Historic Nantucket, October 1968, Vol. 16 No. 2

Historic Nantucket

Coast Guard Buoy-Tender Nauset at Steamboat Wharf

OCTOBER 1968

Published Quarterly by NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTS

NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President, Edouard A. Stackpole.

Vice Presidents, Miss Grace Brown Gardner, W. Ripley Nelson, Albert F. Egan, Jr., Alcon Chadwick, Henry B. Coleman, George W. Jones.

Honorary Vice President, Mrs. William L. Mather.

Treasurer, Roger J. Roche.

Secretary, Mrs. Austin Tyrer.

Councillors, Edouard A. Stackpole, Chairman; Leroy H. True, Herbert I. Terry, terms expire 1969; Mrs. James C. Andrews, Richard F. Swain, terms expire 1970; Mrs. Albert F. Egan, Jr., H. Errol Coffin, terms expire 1971; Albert G. Brock, John N. Welch, terms expire 1972.

Executive Committee, W. Ripley Nelson, Chairman; Alcon Chadwick, Henry B. Coleman, Albert F. Egan, Jr., George W. Jones, Edouard A. Stackpole, ex officio.

Advertising and Publications, W. Ripley Nelson and H. Errol Coffin.

Honorary Curator, Mrs. William L. Mather.

Curator, Miss Dorothy Gardner.

Editor, "Historic Nantucket", A. Morris Crosby; Assistant Editors, Mrs. Margaret Fawcett Barnes, Mrs. R. A. Orleans.

Chairmen of Exhibits, Historical Museum, Mrs. Elizabeth Worth; Whaling Museum, W. Ripley Nelson; Hadwen House - Satler Memorial, Albert F. Egan, Jr.; Old Mill, Henry B. Coleman; Old Jail. Albert G. Brock: 1800 House, Mrs. Herbert Foye; Fire Hose Cart House, Irving T. Bartlett; Oldest House, Mrs. J. Clinton Andrews; Franklin-Folger Seat and Memorial Boulder, Herbert I. Terry. > STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Act of October 23, 1962; section 4369, title 39, United States Code) DATE OF FILING: September 13, 19GX. TITLE OF PUBLICATION: HISTORIC NANTUCKET. FRE­ QUENCY OF ISSUE: Quarterly. LOCATION OF KNOWN OFFICE OF PUBLICA­ TION : Nantucket Historical Association, Fair Street, Nantucket, County of Nantucket, Massachusetts 02564. LOCATION OF THE HEADQUARTERS OR GENERAL BUSI­ NESS OFFICES OF THE PUBLISHERS: Fair Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PUBLISHER, EDITOR AND MANAGING EDITOR: PUBLISHER: Nantucket Historical Association. Fair Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

EDITOR: A. Morris Crosby, 6 Step1 Lane, Nantucket, Massachusetts. MANAGING EDITOR: None. OWNER: Nantucket Historical Association, Fair Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts. OFFICERS: President, Edouard A. Stackpole, Nantucket, Massachusetts: Vice-Presidents: Miss Grace Brown Gardner, W. Ripley Nelson, Albert F. Egan, Jr., Alcon Chadwick, Henry B. Coleman, George W. Jones, all of said Nantucket, Massachusetts. TREASURER: Roger J. Roche, SECRETARY: Mrs. Austin Tyrer both of said Nantucket, Massachusetts. KNOWN BONDHOLDERS, MORTAGEES, AND OTHER SECURITY HOLDERS, OWNING OR HOLDING 1 PERCENT OR MORE OF TOTAL AMOUNT OF BONDS, MORTGAGES OR OTHER SECURITIES: None (Non-Profit Corporation). FOR COMPLETION BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AUTHORIZED TO MAIL AT SPECIAL RATES (Section 132.122. Postal Manual) : The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes have not changed during the preceding 12 months. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete, (signed) A. Morris Crosby, Editor.

HISTORIC NANTUCKET Published quarterly and devoted to the preservation of Nantucket's antiquity, its famed heritage and its illustrious vast as a whaling port.

VOLUME 16

October, 1968

No. 2

CONTENTS Nantucket Historical Association Officers

2

Annual Report of the President, 1968

5

Secretary's Report of the Annual Meeting

10

Green Hand on the Susan, 1841 - 1846 Part II. Terrapin and a Few Whales

By Edgar L. McCormick

12

The William J. Landry

By Karen Kalman First Prize, 1968 Historical Essay Contest

24

Dory Fishing, By Arthur McCleave, As Told to Henry C. Carlisle Transcribed by Richard F. Swain

—

27

Treasurer's Report, 1967-1968

34

Recent Events

37

Legacies and Bequests

39

Historic Nantucket is published quarterly at Nantucket, Massachusetts, by the Nantucket Historical Association. It is sent to Association Members. Extra copies $.50 each.

Membership Dues are — Annual-Active $3.00; Sustaining $10.00; Life—one payment $50.00.

Second-class

postage paid at

Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Copyright, 1968, Nantucket Historical Asociation.

Communications pertaining to the Publication should be addressed to the Editor, Historic Nantucket, Nantucket Hstorical Association, Nantucket, Massachusetts, 02554.

Academy Hill Lane, unique among Nantucket's lanes, right-angles twice as it climbs what was called "Beacon Hill."

5

I

President's Annual Report

T is again my privilege to preside over an annual meeting of the Nantucket Historical Association, and to welcome mem­ bers and friends to our yearly get-together. Here, in the quiet confines of this place, where many of our Quaker ancestors gath­ ered and where, in our own times, on First Day mornings our summer residents who are Friends hold their Meeting, we become doubly conscious of the significant role which the faith of those early Nantucketers played in developing this unique Island fast­ ness in the sea.

The past year has marked two of the most important events in the history of our Association. First, was the acquisition of the trust fund willed to the Nantucket Historical Association by the late Admiral William Mayhew Folger. In February of this year, Miss Margaret H. Folger, the daughter and last beneficiary under the will of Admiral Folger, passed away in Portland, Maine, at the advanced age of 92, and with her death the trust estate became the property of the Association.

Admiral Folger stipulated that, with the acceptance of the trust fund, the Association shall invest the considerable sum in­ volved "until such time as a building similar to that known in Nantucket as the Coffin School . . . may be built in Nantucket and adequately endowed as an historical association." The trust is known as the "Peter Foulger Fund," and is to be administered and controlled by the Officers and Council of our Association.

For many years the Association has had the Folger bequest in its future planning, and the erection of the building provided for under the terms of the will is contemplated for the lot next to our Whaling Museum, at the corner of Broad and North Water streets. The Council has appointed a Committee for the building and also a Committee for the planning and displaying of the exhibits to be contained therein.

Here, indeed, is a great opportunity. Through the recom­ mendation of the Executive Committee your Council voted to place the Folger Fund in the hands of the investment department of the Old Colony Bank in Boston until such time as the Building Committee is ready to go forward with the erection of the build­ ing. As one who can recall the long hours of discussion as to the "Peter Foulger Fund," which concerned the officers of the Asso­ ciation and Council members who have now passed from our scene, I may say with conviction that we should not delay in this matter — that we must go forward as promptly as possible with the building's construction — thus acceding to the wishes of Ad­ miral Folger, and carrying on the hopes and ideas of those who contemplated the culmination of the trust over a period of forty years.

The second of the significant events of the year has been the acquisition of the Old Town Building on Union, Washington

6

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

and Salem Streets. At the annual town meeting this March it was voted to offer the building to pur Association, with the token price being $1. Realizing the costs of a proper restoration, the Council debated the question, and the acceptance of the offer was in doubt until the Nantucket Historical Trust happily and generously offered to aid in defraying the restoration costs. The Council then voted to accept the Town's proposal.

In taking over this historic old brick structure our Associa­ tion is accepting another responsibility. For more than a century the municipal affairs of the Town and County of Nantucket have been administered in this old building, housing as it did the offices of the Town Clerk, Register of Deeds, Tax Collector, Treasurer, Police Department, Clerk of Courts, Assessors' and Probate Court rooms. During this time the affairs of our town were conducted by men (and, in some cases, women) to whom the responsibility of their office was paramount, and the story of their work is therefore the story of Nantucket as well.

After the Great Fire of 1846, when the building was gutted by the flames, the interior was restored and the life of the town continued. All through the long depression which followed whal­ ing, including the California gold rush period, the Civil War, and the lean years of the 1870's, the town building remained the center of the town's life. With the coming of a new business — summer resort — the officials of the community kept close track of the course of the Island's economy. Who can gainsay that this attention did not have much to do with the introduction of the modern conveniences of living, such as the telephone, electric lights, water supply, and a sewer system, through encouragement to the pioneers in these efforts.

To restore this ancient structure, therefore, is also to preserve the physical aspects of an irpportant phase in our island history.

We are fortunate to have the help of the Nantucket Historical Trust, so that this may be accomplished. The refurbishing of the offices will create another valuable attraction for our visitors, and this in a part of the town where the old scene is merging with the new perimeter of the waterfront development. Our Associa­ tion will be able to present the original building as it functioned as the heart of our municipal life, and also be able to use some of the rooms on the second floor for its own use. A committee headed by Vice President George W. Jones will make a study of the work of restoration.

The Council has held its regular monthly meetings through­ out the past year, passing on recommendations of the Executive Committee and thus carrying on the affairs of our Association.

Among matters approved by the Council is the all-important 1968-1969 budget. In reviewing the individual department and exhibits budgets, the Council has approved the overall budget totalling $46,300, which is close to $7,000 more than in the pre­ vious year. A large part of this increase is due to the approved salary scale increase required to cover the raising of the legal

PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT

7 minimum wage scale for employees from $1.40 to $1.60 per hour. Insurance premiums show ah increase of $1700 for the year, and there has also been an increase of $800 in the treasurer's salary, as well as other adjustments. Our efficient Chairman of the Executive Committee, W. Ripley Nelson, has made a thorough study of the wage scale for employees, the income and outgo at the several exhibits, costs for repairs, etc., so that a complete analysis financially of our Association has been made available to the Council.

