GALLANTRY REWARDED

A thrilling episode, which occurred in December 1919, in which the highest qualities, comprising courage and seamanship, on the occasion of the rescue of the passengers and crew of the S.S. Ethie, at Cow Head, Newfoundland, was recently brought before public notice at a function at Government House, Newfoundland, when Capt. Edward English, Jr. , Harbour Master, St. John’s, Nfld., was presented by His Excellency Sir Alexander Harris, Governor, with a silver cup, on which is inscribed.

“Presented to Captain Edward English by the Government of Newfoundland in recognition of his gallant conduct and able seamanship, which resulted in the saving of the lives of all the passengers and crew, numbering ninety souls, on the occasion of the wreck of the S. S. Ethie at Cow Head, Newfoundland, in December 1919.”

His Excellency stated that the Imperial Board of Trade were sending Captain English a special letter of recognition, which would be handed to him when received.

The circumstances which led to the disaster are as follows: The Ethie left Cow Head on Wednesday, the 10^th  of December, at about eight o’clock in the evening, and shortly afterwards ran into  the height of the gale, which veered from South West to North West, and increased to hurricane force with blinding snow. The only course left open in the face of such conditions was to head the ship off the land, and avert the terrible danger of a lee shore in such a gale. Full steam ahead was kept up all Wednesday night, while the seas made a clean sweep from the forecastle deck to taffrail, rolling over the ship with such frequency as to keep her practically submerged the greater portion of the time. When daylight broke the land was plainly visible on the port quarter, and the captain realized that the long and terrible night they had passed through under full head of steam had not taken their ship one mile further off land than they were when darkness set in the previous night. The wind had gained force, the thermometer was at zero, and every portion of the ship from waterline to topmast heads coated with ice, the deck being iced level with the rails. At times the captain’s bridge was in the water. Nothing movable was left about decks, the boats were smashed and frozen in the chocks. Every attempt to get the ship clear of the shore proving futile, it became evident that she must be wrecked sooner or later, and the captain being informed by the purser (Mr. Walter Young) of a spot where  the vessel could be beached, with safety, determined to make the point. Having rounded the headland, he put the ship before the gale and dashed on into the rocky shore. The ship struck with terrible force, settled for a minute or two, whilst the sea made a clean breach over, her stern, sweeping her full length, and the next instant she was lifted bodily and carried shoreward, where she listed heavily to port side, and lay solidly wedged amongst the rocks. Even then safety did not seem any nearer at hand to the anxious passengers. There was no boats to launch, and even if there had been they would have been utterly useless. Lines attached to empty kegs were put out, and these driving quickly ashore, the men on land seared the ropes, and by this means a cable was hauled from the ship and fastened to the cliff above. Then a boatswain’s chair was rigged, and the work of rescue was begun. Women and children were one by one placed in this chair and transferred to the shore by the united efforts and daring of the seamen and residents. The male passengers followed, and finally the crew, the master,  (Capt. Edward English) one of the well known Harbor Masters of St. John’s, being the last man to take his place in the life-saving chair and to be hauled ashore.

The Secretary of the Association is now in receipt of a copy of the Board of Trade’s letter referred to above – to Capt. Edward English Jr., Harbor Master of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Honorary Agent of that Society, to which posts he succeeded his father, Capt. Edward English Sr. The letter reads as follows:

“I am directed by the Board of Trade to state that their attention has been drawn to your conduct when the S.S. Ethie, of St. John’s, Nfld. of which you were master, was wrecked at Martin’s Point, Nfld. in December, 1919. The Board desires to place on record that they highly appreciate the judgment, resource and seamanship displayed by you upon that occasion, which resulted in the saving of the lives of the passengers and crew. They are of the opinion that your action merits very high commendation, and are pleased to learn that your services have been recognized by the Government of Newfoundland.”

The agreeable finale to what must have been a task requiring great decision of character and skill in carrying out under the most trying climatic conditions the saving of the lives of everyone of those entrusted to his care, was brought to the notice of the Secretary of the Mercantile Marine Service Association, who at once made representations to the proper authorities, and the correspondence has been carried on during the whole of 1920 and the greater part of this year, with result that one of the most gallant deeds performed by British seamen of recent years has been recognized in a suitable manner.

Transcription from the papers of H.F. Shortis Vol. IV # 298 Provincial Archives

Back to Top