GG8 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [24] 



were lost, most of them with their entire crews. It involved a loss of 

 twenty vessels and one hundred and forty men, and in property about 

 $100,000, leaving seventy-five widows and one hundred and sixty father- 

 less children needing help. It cast a gloom on the whole community, and 

 a public meeting of the citizens was called at the town hall on the even- 

 ing of March 20, 1862, to devise some means to obtain help for those 

 who were so suddenly made destitute. At this meeting a committee of 

 seventeen citizens was appointed to take the whole subject in charge, 

 and they had circulars printed stating the facts in the case and asking 

 help. These circulars were sent to the various cities and towns in the 

 State, as well as to other large cities and towns, and a subcommittee 

 was appointed to solicit subscriptions. The call for aid was satisfac- 

 torily and most nobly responded to ; a large sum of money was re- 

 ceived (see record-book of old society and treasurer's account), and the 

 committee have from that time- until the present (April, 1865) attended 

 to the distribution of the funds that were received. 



" Considering the very hazardous nature of the fishing business of 

 the town, it was thought by the committee that the old organization 

 should be dissolved, and a new society be incorporated similar in char- 

 acter to the old, and formed on a permanent basis. Therefore, a notice, 

 under date of March 8, 1 865, was published in the newspapers of the town, 

 calling upon the citizens to meet at the [office of the] Gloucester Mutual 

 Fishing Insurance Company to take into consideration the expediency 

 of permanently organizing a society for the relief of the widows and 

 orphans of fishermen and seamen, and to perfect such organization if 

 deemed necessary." (See newspapers of the day.) 



Agreeably to the notice a meeting was held. J. W. Lowe was chosen 

 chairman and Joseph O. Proctor, secretary. B. H. Corliss, in behalf 

 of a committee previously appointed for the purpose of drafting a con- 

 stitution, reported a j>reamble and constitution (which is attached), 

 which was adopted by the meeting, each article having been acted 

 upon separately ; and after appointing a committee, consisting of B. 

 H. Corliss, Sylvester Cunningham, Joseph O. Proctor, and Fitz E. Biggs, 

 to report a list of officers for the society, the meeting adjourned to the 

 following (Tuesday) evening, at 7£ o'clock. On Tuesday evening, March 

 9, the citizens again met, as per adjournment, and the committee re- 

 ported a board of fifteen directors to the meeting, viz : George Gar- 

 land, Epes W. Merchant, Joseph O. Proctor, B. H. Corliss, Addison 

 Gilbert, William O. Pew, Charles Parkhurst, Peter Sinclair, Gorham 

 P. Leon, James W. Patillo, Fitz E. Biggs, Charles H. Pew, William Par- 

 sons 2d, William T. Merchant, Sylvester Cunningham. These were 

 all elected by ballot. It was then voted that 500 copies of the constitu- 

 tion be printed ; and the meeting adjourned sine die, after voting to 

 raise funds by collecting 0.25 per cent, of the proceeds of the fishing 

 voyages, and to collect outside the fishing interest $1,000, if possible. 



" Thursday, March 16, 1865. — At a meeting of the directors this day 