It will come, I am sure, as no surprise to most to learn that the only exhibits which return substantial profits from admis­ sions are the Whaling Museum and the Oldest House. When it is remembered that our business is a matter of but ten weeks, and that the maintenance of all the several exhibit structures must be a continuous process, the task of the officers will be rec­ ognized.

During the year we have seen the passing of a number of our loyal officers. With the death of Nancy Storey Grant Adams we mourn the loss of a devoted friend and counsellor, a strong personality who, as the custodian at our Fair Street Museum and then as Curator of our Association, has left a permanent mark for loyalty in our annals. It is to be hoped that a fitting memorial will be erected at Fair Street to keep alive the work and devo­ tion of this fine woman, who, as our President from 1953 to 1955, was the first woman in our Association to hold that office.

We have been also called upoil to record the death of our Treasurer, Leonard Giles, who contributed both service and friend­ ship in the short space of time in which he performed the func­ tions of his office. We will miss hifh and his cheerful presence.

Fortunately, we have been able to secure the services of Mr. Roger J. Roche, a trained accountant, to take over the increasingly de­ manding duties of the treasurer's office.

Each quarter of the year out' members receive an issue of HISTORIC NANTUCKET, our Association's publication, presented and directed by its able editor, A. Morris Crosby. This quarterly has maintained a record for excellence which not only reflects the purposes of our Association but does credit to the judgment and skill of Editor Crosby.

The reports of the several officers of the Association are included in the current issue of HISTORIC NANTUCKET, and thus the activities of these important phases of our Association's life are recorded, and it is not necessary to have them read now.

Due to the death of Mr. Giles, and the interim period elapsing before the appointment and election of Mr. Roche, the final closing of the books has been delayed, and financial statements will appear in the October issue of our quarterly. It can be stated at this time that the financial status of the Nantucket Historical Association is excellent. We are all indebted to the work of Nor­ man P. Giffin, former Treasurer, who stepped into the breach following the resignation of Mr. Peter I. Sylvia, who served as

8

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Treasurer for several weeks, and to W. Ripley Nelson, who also volunteered to help carry on with the time-consuming task of completing the books of the Association.

As will be gleaned from the reports of the various chairmen of the exhibits, weather conditions during the 1967 season had much to do with the disappointing attendance records. The Whaling Museum again was the major source of revenue, and the report of its Chairman, Mr. Nelson, is well worth perusal. The introduction of a heating system has added a vital protection to the Museum, as well as providing that necessary checking of temperature fluctuations which have had an effect on our collections. The retirement of Mrs. Ellen D. Chace as Librarian after 15 years has been noted, and we wish her many more pleas­ ant years on Nantucket. We are fortunate to have Mrs. Reginald Hussey to assume the Librarian's post, to be assisted by Mrs. Sidney W. Thurston. The staff at the Whaling Museum, with Walter Lindquist again serving as Administrator, remains with a few changes: Mrs. Lindquist at the reception desk and Bertram E. Morris as the custodian of the Craft Shops.

At Fair Street, Mrs. Elizabeth B. Worth continues as Chair­ man; Albert G. Brock is in charge of the Old Jail, and Richard P. Swain supervises the Old Mill. Mrs. J. Clinton Andrews is en­ trusted with the Oldest House and Mrs. Bernice Foye is Custo­ dian and Chairman at the 1,800 House. The Hadwen House-Satler Memorial has Albert Egan, Jr. as its Chairman, and the Gardner Street Hose Cart House is in the care of Irving T. Bartlett, while the Folger-Franklin Memorial is under the care of Herbert I. Terry. While the names of these several chairmen are all duly noted in our quarterly I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their efforts in behalf of our Association.

The annual Gam took place at the Maria Mitchell Library in March and a full report appeared in The Inquirer and Mirror.

The subject was "Island Transportation."

Our new Curator, Miss Dorothy Gardner, has presented her first report in this office, and it will also be read with interest.

It is a pleasure to welcome her into our "inner circle" of the Historical Association.

At the risk of continuing this report to a point of undue length I trust you will allow me a few observations by way of concluding. It is hardly necessary for me to remind you that Nantucket has seen many changes in its waterfront area during the past two years, and that the development is a constant source for debate. There have been other changes near town and all around the Island, all of which show clearly that Nantucket cannot escape the basic elements of change which have swept our Nation.

There is a marked lesson in this dramatic trend which I feel should be noted. In Nantucket there continues an active relation­ ship between our historic past and our functioning as a living community. This is a situation which demands the closest co-

PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT

9

operation between the business leaders of the community and those who seek to preserve its historic trueness.

In Nantucket we have an opportunity to make history a living force, rather than an example of the current "outdoor museum" idea. Here, in this unique town, we may also bring to the present scene what other historic places lack — the continuity of history.

Here, we are fortunate to possess not only a town which serves as a physical semblance of a maritime community representing two centuries but a town where people continue their daily lives in the modern sense. The retention of the older scene makes pos­ sible the functioning of the current way of life. It is a basic pre­ mise of our Association that we devote our efforts to the con­ tinuance of keeping Nantucket a true place of history.

Respectfully submitted, Edouard A. Stackpole President

10

Secretary's Report of Annual Meeting The 74th annual meeting of the Nantucket Historical Associa­ tion held on Tuesday, July 16, 1968 at the Friends Meeting House on Fair Street, was called to order at 2:30 p.m. by the President, Mr. Edouard Stackpole, with 73 persons in attendance.

The Secretary's report of the 1967 Annual Meeting was read and approved.

Inasmuch as all committee reports were printed in the July issue of HISTORIC NANTUCKET which was already in the hands of the members, the President waived reading them. There were no questions concerning the reports and he then presented his annual report.

Mr. Stackpole noted there were two important events that have occurred this past year in the Association — the first event was the Trust fund under the will of Admiral William Folger being left to the Association with a building soon to be erected similar to the lines of the Coffin School and called the Peter Foulger Memorial. The Council voted to place the funds from this trust in the hands of the Old Colony Trust Co. in Boston until needed. The second event was the acquisition of the Old Town Building. This has been offered to the Association by the Town for $1.00. After many consultations the cost of renovating the building seemed too much for the Association to handle, but the Nantucket Historical Trust agreed to defray the cost of this renovation.

Mr. Stackpole noted the changes in personnel which included the death of Mrs. Nancy Adams and a fitting memorial for the Fair Street Museum will be decided upon soon; the death of Leonard Giles who served as Treasurer; the election of Roger Roche as Treasurer to fill the gaps between Irving Sylvia and Norman Giffin; Mrs. Ellen Chace's retirement after 15 years of service and Mrs. Reginald Hussey's appointment as Librarian; Miss Dorothy Gardner as Curator; and Miss Helen Winslow now working in the Whaling Museum.

The annual gam was held at the Maria Mitchell Library in February and was attended by over 100 persons.

The report of the nominating committee consisting of Mrs. Edgarton, Chairman, and Isabel Duffy, and Norman Giffin, was given by Mrs. Edgarton, with Mr. Jones presiding, who made the following nominations: President: Edouard A. Stackpole; Vice Presidents: Miss Grace Brown Gardner, W. Ripley Nelson, Alcon Chadwick, Henry Cole­ man, Albert Egan, Jr., George Jones; Honorary Vice President: Mrs. William F. Mather; Treasurer: Roger Roche; Secretary;

REPORT OF ANNUAL MEETING

11

Mrs. Austin Tyrer; Curator: Miss Dorothy Gardner; Councillors, four years: Albert G. Brock, John N. Welch.

Mr. Jones asked if there were other nominations from the floor and there were none. Motion was made, seconded and carried that nominations be closed and the Secretary be instructed to cast one ballot for the slate as read. That action was taken and all officers were declared elected. Mr. Jones then returned the meeting to the President.

He then introduced the speaker, Mr. Robert Leach. Mr. Leach is now living in Switzerland but he had made a thorough study and read all the records here during the years 1698-1763 and talked about the "Importance of Nantucket." Even though he was a fourth generation Vineyarder, he compared the alps of Switzerland to the moors of Nantucket and said nowhere else in the world has he ever seen the masses of flowers that exist in both places.

His talk on the Quakers of Nantucket brought out many interesting and little known facts about these people.

Mr. Stackpole then said there were several members present who should be recognized, among them one of the most active members of the Association, who has done much to serve with his time and practical applications and asked Mr. Ripley Nelson to stand as the members applauded; also Dr. Emil Guba, who is now living here. Dr. Guba spoke a few words and said it is always a pleasure to attend the meetings. Mr. Crosby, the Editor of HISTORIC NANTUCKET; Miss Mildred Brooks who has just issued a nice collection of verse; Miss Gardner, the Curator; Mr. Roche, the Treasurer; Miss Winslow; and Mrs. Chace, the retired Librar­ ian, were also asked to take a bow.

The meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Tyrer Secretary

12

Green Hand on The Susan 1841 - 1846

BY EDGAR L. MCCORMICK

Part II Terrapin and a Few Whales (Continued from HISTORIC NANTUCKET, July 1968) N May 31, 1842, the Susan steered west from the coast of Peru into a fog so thick that Andrew Meader reported, "We stand mast head only at the main." On June 1, the Island of St. Laurenso lay seven leagues N. & E., with shipping plainly visible in the Calao roads. Two days later the crew caught skip­ jacks, albacore and dolphins, fish of the "small-fry order." Three boats lowered for blackfish that afternoon, and Mr. George Macy's bow boat, with Mr. Valentine B. Pease as steerer, struck and saved a very large one. On June 4, after getting the heavy tackles aloft, the crew heaved in the blackfish with the windlass, "peeled" him, and tryed him.

