iS6 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Capsized on the Banks. — Seized by a Shark When Succor Was at Hand. 

 — Sch. Victor, Capt. John E. Sigsworth, arrived from a Western Bank trip, 

 Aug. 1 6, 1 88 1, and reported a sad accident on the Banks on the 12th, re- 

 sulting in the horrible death of one of her crew, George M. Sigsworth, a 

 brother of the skipper. Young Sigsworth and a companion named David 

 A. Raymond had been out to set their trawls, and while returning to the 

 vessel, a tub in the after part of the dory interfering with their rowing, they 

 hauled in their oars to change its position. Just then a heavy sea struck 

 and capsized the dory, throwing its occupants into the water. Sigsworth 

 kept afloat by means of an oar held under his breast, and the air filling his 

 oil jacket, and his companion succeeded in getting upon the bottom of the 

 dory and holding on by the stern becket. Sigsworth made his way towards 

 the dory, and had just reached out his hand to take that of Raymond, which 

 was extended to aid him, when a huge shark made its appearance, and seiz- 

 ing the unfortunate man disappeared with its prey, who was not seen again. 

 He was a young man of good character, about twenty-seven and a half years 

 of age, unmarried, a native of Prince Edward Island, and had followed fish- 

 ing from Gloucester for several years. 



Narrow Escape. — Sch. Davy Crockett, while on Cashes, in September, 

 188 1, ran over her seine boat containing eleven men, and they had a lively 

 time to save themselves. They were overhauling the seine, taking it on 

 board the boat, when the cook, who with another man was left on the ves- 

 sel, endeavored to bring her alongside the boat, but made a miscalculation 

 in "luffing," and she struck the boat amidships. Seven of the men man- 

 aged to cling to the boat ; one, Christie Johnson, swam for the dory ; and 

 A. G. Eisener, Dighton Simons and Wiley Havener, happened to be good 

 swimmers and succeeded in getting hold of the vessel's fenders. 



A Daring Deed. — Two Gloucester Mariners Risk Their Lives to Rescue 

 a Comrade. — April 2, 1881, Albert F. Fitch, one of the crew of sch. Star of 

 the East, was washed overboard while dressing fish on Brown's Bank. He 

 was fortunate in catching hold of a shifting plank which had washed over- 

 board, on which he succeeded in keeping afloat for an hour and ten minutes 

 before being picked up. It was blowing a heavy gale from the northwest, 

 with a strong tide running to leeward, and any attempt to go to his rescue 

 was fraught with great peril. But unmindful of the serious risk, Michael 

 Doyle and Joseph Hackett jumped into an old dory and started away be- 

 fore the wind and sea to rescue their imperilled comrade. After they got 

 him on board of their frail boat they found it absolutely impossible to return 

 to their vessel, but succeeded in boarding sch. Joseph O., which was also 

 lying at anchor on the Bank. It took some three hours of constant labor, 



