Schooner Blossom

From the Evening Telegram, September 18, 1891 :
	Latest by Telegraph. Vessel Lost With 4 Men and 1 Woman. ILL-FATED BLOSSOM, And How She Came to Grief. DESPAIRING CRIES FOR HELP. Clinging to Rigging and Rocks.
		(Special to the "Evening Telegram.") A Terrible Disaster. Twillingate, This Afternoon. Intelligence of a terrible disaster, in- volving the loss of a vessel and several lives, has just been received here. On Tuesday night last, in the midst of the heavy northeast gale, fog and rain, the schooner Blossom, Joseph Marsh, master, with a crew of five men and one woman, while returning from Labrador to Pur- cell's Harbor, with a full load of fish, Struck Gull Island, near Exploits Burnt Island, at midnight. In the first crash, the Blossom lost all her headgear, the gibboom and bowsprit being smashed off like pipe-stems. She then re-
		bounded and struck a second time, when she immediately broke in two. Only one man escaped, and this time he did by jumping into the water and desperately clinging to the cliff when dashed against it by the raging waters. His Fight for Life was as fierce and terrible, perhaps, as ever experienced by a shipwrecked mariner. At one time the woman was near him, but she could not jump for some time, and when she did it was impossible for him to render her any assistance. He saw Three Men Clinging to the Wreck, and heard their agonizing cries, which, he says, are still ringing in his ears. He re- mained all night in the cliff, from which he was rescued next morning by a crew. They threw him a rope, and, having fasten- ed it round his body, he was dragged through the water on board a skiff. No bodies recovered. Latest advices from Exploits state that no bodies have been recovered. There ap- pears to be very little sign of wreckage near the scene of the disaster, two or three casks of oil and a trunk being the only articles picked up. The whole sad affair presents A Tragic Aspect, happening, as it did, within only about two hours' run of the victims' homes, where loved ones were anxiously expecting them. It has cast a gloom over the entire commun- ity. Poor Marsh was highly respected in his neighborhood, and deep regret is felt for all concerned.

From the Twillingate Sun, September 19, 1891 :
	Tuesday Night's Storm. Loss of the Schooner "Blossom." The schooner Blossom, 30 tons, Joseph Marsh, master, with six of her crew, was lost about 12 o'clock on Tuesday night, the 15th instant. She left White's Arm French Shore, on Tuesday morning with a light breeze N.E. and all went well until 8 p.m., when the wind in- creased to a strong gale. Then all canvas having been taken off, and while running under bare poles, land was seen just before 12. It was attempted to hoist canvas to weather the point, but this did not succeed; and she struck in Gull Island Cove, Exploits, 3 miles above Black Island. On Striking the cliff, the jibboom and bowsprit were carried away, and one man lost. The schooner bounded off again, when another man and the girl were also lost. Another man jumped, and the next sea carried him ashore; he got up on the cliff where he could see the skipper and two men on deck; about 15 minutes later a heavy sea broke over the vessel and smashed her up, carrying away the last three men, nothing was seen of them afterwards. There are some houses at the back of the cliff a quarter of a mile distant. The survivor remained on the cliff until 8 next morning, when some men came but could not get near him for sea. These men at last got a rope to him which he made fast around his body and watching his chance jumped into the sea and was hauled about twenty fathoms through the water, and was saved. The survivor's name is Joseph Ings. The names of those lost are:-Joseph Marsh, James Witt, George Gidge, Obadiah Vining, Arthur Langdown and Priscilla Langdown. This account, simple as it is, speaks volumes. While hundreds of other schooners, deeply laden, are returned in safety and thankfulness from making one of the best Labrador voyages known for many years, this accident happens and throws a gloom upon the community. Every schooner lost tells the rest what might have been their case, but for the mercy of Providence; and what may be their case even yet, should it be so or- dained. We are thus more ready to sympathize with the friends of those who are suddenly taken away in this awful manner and "pray for those at sea."

From the Twillingate Sun, September 19, 1891 :

Tuesday Night's Storm.