At 8:00 p.m. on June 10, the Susan approached Chatham Is­ land. The next day, after steering down the N.W. side, Captain Russell sounded the harbor, going in with a boat in search of wood. He found 6Vs> fathoms within one-half mile of shore. But expeditions for wood were secondary to the search for terrapin.

Two boat crews were gone 2Yz days, returning on the 13th with 48 large turtles. Captain Russell noted in the log: "Found terra­ pin very plenty at Chatham Island but had to go about 20 miles to windward with boats generally absent 2 and 3 days. Found the terrapin near the shore . . . wood rather scarce. In Stephens Bay . . . saw plenty of good wood near the shore."

On June 13, the Captain "went ashore with one boat on an excursion. Coming off saw three men on a point of rocks waving their hats. Went in and took them off. Proved to be three desert­ ers from the ship Metacomb (Reynolds, New Bedford), 8 months out." Meader listed them as Charles Teal of Geneva, N. Y., Hugh Smith of Liverpool, and Oscar Whitlord of New York. They had been on this "deserted island" for five days.

On June 14, the Charles Carroll (Andrews, Nantucket), 24 months out, 1800 bbl. and the Minerva Smith (Brownell, New Bedford), 30 months out, 1400 bbl., arrived from Tombez.

Meader, on one of the last of the terrapin hunts, reported on June 16, the capture of 66 terrapin in four hours. Then on June 17, the Susan "took the trades and steered N. W." . . . "with 110 terrapins, 10 large green turtles, 4 seal skins and plenty of wood, we weigh anchor," wrote Meader, "and leave the three men aboard the Charles Carroll, raise and pass an Island called 'Por­ ter's Island,' steering N. W." The next day they passed James Island and raised another of the Galapagos Islands, Albermarle. There, on June 19, a gam ensued from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the James Munroe (Cushman, Fair-haven), 18 months out, 1100 bbl. In company, the ships

O

GREEN HAND ON THE SUSAN

13

proceeded westward on the Line. On June 23, the Captain noted the taking- of a small sperm whale.

"Everyone feels encouraged again," wrote Meader, "and think as we have now broke the spell that we stand a good chance of getting something this season." The next day the trying-out began after breakfast; and was over by noon, the yield, a modest 20 barrel.

Captain Russell tersely labeled July 4, as the "American An­ niversary." But his green hand found time to elaborate on the crew's point of view: "All hands seem willing to celebrate . . . by firing our Big Gun, which for the last three months has stood idle and facing the hawser hole forward . . . ; however, the Capt. . . . seeing most of the forenoon watch idle, chose rather to notice the day by giving us a delicate little job of rubbing the mould from some slop shoes that he had opened. [Then! we went down to our Independent dinner which was Pork and Beans and Beans and Pork and Potatoes and Pork and Beans and independent sure enough it was, for the Beans seemed to be swelled to open combat with the Pork and the Pork with the taters, but as the Beans overpowered in number so they of course gained the victory and it was consequently called Beanday instead of Independence Day." One fellow "lying napping in his bunk was dreaming of his being on New York Battery seeing the club boats glide about in the river and the soldiers and dragoons parading . . . when sud­ denly he thought he was riding on horse back and . . . his hair caught in the trees while his horse walked off and left him hang­ ing, he singing out to the height of his voice oh my poor boots! save my boots [while] his chummy had been . . . pulling his hair and beating him, trying to wake him to tell him that it was the Fourth of July and his next loft."

On July 6, on the Off-Shore grounds the Susan spoke the Conivay of London (King, Master), 33 months out, 1600 sperm.

Meader described the international gam that followed: ". . . lower their waist boat and their Capt. and Doctor (for English whale ships all carry a Doctor) come aboard of us. . . . they staid with us till 10 in the evening, amusing us with their curious Eng­ lish stories, songs, dancing, etc., etc., when they go aboard after picking up a few pipes and some tobacco. I am speaking of the boat's crew, for the gentlemen I had not the honor of seeing."

The next day they gammed again, with Mr. Pitman, the Mate, taking the boat's crew aboard the Comvay while English hands visited the Susan.

On the 12th, the Captain was concerned about an accident involving the waist boat in lowering for blackfish: "a cunacker [sic] boy at the fall let go a main . . . the boat was filled to the gunwails [sic] with water and came nigh to breaking in two. . . ."

Encounter with other whalers were the bright moments in what was usually a test of patience. On July 13, Captain Russell observed that "we are now seven months out with only one hun­ dred bbls. Everything looks dull and gloomy around us, neither

14

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

whales nor ships to be seen but we have nought to complain of but to wait patiently until our turn comes around." Four days later the Susan spoke the Marcus (Wood, Fairhaven) 20 months out, 1000 bbls. "Mr. Pitman went on board and saw his brother whom he had not seen in 11 years."

On the 24th the Susan encountered a dissatisfied crew on the Columbus (Gardner, Nantucket), 39 months out, 1200 sperm.

After sighting the ship and running for her, they "spoke her, invited her Capt. aboard . . . soon after he boarded us, Mr. Pitman took their boat and changing crews, according to custom, we went aboard of them and gam'd till about 1 o'clock at midnight.

The crews seem greatly dissatisfied with their officers and charge them with a want of energy for a voyage, two boat-steerers and a third mate have left her since she left home, and in fact so have all her former crew except four Nantucket boys named Thos. Hill, Jones, Isaac Dunham and William Morris, who have not had a chance."

Contrast the quiet state of affairs on the Susin where Cap­ tain Russell's chief concern on July 25 was that he had failed to wind the chronometer the day before!

On July 28, a gam provided a brief respite from the mon­ otony: "At 3 p.m.," recorded Meader, "raised a sail to windward, run down for us, spoke us, and by an invitation from Capt. Rus­ sell the Capt. came aboard. Soon after Mr. Pitman (the Mate) changed crews and went aboard. I was among the happy number who thus enjoyed the privilege of changing the scene of our ship for that of another. She proved to be the Harrison of New Bedford, Smith, master, 12 mos. 500 bbls. sperm. A fine ship, and every­ thing in the best style. She told us the ship Orbit, Nantucket, Capt.

Raymond, was ashore near Tayta, that her second mate had shot one of the hands from the masthead and the Capt. had fled the ship. It was considered as not done accidentally. We gam'd till near midnight."

Two whales alongside changed the Susan's luck on July 31, even though the larboard boat "got turned over" in the act of striking and needed assistance. The boiling was done by noon on August 1, and Andrew commented on the scrubbing and scour­ ing that followed: ". . . at sundown one would not know by the looks of our deck that there ever was a drop of oil on it."

On August 2, Meader reported that Mr. Coleman, the 2nd Mate, "raised Blackfish, lowered all four boats, chased them till near sunset neither [sic] boat striking one, except the Starboard and their Iron drawed after the fish had taken out three flakes of the line. They were very large fish and would try out about 7 bbls. each; probably they had been chased before as they were very wild. A great number of gray sharks and Cow Fish were amongst the shoal. The cow fish seem to be a specie of Porpoise.

Otherways that they are a good deal larger and make very high breaches, sometimes throwing themselves out of the water twenty feet into the air. Our Terrapins today are counted and number 55.

Kanakas George and William and Jack Taylor and Pease off

GREEN HAND ON THE SUSAN

15 duty [i.e., sick], "apparently plagued, as Captain Russell indi­ cated, by "Rhumatics, suptures, venereal and whillows."

"Catch a fine porpoise," declared Andrew on August 3, which is minced up, all ready for the Cook's fry-pan." To the Captain that was a day of doing nothing.

On the 6th, however, at 7 a.m. "Jack Russell raised a large shoal of whales on weather beam and weather bow. We tacked ship several times through the day but don't gain on them as they were going fast to windward."

The Susan's luck changed on Sunday, August 7, when the waist boat "fastened two irons and kills a bull-whale" but it too is small and after boiling there are only 150 bbls. altogether after 8 months out. "Watch and watch," wrote the green hand on two successive days, and then on the 10th, sharp-eyed Jack Russell raised a sail on the weather bow: "we exchanged signals and . . . found she was no Nantucket man."

Valentine Pease, boatsteerer, came back on duty that same day, "after having been sick with a very bad bleeding sore on his finger." ". . . It is now early in the Spring here," wrote Meader, "and by two or three days fair wind sail, our weather can be changed by steering North or South, changed from the smooth sea, light wind and clear sunny sky of Summer, to the bleak and cloudy weather of winter. This change has been ex­ perienced by us a number of times, but as the Sun is gradually moving to the Southward, we are now to have more steady weather." Steering S.S.W., the Susan crossed the Line and "saw nothing like whales," as Captain Russell noted succinctly on Au­ gust 16. But that same day "our young ce devant at the Fore Topgallant mast head [Meader's reference on Auugust 13 to a green hand named Louis at the F.T.G. Head seems to provide the necessary antecedent] raised a remarkable sight off the lee beam at which he immediately sings out there she blows but one of the officers at the main on looking in that direction soon in­ formed us that it was only a shoal of Porpoises. The young chap feels mighty proud that he has once more raised his favourite fish for he is subject to seeing them and oftentimes takes them for bigger fish."

