone of Nathaniel Rich Jr. :
Youth full of health and at its ease, Looks for a day it never sees.
October 2, 1833, Elisha Paine Jr., aged 32. The letter of Captain Benjamin Rich to the widow of Mr. Paine, in the twenty-second chapter, tells this sad story. He had just come into his house from a fishing trip, when the alarm that a ship was in the breakers, was made ; and he went to duty and an early grave. John Grozier and Thomas F. Small, men-
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tioned in the letter, saved their lives when the boat was cap- sized ; one by clinging to the boat, the other by swimming ashore, but they both proved their heroism by staking their lives to save their fellowmen. This was many years before the present efficient system of the Life Saving Service as now conducted, and when all service was voluntary.
Mrs. Rebecca, the widow of Mr. Paine, was an intelligent
SWIMMING ASHORE.
and energetic woman of the Avery, and Parker Lombard families. She gave me much encouragement and information in the beginning of my work. Nobly and faithfully she dis- charged her duty to her children, who preceded her to the bet- ter land, and, like a true warrior, laid her armor down at the last command.
Died in Canton, China, December 19, 1833, Isaiah Lom- bard, aged 23. He had just entered upon business engage-
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ments. The news of his death was received with general sorrow. November 22, 1834, lost overboard from packet Post- boy on passage from Boston to Truro, Daniel Rich, aged 37. January 3, 1834, washed overboard from schooner William, near the Capes of Virginia, Richard S. Lombard, aged 23. Caleb K. Childs, aged about 25, never heard from. Sun- day, December 6, 1835, at Pond Hollow, in sight of their own homes, Captain Obadiah Rich, aged 37; Snow Rich, aged 34; Joseph S. Paine, aged 35, Freeman A. Snow, aged 27, and Andrew Jackson, aged 23. This sorrowful event and the funeral of the five men that followed, was a great shock to the community, from which they did not soon recover ; the four stricken wives never, the last of whom, Mrs. Paine, d. lately in Charlestown, and buried beside her husband after a widowhood of 48 years. Captain Rich was a man of recog- nized energy and business instinct, etc. ; was master of the Bianca, a fine vessel for the times, in which he had been very successful; was returning from Provincetown, where he had been to put their fish on board for Boston. It was a bitter cold day, a high wind from the northwest and heavy sea. They were advised not to leave till more moderate, but knew no danger. The boat capsized on the bar, and the anchor caught, or perhaps they would all have clung to the boat and been saved, as they were all immediately washed ashore. Albert Robbins, the local poet, touched his melancholy lyre on this occasion. Poor fellow ! like Mozart, it was almost writing his own requiem, for a little later we have his fate to record. I will here introduce a verse from his "Loss of the Bianca's Crew," not so much on account of the poetical merit, as in memoriam.
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