LOSS OF THE CRISFIELD
PUNGY
WALTER McGEE
ON
POPLAR ISLAND
Poplar Island wreck, the
loss of the pungy Walter McGee of Crisfield and three bay sailors,
and three who saved themselves in a small deck boat, as the schooner
is pounded to pieces on Kilton's Point, near Eastern Bay, Poplar
Island.
Louis Somers, one of the
survivors of the crew of the Walter McGee, which went ashore at
Poplar Island yesterday, arrived in Crisfield today , said there were
six on board the vessel at the time of the disaster, all who were
from Crisfield. Three were lost and three were saved. Lost were Frank
T. Maddrix, Fred Ford and the colored cook, George Heath. The
survivors are Captain Alfred Justis, Louis Somers and Charles
Maddrix.
The lifeless body of Frank
T. Maddrix was taken from the rigging by Captain Howeth and Robert
Harrison, of Poplar Island, and taken to Mr. George Ustlton for care,
and conveyed to Crisfield by brothers of the deceased. Mr. Maddrix
was a blacksmith by trade, a respected citizen of Crisfield. 55
years of age and had a family. He had just received a patent for an
improved oyster rake and had on board the iron and hardware necessary
to begin manufacture.
Frederick Ford was a
prominent young man of town, a nephew of Senator A. Lincoln Dryden,
who is now at the wreck , hoping to recover the body from the shore.
George Heath, the colored
cook, is as far as anyone knows, still lies in his berth on the
McGee.
SURVIVOR'S STORY
Louis Somers, a survivor,
gives the account of the disaster. Tuesday morning the McGee
started from Baltimore with nineteen tons of coal and some iron and
hardware on board. However, from the time last week when we left
Crisfield for Baltimore, with scrap iron, we met with nothing but a
succession of misfortunes. The vessel was leaking and we were obliged
to man the pumps continually. The wind picked up, we lost the jib
carrier, and had to scud the wind twice. Tuesday night we anchored
under Poplar Island, at daylight the wind was at its height, we were
dragging anchor and manning the pumps. We were exhausted but were
able to warm ourselves in the cabin as long are she stayed afloat.
The sea spray was making ice on the rigging. Very shortly after
sunup the vessel struck 400 yards from shore and the seas began
pounding us apart. There were people on shore but with the strong
wind and heavy sea no one could render any assistance. Although it
was not bitter cold, we were still almost stiff with ice and we
managed to launch the yawl, which quickly filled with water from the
high sea, the men praying all the time through this ordeal.
Frank Maddrix was first to
succumb, he had wrapped himself in the main sail and from there never
arose. Fred Ford, helping to bail the yawl, passed next from
exhaustion, Captain Justice carried his body back aboard and lashed
it to the main mast. Heath, the cook, never came on deck, and
perished in his bunk below.
At a length of time we
managed to get the yawl free and reach shore where Maddrix and Somer
passed out and were carried to near by houses and revived. The
Walter McGee is a total wreck.
William Sheriff, son of the
Rev. Sheriff, of Crisfield Baptist Church, went with the McGee to
Baltimore from Crisfield but missed the vessels return trip, luckily.
Special Dispatch to the
Baltimore Sun, Friday, March 31, 1899
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