On the morning of August 17, just north of the Line (Lat. 02'34"N, Long. 127' 45" W) three boats pursued a large sperm whale, pulling to windward, "but he goes faster than we can," wrote Meader, "so we leave him and come on board having chaced him two hours, long enough to give us an appetite for our break­ fast . . . Cooper the last fares of oil which is on deck. This the first and only job of work that we have done for some time. At present we have but half a day on deck and in our watches below we have nothing to do but read, write, cipher, and last but not by any means least, sleep, in fact some of our fellows make it a practice to devote 13 out of the 24 hours to sleep, none of us getting less than 9 or 10 hours sleep. We are anxious to see the spouts of Sperm Whales."

16

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

But by the next morning the sea became "rugged," with "so many sea-caps that a spout cannot be distinguished but a short distance from the ship. The current is also against us," lamented Andrew, "running strong to Westward" as the Susan steered E.N.E. That evening the crew held their weekly concert in the steerage with various performers on the accordian, Pedro, "on the famous Spanish Banjo," "Ce devant" [the Louis previously mentioned?] "on the celebrated English Jews Harp," and "dis­ tinguished amateurs who kindly volunteer their services" for vocal numbers. "The whole comes off with much applause."

Andrew B. Meader, from a photograph made in Ohio about 1860.

On Saturday, August 20, Captain Russell judged "we are not far from the N.E. Trades. One man, George Joy, a cunaker, very sick probably in a consumption, gave him a warm bath today and bled him in the arm." Sunday Meader reported the weather "rainy, rugged high wind SSE, — equally rugged as Cape Horn."

GREEN HAND ON THE SUSAN

17

The rugged seas persisted until the following Saturday, August 27. "Kanaha George," the consumptive, was quartered in the forward cabin, and the Captain saw little chance for his recovery.

A terrapin, measuring three feet in length, which the Cap­ tain had hoped to take home with him fell victim to the rough seas on August 29. Meader gave the details: "Our big Terrapin, Sam'l Hicks, fetches away from the weather side, goes over the combings of the hatch, and falls into the fore hold against the spare deck-pot, smashing his shell to a thousand pieces, thereby giving us all fore and aft, an extra mess of fresh. It comes ac­ ceptable at this time as we are allowanced but one mess per week."

"Nothing in sight as usual," wrote Captain Russell on the 30th, but on September 2 he recorded briefly, "Saw my brother, Shubeal, whom I had not seen but twice in 24 years." It is Meader, of course, who is explicit about the gam that brought the broth­ ers together. ". . . at daylight raise a sail two miles off the lee bow. After breakfast she send her boat with her Captain on board of us and we find her to be the Erie, Fairhaven, Luce, 21 months, 750 bbls. Spm. Mr. Pitman goes on board of her with the returning boat, and at sundown he comes on board again with their mate, Mr. Russell, and gam till near 10 p.m. Among her crew we find one who have lived 5 years among the Navi­ gator's Island [sic], and he goes through a number of their wardances and songs in our forecastle, amusing us with his curious motions and noises and excels any other white man in imitating the natives. Songs and jokes passing around pretty merrily till 'It's time for them to go'."

The next morning when the "sun was an hour high, raise whales to leeward, lower three boats and give chace, the critters going leeward, steamboat speed. Erie in company, her boats got on first . . . and fastened but the iron drawed. We three boats and the Eries four boats kept up the chace till near noon when the Starboard boat lowered and with the rest of us tugged away at our oars till 1 p.m. when we give it up. We thought if we never earned our breakfast before we did now. It was 6 1/2 hours since we left the Ship, and we all came away in a hurry, not having time to stop for anything to eat."

But there was a dearth of whales. The Captain "saw one solitary finback and one small bird" on September 7. The next day was pleasant, with "no whales." Friday, the 9th, was Meader's 22nd birthday, "celebrated by my having a monkey job of scrap­ ing and slushing a newly scraped and slushed mast. This honor is confer'd upon me by the chief mate because I asked the Cook, 'alias Devil's imp' next time he cooked 'dunderfunk' for the steer­ age to put a little slush in it to moisten it." The Captain spent the day quarreling with the same cook: "all crust and no pie."

On September 10 he "saw nothing as usual," but his green hand was intrigued by "a spot of blood red water the size of our quar­ terdeck. We suppose it to have been the place of a bloody battle between fishes."

18

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Meader next observed a bit of bloody business on board: the butchering of the largest hog, . . our eldest gentleman swine, Mr. P. W. Hog (who had gam'd with us all ever since leaving home) was seized and roughly handed to the lee scuppers where amidst his squirming and squealing, the Cook, Steward, and their supernumeraries soon deprived poor Bill of his most precious life, merely to gratify the appetites of his less footed, but perhaps more hoggish shipmates. After being dead he was soon cleaned, and every part saved of him that was masticable, so that by sundown he was dressed, hung up, and a part of him cooked and on the Captain's Table. The two ship dogs had a mighty fine feast, and for once, if never before, their ravenacious appetites were completely satisfied. That which is left, being about 200 lb. is to serve for and aft tomorrow. We the hands will have one day's living from it, the rest will go to set off the honorable table of the 'Sanctum Sanctorum'."

On Sunday, Meader continued the same subject: "Our hog is cooked and he makes a fine mess. Some imagine him to be too strong tasted and don't eat him, but the steerage imagine him to be sweet tasted and as we all to a lad are partial to sweet meat, so make a glorious dinner and supper. Nothing in sight but clear blue sky and the clear blue sea. As for whales they must have all gone down and can't get up again. Oh Jupiter we pray for whales and more whales but if you won't send us whales, send us ships and more ships that we may gam and have something to do to keep the scurvey out of our bones. Por­ poises at night. Potatoes gone today."

Nine months out, with only 150 bbl. of oil, the Susan moved barely below the Line. It was five weeks since she had "taken a fish," the Captain wrote. "Dull times and no help for it."

If the whales Meader prayed for did not appear, the ships did. On Monday, the 12th, three ships were in sight, the Erie, Fairhaven, Luce, 22 mos. 750 bbls., the Cyrus, Emons [sic], 21 mos. 950 bbls, the Harrison, Smith, 650 bbls. "At 4 p.m. we run down, spoke the Erie, sent the waist Boat aboard with our Cap­ tain. The three masters were on board the Erie, the three mates on board of us, the three second mates on board the Cyrus. The Erie and we changed boat crews and we had the greatest gam living, broke up at 11 o'clock." Two more ships arrived, the Mercury, Haskill, New Bedford. 15 mos. 600 bbls., and the Samuel Robertson, Warner, New Bedford, 101/2 mos., 300 bbls. Meade learned from the Samuel Robertson that off Fernandez "while men were standing aloft at the fore and main, they carried away their foremast and Mn. F. G. Mast, sending both loftsmen into the sea, one a boatsteerer (the other a hand) was hurt very bad so that they were obliged to leave him in Callao . . . the accident was occasioned by carrying sail too hard." "The Mercury," he reported, "rather beats us in sailing although she is the first craft that has begun to come alongside this voyage."

GREEN HAND ON THE SUSAN

19 After the ships parted there was "nothing in sight" except a porpoise which gave the chew "another fresh feast." Meader described its lean meat as very much like beef, coarse grained, and tasting "more of the small fry fish order." But on the 15th, sharp-eyed Valentine Pease raised a shoal of whales off the lee bow, just at noon as the crew were eating. All four boats were lowered at half past twelve. The starboard and larboard boats each took cow whales, but the other boats, even with mast on, got none, the whales "having started like wildfire ... to leeward."

The next day, one hour after the try-works had been fired up, "Mr. Pease raises Grampus near the ship which we take to be whales and accordingly get the Lines in the Boat all ready to lower but the mistake is soon perceived on Capt. Russell's aloft with his spy-glass. So we are quite chap-fallen we couldn't keep the works hot. At 5 p.m. turned the last cask of oil which from both whales make 45 Barrels. Scrub and wash off making the old ship look as good and clean as new."

The trade winds strengthened. The Susan under whole top­ sails steered SSW, just south of the Line on the Western Grounds.

With only finbacks and porpoises in sight, there was time for diversion. "Our Cooper," wrote Andrew on the 20th, "today takes his fifth lesson in pipe smoking, and bids fair to make an adept in the art, although at present he handles the instrument very much as a cow would a musket. Where is life there is hopes, and his excuse for smoking is to cure the toothache. . . . Some­ one has recommended to him to chew tobacco for the disease, but the artist (as the lawyer's wife called her father, who was of the same trade) declines the advice, saying that it savours too much of the noctambulist order. Have a noble dinner from Ter­ rapin," he added, "which in my opinion is the best meat eat if it is properly cooked."

The winds lightened; the porpoises kept their distance, but there were "Albercore [sic] and bonito under the bows all the time and whenever we feel in the small-fry mood we have only to tumble out on the bowsprit, with a few fathoms of rope yarn and a hook the size of a cod hook, baited with a piece of white rag, which soon as it touches the surface of the water, the fish taking it for a fly fish and instantly spring for it with their large mouth widely open, and are always sure to be caught when they bite at the bait. They look very much like a salmon, and vary from the size of a herring to that of a porpoise, they are rather dry eating but the flesh is sweet and goes well when salt junk abounds plentifully."

Friday, September 23, was rainy and squally. Meader, hav­ ing a leisure moment or two described "the shell or boat and instruments with which we sometimes actually do, and always try to catch these big fish." His account, accompanied by "a sketch from a magazine which was written by a young whaler," fills five pages in the journal.

20

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

On the 24th Pease raised a sail "10 miles off lee beam, run down for her and find her to be the Ship Adeline Gibbs," Baylies, Fairhaven, 12^ mos., 550 Bbls. Our Captain went aboard and I numbered among the crew that rowed him. We found the Ship to be a new and a very neat thing. Her men were all white, save the Cook an instance rarely met with in this service but the neatest thing aboard was easily 80 Bbls. of oil stored in casks on deck, the remains of a large fellow they got last Saturday.