Loss of the Schooner
"Blossom." The schooner Blossom, 30 tons, Joseph
Marsh, master, with six of her crew,
was lost about 12 o'clock on Tuesday
night, the 15th instant. She left White's
Arm French Shore, on Tuesday morning
with a light breeze N.E. and all went
well until 8 p.m., when the wind in-
creased to a strong gale. Then all
canvas having been taken off, and
while running under bare poles, land was
seen just before 12. It was attempted
to hoist canvas to weather the point, but
this did not succeed; and she struck in
Gull Island Cove, Exploits, 3 miles
above Black Island. On Striking the
cliff, the jibboom and bowsprit were
carried away, and one man lost. The
schooner bounded off again, when
another man and the girl were also lost.
Another man jumped, and the next sea
carried him ashore; he got up on the
cliff where he could see the skipper and
two men on deck; about 15 minutes
later a heavy sea broke over the vessel
and smashed her up, carrying away the
last three men, nothing was seen of them
afterwards. There are some houses at
the back of the cliff a quarter of a mile
distant. The survivor remained on the
cliff until 8 next morning, when some
men came but could not get near him
for sea. These men at last got a rope
to him which he made fast around his
body and watching his chance jumped
into the sea and was hauled about
twenty fathoms through the water, and
was saved. The survivor's name is
Joseph Ings. The names of those lost
are:-Joseph Marsh, James Witt,
George Gidge, Obadiah Vining, Arthur
Langdown and Priscilla Langdown.
This account, simple as it is, speaks
volumes. While hundreds of other
schooners, deeply laden, are returned in
safety and thankfulness from making
one of the best Labrador voyages known
for many years, this accident happens
and throws a gloom upon the community.
Every schooner lost tells the rest what
might have been their case, but for the
mercy of Providence; and what may be
their case even yet, should it be so or-
dained. We are thus more ready to
sympathize with the friends of those who
are suddenly taken away in this awful
manner and "pray for those at sea."

As told by Major William Marsh, Salvation Army :

On a damp afternoon in September of 1891, a small group of Newfoundland fishermen stood on the deck of their sturdy craft deeply laden with salted cod. The wind, which had been a light breeze all day, was now increasing and skipper Joseph Marsh showed signs of anxiety as he consulted with his men the question as to whether they should heave to in the shelter of the north shore of Notre Dame Bay. The skipper thought that was the right course but the seamen soon replied, "We have children, we have wives, and the Lord has spared our lives and prospered our efforts of the summer, and we believe He will supply you with wisdom for any other need, we would spend Sunday with our families and rest awhile before we unload."

The skipper immediately gave the order that all canvas should be lowered and every movable article of fishing gear be removed from the deck to prevent being washed overboard. Then the "Blossom" bore away for Exploits Ships Run.

The wind which had been so rapidly rising had now become a gale and was still increasing, as with every man at his post the "Blossom", dressed in hurricane gear, plunged into the stormy night, and was more than anything like some submerged victim struggling with some demon of the deep. The anxiety now was evident and they wondered how it would all end. Just before the midnight hour the man on the forward lookout cried "Land, land ahread", and every man was tense until the skipper cried, "Hard down, hard." "She will not answer", replied the helmsman and every man knew the fatal hour had come. Then came the crash of ruin and all but one of the crew was lost, and he scrambled up the hillside until he found a rocky ledge and held on until rescue came in the morning. That lone survivor talked little about his experience, but time itself could not erase from his memory that desperate climb up the cliffside, and the voice of Skipper Joseph Marsh singing,
"With His loving hand to guide,
Let the clouds above me roll,
And the billows in their fury dash around me,
I can brave the wildest storm,
With His Glory in my soul,
I can sing amidst the tempest,
Praise the Lord."
Skipper Joseph Marsh was no more but the story of the death of Wesleyan layreader Sunday School teacher, etc. is still told in Twillingate.

The onset of this picture shows us a weeping mother of four small children laying aside preparation they were making for the annual Sunday School picnic, and the old grandfather who came to give what comfort he could to the stricken family.

