FISHING BOAT DISASTER

Collision in Fog,

Three Missing

WIFE DISTRACTED AT ST. IVES

Three men belonging to the St. Ives fishing boat “Amelia” S.S. 93 are missing feared drowned following a collision in a thick fog yesterday afternoon between their boat, which sank, and the French steamer Mousse le Moyec.

They are Barnabas Stevens aged 26, unmarried; Fred Stevens, aged 30 with a child; and James Penberthy 50, married, no children. The survivors are William Stevens (master) and John Lawry Tanner. All five men lived in Fish Street.

The family is bereft of two of its members, for the Stevenses were brothers of the master of the boat, whose life was saved. 

A TOWN OF GLOOM

ANXIOUS WAIT FOR MORE DETAILS

Last night full information of the collision was not available, as the survivors, who had been picked up by the steamer, were taken on to Barry. The only news obtainable at St. Ives was that the accident occurred at 3.25 p.m. in thick fog six miles off Gurnard’s Head, that the three men were missing and that the master and Lander were picked up by the steamer.

These bare facts alone cast a gloom over the whole town, visitors and townfolk alike.

All the men were well known and respected.  It was naturally the general subject of conversation all last night, and there was some anxiety for further news, but this was not forthcoming.

Mr Joshua Daniel, Lloyds agent at St. Ives first received information about the disaster, but nothing was said pending some confirmation.  But numbers on the quay were later made aware that something tragic has happened by reason of the wife of one of the missing men who had just heard the fate of her husband and his companion.

WIRELESS TO STEAMER

Then the tragedy and the meagre details became generally know, and it was wondered why the steamer had not brought the survivors to St. Ives, which was not very far away, instead of taking them to Barry. There was considerable comment on this, and Mr. Daniel wirelessed to the captain of the steamer with a view to his returning with the fishing boat’s captain and his companion, but a reply was received that it was impossible and that he was proceeding to Barry.  The full story will therefore not be made known until the steamer arrives at the Welsh port, which should be somertime this morning.

The missing man Penberthy was formally owner and skipper of a fishing vessel, but had sold it recently, and joined as a member of the crew of the Amelia, which belongs to the Stevens family.  There had been a heavy fog at St. Ives during the morning, but this had lifted as the day advanced. It must have remained off Gurnard’s Head, however, and it must have been very dense for the boats not to have seen each other soon enough to avert the collision.  The Mousse le Moyec, which is a 2000-tons steamer from Lorient, sent out a wireless message for all vessels to keep a sharp look-out for the missing men.