May we be equally successful and get four instead of one."

They were to get one small whale, the next day, and one stove boat, in a chase that with better luck would have been the answer to Meader's plea for four whales. He was in the waist boat which struck "a twenty-five Bbl. cow, a saucy, ugly, smart, steam­ boat sort of a jade who keeps rushing to windward . . . striking pretty smartly our stern with his flukes and nearly swamping us by coming under the boat and rolling her over . . . we hold on to him till after dark . . . had been spouting blood some time.

When we cut, the ship was just in sight at dark ... so lighted our lantern up sail . . . soon after which we broke our boat sail mast by carrying on the sail, for it blows now a pretty smacking breeze. At the same time we lost overboard our lantern that was fastened at the top of the mast. Soon after this affair raised a light a short distance to windward. Thought it must be the ship . . . but once near it we found it to be Mr. Macy fast to a whale which he had held spouting blood two hours. Capt. Rus­ sell ordered him to cut, which he did and all three boats started anew for where we though the ship was. 'Twas not long before we discovered the ship's light at the Mizen peak and that we were then steering in altogether the wrong direc­ tion. Although boat header and steerer seemed in no ways alarmed, it was no very pleasant thing to think of sleeping all night in an open boat and then in the morning to find the ship. . . . about two hours after dark (and dark enough it was) we all got aboard. The Bow Boat with a large hole stove in her stern and the loss of half her line. Waist Boat the loss of nearly all her line; the bow oar, the mast and Lantern. Larboard Boat whole skin. We found a small fellow alongside got by the Larboat Boat. He will make about 8 Bbls."

Before breakfast on Sunday, September 25, the cutting-in began. Woods, one of the crew, fell overboard. They put the blubber in junk casks to try-out on Monday. Mr. Coleman, the 2nd mate, "bends a new line." Squally, rainy weather hindered the trying-out the next day. "It has been all day so rugged," declared Andrew, "that we could only keep the pots half full" and the boiling took all day. His earlier estimate of eight barrels proved correct.

Tuesday brought weather "rugged as fury, real Cape horn swell." They supposed a ship hauled up eight miles to leeward to be trying out, and Mr. Pitman, aloft, mistook finbacks for whales.

"Capt. Russell turns the Bow Boat over upon her cranes, and repairs the stoven place, and she is soon thought to be good as new."

GREEN HAND ON THE SUSAN

21

The weather continued "rugged as sin." On September 30 Meader discoursed on the inappropriate term, "Torrid Zone." "... I have just come down from a two hours lookout at F.P.G. head, am provoked, hungry, and cold. Here we are, directly under the Sun in the Torrid Zone and Pacific Ocean but names were never given more inappropriately than to this said Zone and Ocean. Before I came here I had always been given to understand that it was always good smooth weather and a very warm climate.

Instead of these I find it to be and has been these last four months cold enough to wear Pea Jackets aloft daytimes and on watch at night one is most frozen, even with a pea jacket. And then the sea is so rugged that you are likely to get a stoven carcass or be thrown on your beam ends if you undertake to walk decks c-relessly."

The rugged, strong trades welcomed in October, and there was "nothing to do or to be seen except Finbacks." "We are all in a fair way for the gout or scurvey to be extremely prevalent amongst us," wrote Meader. "Joe Battus is actually now so troubled with the 'California fever' (laziness) that he'll not allow himself over five minutes to pick himself up after a fall on a wash-off-deck-morning. In fact, Brown and all the rest of us get in the same way of old Battus and are so much affected with this fever that we cannot eat our favorite mess of Old horse and Swamp seeds."

Sunday, October 2, brought "clear, smooth, quite like whaling weather." "Mr. Pitman issued an order that there shall be no fishing from for'rard until after 8 Bells 4 P.M. the reason is be­ cause the hands will look down from aloft to watch the fisherman, and thereby not keep a good look-out for whales."

On the 4th "the Skipper favoured us with a half barrel of Pickled Cucumbers and grapes to be used by the crew to keep off the scurvey, now look out for edged teeth and a pain in the Stomach." Captain Russell summed up tersely the events of October 6: "... at 6 A.M. saw a school of large whales going quick to the ENE at 8 lowered three boats and chased about 4 miles without success. . . ." The next day they broke out the main hold and pumped the salt water out of the ground tier casks and hoisted them on deck for coopering, putting an extra hoop on each head. On October 8 they stowed down all the casks, 122 Bbl. (70 Bbls. had been sent home previously) a total of 192 Bbls.

"Scrub off decks by 4 p.m.," wrote Meader, "when we are allowed fresh water to wash our frightful visages; this treat we have not had (unless stolen) since leaving port, all our washing having to be done in Salt water or lie [sic]."

October 9, a Sunday, was memorable to Andrew as the day "Cockroaches make their first appearance in public, yet we have had the scent of their being on board even since we gam'd with the Columbus." On Monday, Mr. Pease raised Finbacks and Blackfish, and the Larboard boat struck and saved one. "Before he turned out," said Meader, "he gives us a fine circuitous ride of 6 or 8 miles." After peeling off the blubber, they "dissect his body to get the Poke for a drug. In opening we found a good sized

22

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

squid and a number of squids mouths and bills, two which we saved."

Captain Russell's entry for October 12 tersely covers a suc­ cessful chase: at 1 P.M. saw a large school of sperm whales to leeward, at 2 lowered all the Boats, struck three and saved them, drugged on other, at 5 P.M. got them all alongside."

Meader's journal, as usual, is explicit and is apparently written by one of his fellows: "Mr. Pitman strikes first. Capt. Russell then strikes one and lances a loose one, he then tells the Waist boat to pull up and fasten to the loose one, which we did. Capt. R. then cut our line close up to the whale and sends us after other ones 40 miles to leeward, and what cap'd the climax was that when we got alongside he claims both whales. . . . Get all three cow whales alongside by 5 P.M. Meader strikes and saves a large blue Shark which we skin (to use polishing ivory) and get his poke."

By 11 A.M. the next day, all three whales are on deck and the crew finished setting up the Bobstay, a job postponed when the whales were raised. By noon on the 14th the boiling was over, and the Susan had 50 more barrels to stow away. A celebra­ tion followed two nights later. "Blacksmith, Cooper and Meader put their heads together and between the three they manufac­ ture and bring forth a steel triangle, a Konk [sic] shell, and a Tamboreane [sic] (made from a porpoise poke skin) and by due ceremony the three instruments are publicly added to the existing musical band, which now consists of a Accordion, Banjo, Large Jew's Harp, Triangle, Tamborene, Shell Horn (stolen Talcahuano property) and one or two pairs of dark colored heels and toes. Every man with his piece, the performers are arranged on the forecastle deck in the dog watch, to rehearse a few tunes by moonlight but all others were eclipsed and fairly put behind the door by the young man Charles Mifflin, alias Allen Stram, alias Philadelphia, alias Joe Battus alias Allum Pork who played the Tamboreane. He was perfectly in boots and livery with the instrument and you would have thought he had supped on Fried Tripe and Whiskey to see him beat and jump Jim Crow. 'Twas done to a letter and old Jim himself would have rolled up de ivite ob de eye and walked off to see himself so well imitated."

"Kill three 15 lb. pigs," the entry ends, "for a tea-party fore and aft tomorrow."

Fine weather persisted and the Susan's luck held. On Mon­ day, October 17, she took three whales. After the cutting up was done, at 10 in the evening the gangway rail went overboard. The Starboard boat searched for it without success.

"Kanaka George pretty poorly," reported Andrew on Friday the 21st. On October 23, a Sunday, he died. "He had been sick ever since leaving Chatham Island where we suppose he took a heavy cold," wrote Meader. "For these last three months he had been living in the forward Cabin under the immediate care of Captain Russell who had tried all his skill in restoring him to health, feeding him on fresh provisions and drawing very largely on the

GREEN HAND ON THE SUSAN

23

medicine chests, but all his care and exertions amounted to noth­ ing. . . . He was a native of one of the Sandwich Islands, called Owyhee, has left a wife and children, was 24 years old and thought to be a good man. As soon as daylight Capt. Russell who had been all night with Geo. came on deck and ordered the lee quarter deck to be put in order to lay the corpse out upon, which being done, it was brought on deck enclosed in a white sheet as a shroud, and laid on a board resting upon two barrel heads. We then sowed [sic] it up in another thick canvass [sic] covering, made a bag to contain the sand with which to sink him, and when all this was done, Capt. Russell laid the Ship's colours over it. In the mean­ time the decks had been scrubbed, Fly Gib and Mn T. G. Sail Sett [sic]. All expected the time to bury him would be right after breakfast but in this we were disappointed, for it was 4 o'clock in the afternoon when we brought the corpse along to the warst, wove Ship, hove the Main Yard aback, then laying the corpse on the Waist board one end of which rested on the plankshead, the other on the deck. As soon as the bag of sand could be made fast to the feet of the body, the word was passed from the Captain, who stood on the weather side of the deck, to the mate and from him to two of the crew who had voluntarily assembled in the waist, to hear a Chapter from the Bible. Yet not a word was said except "up the board" and one end resting on the plankshead the next moment was "Up Up." A splashing in the water and a few bubbles told that it was the last of poor George . . . and our thoughts were turned to the orders of the officers which was to Brace for'rard the main yard and furl the mainsail.

(To Be Continued)

24

The William J. Landry

BY KAREN KALMAN

First Prize, 1968 Historical Essay Contest EASTER Sunday on Nantucket, 1950, was one of deep signifi­ cance. During the preceding 24 hours the fate of three Nantucket men on board the deep-sea scallop vessel the William J. Landry, had been unknown and hopes gradually sank as the wide search failed to reveal any trace of the Landry or the Four Sisters, an­ other scalloper caught in the storm.