The Wreck Of The Blossom (By Barry Hicks)

My father's grandparents on one side were Elijah Whitt and Mary Ann Ings. Elijah is the brother of James Whitt who drowned on the Blossom. Mary Ann Ings is the brother of Joseph Ings, the only survivor. Dad remembers hearing about the accident from his grandmother. It seems that Joseph Ings was a very swift and agile man. I recorded this story a few years ago.

Wreck of the Blossom (Told by Harvey Hicks August, 1996)

The schooner went ashore during the night (probably on the way to or from Labrador). Joseph Ings saw the ship heading into a cliff so he ran up the bow sprit and jumped off before the ship hit. A girl was following behind him but the boat struck before she could get off. The girl and the rest of the crew were drowned. Joseph clung to the rocks near the mainland all night. A couple of people on the mainland threw him a rope. He would have to tie it around himself and go into the water. He refused to do so because the sea was too strong. He hung on to the rocks until the sea went back.

Canadian Heritage Information Network
Ship Information database
http://daryl.chin.gc.ca:8000/basisbwdocs/sid/sid.html

Vessel Record

Vessel Name: BLOSSOM
Official No.: 86844

Former Name:
Nationality: Canadian

Vessel Function:
Pendant Number:

Naval Class:
Hull Number:

Constructed Registered

Date: 18830000
Date: 18830000

City: Charles Arm
Number:

Province: Newfoundland
Port:

Country: Canada
City: St. John's

Details:
Province: Newfoundland

Vessel Description

Rigging Style: Schooner

No. of masts:
Gross Tonnage:

No. of decks:
Tonnage Net: 30

No. of Galleries:
Length:

Hull Build:
Breadth:

Type of Stern:
Depth:

Hull Material: Wood
Propulsion:

Figurehead?: N
Figurehead Description:

Source Reference: Public Archives - ** RG 42 Volume 1600, ** Original References Vol.# 387 Reel # C-2461 Page # 146.

Remarks: Totally lost on the Labrador coast in 1891. Registry closed in September 1931.

Maritime History Archive
Ships and Seafarers of Atlantic Canada
http://www.mun.ca/mha/

Vessel Registry

Registration No. S883092
Length (ft) 53

Official No. 086844
Width (ft) 18

Depth (ft) 6

Builder Surname
Gross Tonnage 31

Builder First Name
Net Tonnage 27

Vessel Name Blossom
Registered Tonnage

Where Prev. Registered
Year Registered 1883

Year Prev. Registered
Official Closure Year 1931

Place Constructed New Bay NDB
Reason for Closure 12 [Lost at Sea]

Year Constructed 1883
Place of Closure Labrador Coast

No. of Decks 1
Actual Closure Date 1891

No. of Masts 2
If Foreign Sold, Where?

Type of Vessel Schooner
Horse Power

Owners: Joseph Marsh, Charles Marsh, and Frank Marsh. All three were listed as being from Purcells Harbour with an occupation of "Farmer/Planter".

Vessel Name: BLOSSOM	Official No.: 86844
Former Name:	Nationality: Canadian
Vessel Function:	Pendant Number:
Naval Class:	Hull Number:
Constructed	Registered
Date: 18830000	Date: 18830000
City: Charles Arm	Number:
Province: Newfoundland	Port:
Country: Canada	City: St. John's
Details:	Province: Newfoundland
Vessel Description
Rigging Style: Schooner
No. of masts:	Gross Tonnage:
No. of decks:	Tonnage Net: 30
No. of Galleries:	Length:
Hull Build:	Breadth:
Type of Stern:	Depth:
Hull Material: Wood	Propulsion:
Figurehead?: N	Figurehead Description:

Registration No. S883092	Length (ft) 53
Official No. 086844	Width (ft) 18
	Depth (ft) 6
Builder Surname	Gross Tonnage 31
Builder First Name	Net Tonnage 27
Vessel Name Blossom	Registered Tonnage
Where Prev. Registered	Year Registered 1883
Year Prev. Registered	Official Closure Year 1931
Place Constructed New Bay NDB	Reason for Closure 12 [Lost at Sea]
Year Constructed 1883	Place of Closure Labrador Coast
No. of Decks 1	Actual Closure Date 1891
No. of Masts 2	If Foreign Sold, Where?
Type of Vessel Schooner	Horse Power