Free Coffin Ship by William Henry Page A

occasional glance out the window when at last I perceived some miserable looking creatures, that reminded me of drowned rats approaching. They could scarcely walk and were led by men on either side of them, our doors were open to receive them. Such a shuddering shivering my ears never heard before, and such a set of half drowned half naked half frightened creatures my eyes never beheld.
    Three men were first brought in and then a lot of women, all Irish. What conclusion to make I did not [know;] if it were not for the exigency of the moment, we should have been overpowered by excitement. We placed them in bed, and used every exertion to restore animation to two of the women whose moans could be heard through the house. These two were senseless when taken from the wreck, towards night six were able to go to the village in a week the worst were conveyed to the poor house.
    Shortly after the survivors reached safety, the bodies of the victims began washing up along the beach. The locals covered them with blankets while they waited for the delivery of coffins that were being hastily assembled by local carpenters. Many of the bodies had been badly mutilated by the jagged rocks. However, the body of one of the victims, that of Sally Sweeney, was unscathed; her features were described as looking ‘calm and placid as if she were enjoying a quiet and pleasant slumber’. Some of the bodies had been flung onto the rocks closer to shore and were now being swept away by the retreating sea. A man by the name of Charles Studley made a brave attempt to retrieve one such body, but he nearly drowned in the process and had to be rescued. [4]
    Another man, a Mr Holmes, was said to have spent the day tending to the survivors and trying to rescue bodies from the surf.
    At some point during the day, while walking along the shoreline, Captain Lothrop spotted a parcel of clothing bobbing up and down in the surf. He waded into the water and retrieved the parcel. Upon opening it, he discovered to his absolute delight an infant alive and well. It was reported some days later that the baby was in perfect health, and had been entrusted into the temporary care of the Gove family from the village. [5]
    Urgent messages had been sent to Boston to inform the authorities of the tragic news, and the following day handbills were circulated on the streets proclaiming, ‘Death! One hundred and forty-five lives lost at Cohasset.’ The terrible news spread quickly and stunned everyone, particularly the small Irish communities of Fort Hill and South Cove. The residents of some of these communities had been awaiting the arrival of family members on the St. John. They made further enquiries of the fate of the ship’s passengers, hoping for good news, but fearing the worst. They gathered together at meetings in the homes of friends and neighbours, where it was decided that they would go to Cohasset and offer their assistance. [6]

Notes
    [ 1 ] Boston Irish Reporter : ‘Cohasset Monument Honors Famine Victims’ (October 1996).
    Brig St. John of Galway was Cohasset’s Worst Shipwreck , Cohasset Historical Society. John Bhaba Jaick Ó Congaola collection.
    Diary of Elizabeth Lothrop (11-10-1849, 25-12-1849).
    Ennistymon Parish Magazine , ‘The Shipwreck of the St. John ’. Article compiled from material supplied by Brud Slattery, John Flanagan (both Lahinch), and Frank Flanagan (USA) (1996).
    The Galway Vindicator : ‘Awful Shipwreck at Minot’s Ledge – Loss of St. John of Galway. About One Hundred Drowned – Men, Women and Children’ (3-11-1849).
    [ 2 ] Boston Irish Reporter : ‘Cohasset Monument Honors Famine Victims’ (October 1996).
    Brig St. John of Galway was Cohasset’s Worst Shipwreck , Cohasset Historical Society. John Bhaba Jaick Ó Congaola collection.
    Comber, H., The Book of Thomas J. Comber and Eliza Comerford (n.d.). John Bhaba Jaick Ó Congaola collection.
    Ennistymon Parish