It was just before midnight on April 7, 1950, Good Friday, when the Landry was last seen. The scalloper had been on the scallop grounds 100 miles off shore when the northeast gale hit; she was on her way to her home port of New Bedford when she got caught in the shoal water of the Pollock Rip. Captain of the ship, Arne Hansen, radioed that his craft was badly battered and was taking in water. The first messages from the skipper were received at 6:20 o'clock on Friday night, and then the Coast Guard was alerted.

Hansen said that the ship was about 8 miles east of the Pollock Rip Lightship, and he made no alarm against the safety of his boat. The gale was driving at a 50-mile-an-hour clip at the time, but his engines were slow and they were getting closer to the lightship.

As the wind started to pick up the word started to get around about the Landry, and the people all waited with high hopes that she would make it back to port safely.

As the Landry was working her way to the lightship, she was in contact with the Chatham Marine Radio Station, and then the Captain asked to be connected with the 'phone at his home in Nantucket.

A few minutes later he was talking to his wife, and reassur­ ing her that the storm was bad but the men were bailing hard and they would be home in the morning.

Back home all of the veteran fishermen said they had never seen such a storm. The winds were up to 60-70 miles an hour gusts. The Landry was caught in the worst place, the Pollock Rip channel. It might have been that Captain Hansen was trying to take advantage of the west tide and drive the boat through the slue and then into the sound. The Landry was in contact with the Molly and Jane, and at 11:00 p.m., reported the pumps were working, the crew bailing, and the engines working, so he kept to his own belief that they would make it.

All of the Nantucket people listened to the radio reports on where the Landry was and how she was doing. It was late in the afternoon when Mrs. Hansen went down to Capt. Sjolund and asked him to get in touch with her husband's boat on his radio.

Mr. Sjolund got him and Capt. Hansen said that he was pro­ ceeding toward Nantucket Sound, and that he was 17 miles east

THE WILLIAM J. LANDRY

25

of the Pollock Rip Lightship. The time was 4:45 p.m. on Friday.

About one hour later Hansen radioed back for help, saying that the Landry was in danger and that she was taking in an aw­ ful lot of water.

The Nantucket people that were listening to all of the reports said that something should be done. So the Hornbeam was ordered out of Woods Hole, but was delayed for about four hours because a smaller boat, the Spar, had drifted out and was blocking the channel. She finally pulled out at 9 :45 and her Captain said the storm was the worst he had ever seen. After a while the storm got so bad they had to stop for the night.

At daybreak the next day the Hornbeam headed for the Pol­ lock Rip, and finally reached the last given place the Landry had been seen, at 7:30 o'clock.

The Pollock Rip Lightship's skipper stated that at 7:30 p.m.

Friday he offered to put lines aboard the Landry but the offer was refused.

The listeners on Nantucket all knew that Captain Hansen would not refuse because the waves were as large as 40 feet, and were breaking on the shoal, and it was too dangerous to try to put his boat through it.

The lightship pumped oil into the sea to try to keep the waves from breaking over the Landry. During the night the Landry found its way up closer to the lightship.

Chief Emro, skipper of the lightship, stated that a large wave hit the lightship knocking himself and two of his men to the floor and when they got up, the Landry that had been one mile in front of them a few minutes ago was now gone and there was no sign of her. Then he called to her but had no reply, he reported to headquarters. It was 12:05 a.m., Saturday.

Back at the Chatham Coast Guard station, Boatswain's Mate Frank Masaschi tried to take out a dory and a 36-foot lifeboat, but he and his three other crew members gave up the idea around 10 p.m., Friday.

All through the night the blinding snow made it impossible for air and surface search; but all through the night hope of again being contacted with the Landry was the only thing the people had hope in. Early in the morning the Coast Goard rescue failed to turn up anything. i At mid-day, Saturday, the cutter Legare reported that wreck­ age had been spotted over by the area east of Great Point. This wreckage consisted of a hatch cover, two pillows, and a mattress.

A great quantity of splintered wood was also sighted at this same time.

At 4 p.m., Saturday, some more of the wreckage was seen over by Wauwinet. This was a section of the pilot house, and dory cradles. Leroy Anderson, brother-in-law of Captain Hansen, went to the scene and inspected the wreckage. He stated that at that time it looked like part of the missing craft's top-gear.

Later, part of the door, and a ladder and other parts of wood were sighted.

26

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

The local Coast Guard stayed on the beaches all day and night, and were joined by the islanders. Little hope that the men could have gotten a dory over the side was held out, due to the fact that even if they had gotten the dory over the side, the water would have swamped it before they would have had a chance.

Captain Arne Hansen was born in Norway and came to this country about twelve years before the wreck. He formerly shipped as a seaman aboard freighters and liners between this country and Europe. Before taking command of the Landry, he was a member of the crew of the Eunice Lillian, former fishing vessel of Captain Rolf Sjolund. Although only 37 years of age Mr. Hansen had learned a great deal about the sea and the way to run a good boat. He was survived by his wife, Olga Hansen and two small children, Norman and Eric, ages 2 and 5.

Lost with Captain Hansen was 42 year old Earl C. Blount.

He had been the cook aboard the boat ever since 1948. He was a native of Nantucket and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Blount. He was a former member of the Nantucket Police Department, and enlisted in the Army during World War II and served with a tank division in Italy. In 1947 he received an honor­ able discharge. Before the war he had served two other enlist­ ments in the Army. His former wife was Helen Eldridge. He was a former member of the Byron L. Sylvaro Post, American Legion. He was survived by a daughter, Miss Barbara Ann Blount, a son, Earl C. Blount, Jr.; a sister Mrs. Antone Sylvia, and a brother, Merwin Blount; all of Nantucket.

The third Nantucket man aboard the Landry was Theodore Poloski. He was 29 years of age and a native of Canansburg, Pennsylvania. He served in the Coast Guard from July 24, 1942 till November 20, 1945 at Brant Point and was stationed on board the cutter Hornbeam.

As far as schooling went he attended most of his schools in Strabane, Pa. Before he went into the Coast Guard he worked as a coal loader for the Pittsburgh Coal Company in Pittsburgh.

After leaving the Coast Guard he worked as a mason's tender and carpenter before shipping as a crew member on the Landry.

He was survived by his wife the former Margaret Hull of Nantucket; he also had two children, Theodore J., Jr., and Michael Hull Poloski. They were the ages of 4 and nine months.

There were also his parents Mr. and Mrs. John Poloski, a brother, Walter, and a stepsister, Marie; all of Strabane.

The five other crew members were Arthur J. Sylvia, age 32, of Fall River; Donald C. Correia, age 23, Thomas Donahue, 20; and Mitchell Kuliga, 33, of New Bedford; and Harold Lodden, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Kuliga left three children, the youngest 18 months old.

27

Dory Fishing

BY ARTHUR MCCLEAVE

As told to the late Henry C. Carlisle, 1959 Transcribed by Richard F. Swain I AM HENRY CARLISLE, in the attic at 75 Main Street on Nantucket in 1959. This is another Nantucket interview. I am about to have the pleasure of being part of a two-man gam, chatting before a tape recorder with Arthur McCleave about his tremendous experience in the fishing grounds off Nantucket Is­ land. Arthur is now 83 years of age and he started fishing at the age of 15.

Arthur, you tell me you've been fishing off the beach in dories for over 60 years. Now how did this all start?

Well, in the early days before I can remember, fishin' was done in boats about the size of whale boats, manned by six men.

And that was not a dory.

Not a dory.

Very much larger.

Each man kept what fish he caught, and they were all threw together, and in order to distinguish them, they had private marks, such as a slit tail, or a cut across the head, and so forth.

When they landed on the beach they had so many fights over dividing up the fish that they abandoned the large boats and took to large skiffs, manned by two men. The skiffs did not prove to be practical for landing on the beach in rough weather. Then, someone introduced the dory which proved to be the best type of boat for shoving in and landing through the surf.

Well, now about what year was this that they introduced the dory? Do you remember that?

That was about, ah, eighteen hundred'n ninety two. About the time I started fishin' in 1891, there were about 40 dories fishin' from 'Sconset, 20 from Quidnet, and a few from Wauwinet.

These were all one-man dories, 13 foot on the bottom and 17 foot over all. Each man had a fish house on the beach, where he dressed and salted his catch, and durin' the fishin' season, October to Thanksgivin', and March to June, we all had a small house on the beach to live in. In those days everyone salted their fish. We would keep them under salt for four days, wash them out and dry them on the flakes for four days, and then ship them to Boston, Provi­ dence, New Bedford, and to wholesale grocers. It would be at least a month before we received any money from the time we caught the fish. Now, after the fall season was over, around Thanksgivin', we would double up — that is, we would go two men to a dory — larger dories. These dories would be fifteen foot on the bottom and about twenty feet over all. We would live in town, and drive to Surfside with a horse and wagon. At Surfside we'd fish for haddock with trawls.

Yeah?

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Each dory would have four tubs of trawls, five hundred hooks in each tub.

Now wait. That's two thousand hooks. Is that right?

Each dory. My dory mate and myself have often landed five or six hundred fish in one dory. We would start from town at 4 a.m. and it would often be 1 a.m. the next mornin' before we were through baiting up two thousand hooks and ready to go again.

Well, did you bait them every day — two thousand hooks?

At night.

At night?

At night, sure. Bait 'em at night, have 'em all ready to go the next mornin'.

Well. . . .

Then we had to open clams first, for bait. Had to dress the fish, ice 'em out, and pack 'em. That's when we were fresh fishin,' y'know. We used to ship haddock to New York y'know. . . ., y'had to pack them.

