From : NEWFOUNDLAND SPRING SEALING DISASTERS TO 1914
Shannon Ryan
The Northern Mariner
In 1831 a schooner was lost on the way to the front:
The new schooner Azariah, John Bonnell master, with a crew of twenty men and
two boys, besides the master, sailed on the sealing voyage from Cupids, Port-de-
Grave, about 7 P. M . , on Wednesday the 16th instant [March]. She went down
the bay with a smart wholesale breeze, at S. W. by S.; the weather was tolerably
clear untilmidnight, so much so that the man at the helm, John Newall, could
see both sides of the bay. Atmidnightsome snow-showers came on; Newall was
shortly after relieved at the helm, and went below. About half past 2 A. M . , he
was aroused by an alarming call for all hands; he sprang from his berth and ran
upon deck, when he saw the land right over the foreyard; in a minute the vessel’s
bowsprit struck the cliff end on; the mainsail had been lowered, the other sails
were full, the wind blowing a smart but fair breeze; the weather was thick and
dark. The bowsprit presently broke off, and both fore and main masts then
quickly fell with a tremendous crash, and so encumbered the deck, and hampered
the pumps that it was impossible to get them out; the wind was increasing and
the vessel crashing heavily against the cliff. It appeared now necessary for the
crew to leap from the vessel to the rocks, to save their lives. Four men only, out
of twenty-three, succeeded in the attempt. A l l the rest perished. At daylight these
four saw the floating pieces of the schooner, and one only of all their companions,
and he in the agonies of death feebly grasping a part of the broken bow of
the vessel. In a few minutes his hands resigned their hold, and he sank under the
whelming waters. They remained in the cliff until about 2 P. M. on Thursday,
when they succeeded in clamouring up the precipices to the top of theIsland(for
it was Bacalieu [sic]). In the afternoon of the same day they saw a schooner, and
hailed her, but without effect, she proceeded on up the bay; the weather was
foggy. A l l Thursday night they passed without shelter or food, except what the
fir boughs afforded for the one and the ground berries for the other. On Friday
morning, the 18th instant, they were providentially discovered and taken off the
Island by the crew of the Schooner Joseph, of Cupids, James Le Drow, master,
then coming in with a trip of seals from the ice. At 3 P. M. of the same day, they
were safely landed at Cupids. It appears from Newall’s statement, that in going
down the Bay, they steered too much to the northward, thick weather came on,
and there was not that vigilant look out kept, which should under such
circumstances be always strictly attended to. The vessel was lost in a small cove
on the S. S. W. end of Bacalieu, where there is no beach, and the cliffs are steep
and craggy. Several of the unfortunate men were married and have left large
families to deplore their untimely fate.
For a small outport like Cupids, this was a disaster that affected a relatively large proportion o families. Yet there is a certain casualness inherent in this account. There may have been a good reason to leave Cupids in the evening instead of waiting until daybreak, but it does seem that the rewas extreme carelessness involved in not keeping a better lookout and being unable to hold a reasonably accurate course sailing out of this wide bay with a “smart wholesale breeze. ” Human error was involved in many sealing disasters.
Note from PN
At this time there were John Newells in both Brigus and Bareneed that could have been the man involved.
Noels/Newells of Newfoundland 