Why, that's a terrible day.

You know it! You used to work twenty, twenty-two hours, steady.

And nobody could do it now, could they?

God, no. They don't try — he,he. We had a dory at Wauwinet, 'Sconset, Surfside and 'Sachacha.

One in each place.

Durin' the winter, if 'twas too rough to get off in one place, we could fish at another, see, and we used to fish all winter.

Yeah?

We used to fish all winter.

Now, let me get the kind of fish straight. There was, ah, it was codfish, except at Surfside, and Surfside was — Yup, haddock. It was haddock at Surfside. Of course we got some codfish mixed in, y'know, but mostly haddock at Surfside.

Well, when I was a boy, I was at 'Sconset when I was four or five years old, I spent two summers there, or six or seven years old, and I can remember the dories coming in full of bluefish.

Bluefish. We used to get bluefish to 'Sconset in the summer, y'know.

Oh, that was summer.

Summer.

But you didn't fish in the summer.

No, I fished — I had a big boat, I used to go swordfishin' in summer.

Yes. I had a steamer.

Oh. I had a steamer at one time.

Well, you've caught your share of fish around this island.

Yup. I've been in all kinds. I've been trappin'. I had three traps at one time, fish traps, y'know.

Yes, like they had at the Chord of the' Bay, down near Coskata.

DORY FISHING

29

Yeah.

Now let's get back to the dory fishin'. . . .

It was a common occurence for someone to smash up a dory in landin' on the beach. But in those days we would chip up and buy him a new one the same night.

Uh, how's that?

Yes, that's the way we worked them days.

Ah, they must have had a few narrow escapes or close calls in that work.

Well, we had a few. I remember one particular. We was off Sankaty, thirteenth of January.

Wow! We had four ten-line tubs out. Y'know that's with two thousand hooks.

Yeah.

And it come up snow squalls, the wind breezed up nor'west, and we had about four hundred fish in 'er — big cod fish — and we was just gettin' ready t'dump 'em overboard. The boat started to roll and we'd fill 'er every time, y'know, so one man was just paddlin'. My pardner says "Are we gainin'?" I says, "Sure." We was goin' astern all the time.

Yeah?

There happened to be a vessel out there, and he was lookin' for us. It was comin' up — the snow squall was comin' up, and he shot up alongside. He says, "Boys, you're takin' long chances."

We says, "We know it." So we hove out a couple a hundred on his deck, and he towed us in under 'Sconset.

He anchored.

We made two trips ashore with the fish, what we had in the dory and what he had on deck, and we had to hire a horse and wagon from 'Sconset from Jim Coffin to bring part of them to town. So that night he parted, this vessel parted that towed us in.

Now what do you mean "parted"?

Parted his cable.

Oh. The only thing that saved him was a Lathrop engine. He'd start 'er up — 'twas a moonlight night — he started her up and run in under the land, y'know, fer ten minutes and let her drift ten minutes. And the next mornin' 'twas down to three. The only thing that saved him was that Lathrop engine. If that engine'd ever played out, he'd have gone on the beach.

But you were — you'd gone ashore, and you'd — Yeah, we'd gone ashore. Down to thirty-eight when we landed.

And you'd come in in the dark in the middle of the night.

Yeah.

And, ah, you had your fish though.

We had the fish. Oh, one time we was off Surf side, my pard­ ner and I. In fact, this pardner I was speakin' about, he and I went together for twenty years. He used to be skipper out of Boston, big vessels, and his name was Ed Travoy.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Well, he was with you for twenty years, but, er, in dories as well as — In dories. And then he used to go with me in the summer on the steamer. One time we was off Surfside, sou'west of Miacomet Rip, in the winter, and we had so many fish in the dory, the seas would come in one side, and the fish was piled up aft, and go out the other. The sea would come in one side and roll out the other.

One of us was bailin' with a bucket, and the other fella was rowin' till we got by the end of Miacomet Rip. When we landed, the keeper of the Surfside Station — they was all down there when we landed. We had seven hundred fish in 'er and the keeper says, "Don't never do that again," he says, "all I could see was the tops of your heads." He says, "We was comin' off, but we didn't think 'twould be any use."

And this was the middle of winter.

Middle of winter. We had seven hundred fish, and they were cod and haddock mixed. They shoved in the dory and took out three hundred of us before we landed. We was about that much out of the water, that's all.

And they averaged what — four or five pounds apiece?

Yup, four or five pounds. Now that's a load. That's seven hundred fish in a dory.

Arthur, let's get a few more details about this dory fishing, because I don't think anybody else is going to do it.

No, never.

There aren't any more dories right now. I think you told me I have one in the barn thirty years old, but in general there are no more dories.

No. So this is the last recording we're going to get on dory fish­ ing around the island, I think.

I think so.

All right. You've told about horses taking you out. Horses pullin' the dories out, up, and the number of fish — no, the num­ ber of hooks on a trawl, and the number of trawls — trolls you call them.

Trolls, yeah.

In a boat, four.

Four tubs.

Are in a, no, the number of trolls in a tub?

No, there are five hundred hooks in a tub, four tubs.

That's two thousand.

Yeah.

And you told about the number of fish in a boat and the kind of fish that you got at Surfside and at 'Sconset, and have we named all the rips? What about the rips, now. You went off 'Sconset and there's a rip there.

Pochick.

Pochick Rip. And then there's Bass Rip. Bass Rip?

DORY FISHING

31

Yeah.

It's out about a mile, or two miles?

Pochick Rip's about three quarters of a mile. Bass Rip's ah, four miles.

I see. And then what's off Surf side? What rip?

Miacomet Rip. Yeah?

Miacomet. That's off about three miles. We used to go out­ side of that in the winter. Dories. No power, just oars.

And one of the worst things were the, ah, hardest things was getting the lines baited and cutting the bait.

Yes, yes, cut the bait. Open the clams.

Now those were not quahogs, they were — Well, sometimes we had to use quahogs, sometimes we used sea clams, sometimes soft clams — whatever we could get.

Well now, how did they get sea clams? I've seen them after a storm here on the beach.

Oh, they — How did you get them without a storm?

Oh, there was a lot in the harbor at one time. They used to tong them. Use tongs, y'know. You've seen tongs?

Oh, yes.

Well, they used to tong 'em.

You used scallop rims?

Scallop rims.

Aren't they very soft?

Yeah, we used to put 'em on the bench and let 'em drain, see, instead of pickin' them up in your hand, hookin' them on.

We used to put the hook in like that, see, and wind 'em around the hook. They'd stay on better than any bait there was.

Why, I'd think they would fall right off.

No, you put the hook in like that and wind 'em around. They'd dry right on the hook.

Yeah.

Best bait there was.

Now how many years did this dory fishing go on? You say you started it sixty years ago, about.

Yup. Well it had been goin' on before that some, y'know.

That's what started the little settlement of 'Sconset, wasn't it?

Yeah.

Little houses there.

That's what started Codfish Park, under the bank. That's what they call it now — Codfish Park.

So that was probably forty years or more before you.

Yeah.

All right. Then you did it for what — thirty years or more?

Well, let's see. I started in when I was about fifteen. I was born in "76 — that's eighty six, sixty years.

Now, Arthur, let's have a little more detail on this hook trawling.

Hook trawlin', we'd have four tubs. They were sugar barrels

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

cut off about two thirds of the way up. We'd have these lines, what we call sixteen-pound lines, about half as big as your finger, and every six feet apart we'd tie on a ganjun (?) with a hook on the end, and it would hang down like that from the big line. See? Yeah.

And we'd anchor on one end. When you first started, you'd throw out an anchor, with the trawl attached to it, then one man would row and the fella would throw these hooks out, like that, and they'd run about two miles to the half of the length, four tubs.

Yeah?

Hooks about six foot apart. Two miles and a half long.

All right. It was anchored on one end.

Anchored on one end, then when we got 'em all out, we'd drop an anchor on the other end.

And then leave it there?

Then leave it for an hour. Sometimes we'd row back to the other end start the haul. Sometimes we'd lay on that end where we dropped. All depended on the tide and conditions, y'know.

We'd be over in about an hour and a half.

And this was for codfish, mostly?

Codfish and haddock, yeah, and one fella would haul. He'd have a pair of nippers on. Did y'ever see nippers?

No. They slip on your hands, y'know. Some have rubber nippers, some have woolen nippers. One fella would haul and the other fella'd coil in the tub and coil it all back. Then they'd have a gaff, come to a fish y'know, just hook the gaff in, and slip 'em in.

But when you coil with a thousand hooks on, you really got a job of keeping it from getting tangled.

Oh, no, no trouble at all. Just lay 'em in there, every hook's right on top.

Is that so.

The way you haul 'em y'know. When you come to bait up, you don't touch the ground line at all. You just pick the hooks and bait 'em.

Well, Arthur, the way you say it, it sounds easy. But if you took a greenhorn and did it — He wouldn't last five minutes. Hell no.

You say what, you've seen — I've seen greenhorns start to go trawlin.'

Yes. They see how 'twas done, and one day they'd never tackle it.

Another day they'd get all balled up. I had an old fella with me one winter, trawlin.' We was off Quidnet, it breezed up nor-east and we had a big load of fish on — three or four hundred. It breezed up, getting rougher and rougher every minute. 'Course every sea on the beach was a breaker, y'know. No chance to land a'tall. So on the way in, I says — he's a queer bird — I says, "Johnny, when she strikes the beach, drop your oars and jump.

Never mind the dory, never mind the oars or anything. Just jump and get clear of the dory." "Well," he says, "my grandfather was

DORY FISHING

33

drowned and I had one brother drowned." "Well," I says, "you're damned consolin'," I said, "you think we're goin' to drown today?"

And he says, "We might, you seaweed." He, he, he, he, he. This fella was queer, y'see.

Well, you might have, too.

When we did land, the next sea levelled us right off, what I mean. . . .

When you say levelled it off, that means your gunwale was down to the water?

Whv, after we struck the beach, the next sea filled 'er full of water, washed the fish out. That's when you have to look out, when your landin' y'know. You're liable to get hurt when them dories hit vou. .

Well, I think this has been really good, Arthur. I think that for the present this is all we can put on here about fishing from the shore in dories, which I think is a very interesting subject.

So let's go to another one now. But anyway, this is all there is for the dories. Please turn the record over for the Arthur McCleave number 2. This will be about wrecks, and then about all kinds of fish.

(Arthur McCleave died in 1964 at the age of 88. — Ed.)

34

Treasurer's Report NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION BALANCE SHEET — May 31, 1968 ASSETS Current: Cash in checking accounts Cash in savings accounts Investments Total current assets Real Estate, land and buildings: Whaling Museum Hadwen House-Satler Memorial Fair Street Oldest House Old Mill 1800 House Nantucket House Old Jail West York Street — Land Hose House Collections Furniture and fixtures Micro film readers

FUNDS Fund Balances Restricted funds — principal and income Restricted Funds — principal Surplus by appraisal of real estate May 31, 1968 General Fund

S

2,281.07 81,663.77 21,100.00 105,044.84

118,318.91 100,000.00 75,000.00 12,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 2,000.00 2.000.00 2.000.00 341,318.91 150,000.00 1,396.78 800.00 493,515.69 S 598,560.53

$

8,718.24 49,103.22 361,759.68 178,979.39

$ 598,560.53

TREASURER'S REPORT

35

NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION INCOME and EXPENSE STATEMENT for the YEAR ENDED MAY 31, 1968 EXHIBITS INCOME Exhibits: Whaling Museum Hadwen House-Satler Memorial Oldest House Fair Street Old Mill Old Jail 1800 House Hose House Other income: Donations Interest and dividends Annual memberships Sustaining Memberships Life Memberships Other

Other Expenses: Advertising and publicity Historic Nantucket General and administrative exp.

Interest Hadwen House garden Restoration of paintings Net income:

EXPENSES

$19,804.84 $14,213.81 3,097.75 6,186.42 1,056.02 3,035.60 2,346.73 1,353.45 1,507.59 1,123.85 784.75 712.50 675.10 1,208.68 53.75 11.78 $29,814.87 $27,357.75

$ 5.591.03 (3.088.67) 1.979.58 (993.28) (383.74) (72.25) (533.58) (41.97) 2,457.12 6,512.57 4,565.85 4,339.00 1,930.00 1,250.00 588.24 19,185.66 21,642.78 3,305.91 2,402.19 4,719.19 140.62 1,549.68 490.00 12,607.59 $ 9,035.19

36

HISTORIC NANTUCKET NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION ANALYSIS OF FUND BALANCES May 31, 1968

Balance Balance June 1, 1967 Increase May 31. 1968 Restricted Funds — principal and interest Coffin Genealogy $ 5,065.75 $ 250.41 $ 5,316.16 Old Mill Preservation 983.02 50.08 1,033.10 Swain 1,000.0 1,000.00 Will Gardner 682.18 5.47 687.65 Jethro Coffin Oldest House 635.00 46.33 681.33 8,365.95 352.29 8,718.24 Restricted Funds — principal Florence Mitchell Life Memberships William Swift Sidney Mitchell Ella Starbuck Emma Hayward Susan Brock

22,545.00 11,308.22 5,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 2,000.00 1,000.00 47,853.22

1,250.00

1,250.00

22,545.00 12,558.22 5,000.00 3.000.00 3,000.00 2,000.00 1,000.00 49,103.22

Surplus by appraisel of real estate, May 31, 1968

361,759.68

General Fund

167,563.74

11,415.65

178,979.39

$585,542.59

$13,017.94

$598,560.53

361,759.68

37

Recent Events IT HAS BECOME CUSTOMARY for HISTORIC NANTUCKET briefly to report on each past summer. In this connection we are re­ minded of a certain librarian in an important musical society who, when asked at each annual meeting to give his report, would stand up, say, "Yes, we have a library," and sit down. So . . . yes, we had a summer. A good one, too. Certainly, compared to the wet and dismal summer of 1967, a sort of Utopian summer. Perverse, as always, Mother Nature did not grant Nantucket the normal amount of rainfall while giving the mainland more than its share.

Still, she blessed us with plenty of sunshine and reasonably com­ fortable temperatures. The hottest day that we recorded was July 1st, when the editorial thermometer soared to 88 degrees in the shade; but the maximum in Boston that day was 96, and in New York it was 100. That just about represented the difrerence between our temperature and that of the mainland throughout the season. There were more summer people here than usual, perhaps, and the Island business prospered accordingly.

With the completion of the extensions of Straight Wharf and Old South Wharf and the new finger piers (work on Commercial Wharf still goes on), it seemed as though the harbor had come alive with such a maze of yachts, both at anchor and in the docks, that one almost wondered if Nantucket had not in truth gone adrift and, if not sunk with "Ma'm Hackett's Garden," had fetched up somewhere off Bermuda or the Bahamas. It was esti­ mated that there were several million dollars' worth of yachts at Nantucket during the summer. However, to balance the new look of the old waterfront, most of the little fishermen's shacks and cabins that used to line Old South Wharf were repaired and re­ stored to their former locations. Here, resplendent in their new shingles, they served again their latter-day role of specialty shops and artists' studios. This winter's storms and fogs will temper their too-bright exteriors and give them once more Nantucket's characteristic patina of lovely silver-gray. Come next season they will look as ancient as ever.

Meanwhile, the Authority vessels plied back and forth with little interruption from bad weather; so, too, the excursion boats from Hyannis. The number of automobiles brought to the Island each summer like taxes keeps rising, further increasing the summer traffic snarl; and as with taxes nobody seems to know what to do about it. Additional one-way streets are being dis­ cussed by the Selectmen. That would ease the strain on the traffic department. Still, everybody would want to drive up Main Street!

It has been suggested that families be induced to limit themselves to one car each, or, on short visits, to leave their cars at Woods Hole or Hyannis. If this became a popular practice, it would help, of course.

Among the unusual activities of a busy summer season one stands out conspicuously: the speed with which the drive for

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

$750,000 to finance the new construction at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital went over the top to the tune of more than $900,000.

Work on the new building to accommodate needed improvements and additional facilities is well under way.

So the season of 1968 came and went to the satisfaction of most everybody. Only an occasional ripple of discord marred the serene surface of the pool of summer content — to be ex­ pected, no doubt, in a quiet town where the population suddenly explodes from about 3000 to about 25,000 almost over night. . . .

And the fishin' as always was good. *

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Hard on the heels of the departed summer season came the long-awaited restoration of the steeple on the Old North Church, the original gone these past 150 years. The square base of the steeple had been built on the squat tower, the tapering hex­ agonal spire at the shop of Howard Jelleme, building contractor.

At about 5:45 p.m., September 5, a helicopter picked up the spire and carried it a mile to location and neatly lowered it in place. The operation, tricky and dangerous, was performed so quickly and skilfully that the many camera fans on hand had time hardly to focus and snap before the spire was down, the helicopter flown away with a terrific roar, and the carpenters aloft on their high staging hastening to make everything snug and tight. More about this in our next issue. *

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Much is being written and said about the pollution of our atmosphere by noxious fumes and gases, but there is another threat to our comfortable existence. The May 29th, 1968 issue of The National Observer reports the growing concern of many doctors and scientists (shared by the American Speech and Hear­ ing Association and the U.S. Public Health Service) over the in­ creasing noise in modern society — the countless variety of sounds that assail our ears — which they fear may prove a serious en­ vironmental pollutant, eventually damaging man's general health.

The National Observer described it this way: "BANG! your body twitches. Muscles tighten. Respiration increases. The heartbeat quickens and your abdominal blood vessels contract, pumping extra blood to the muscles. A store of muscle-building glucose flows from the liver. You have just experienced one of many loud daily noises." Hope is expressed that manufacturers of noisy machines and appliances will find ways to muffle if not silence their products. Some manufacturers already are cooperating. But it is a big task, because so many of these ear-racking contriv­ ances are a part of our mechanical age. Here, in Nantucket, we can count some blessings: We do not have the conglomerate of city noises; and a Massachusetts statute forbids the sounding of automobile horns except in an emergency, while a local ordinance bars the operation of motorcycles and motor-scooters within the Historic Districts of Nantucket and Siasconset between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. without a special permit from the police.

For this we can be thankful. Surcease from other noise pollutants may come in time to support Nantucket's claim to be a "quiet" vacation spot.

Legacies and Bequests Membership in our Association proves that you are interested in its program for the preservation of Nantucket's famed heritage and its illustrious past, which so profoundly affected the development of our country. You can perpetuate that interest by giving to the Association a legacy under your will, which will help to insure the Association's carrying on. Counsel advises that legacies to the Nantucket Historical Association are allowable deductions under the Federal Estate Tax law.

Legacies will be used for general or specific purposes as directed bv the donor. A sample form may read as follows: "I give, devise, and bequeath to the Nantucket Historical Association, a corporation duly or­ ganized under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and located in the Town of Nantucket, in said Commonwealth, the sum of Dollars."

Legacies may be made also in real estate, bonds, stocks, books, paint­ ings, or any objects having historical value, in which event a brief descrip­ tion of the same should be inserted instead of a sum of money.

Please send all communications to the Secretary, Box 1016, Nantucket, Massachusetts 02554. Office, Fair Street Museum.