Cape Breton's Magazine

then--I was watching the sea. I was say? ing, "This is the one that's going to take us. This is the one...." Well, if anybody was on that ship says they weren't scared, well--got to be some? thing wrong with them. I mean, there's forty-seven in that little boat. You're watching the seas--one sea, that's all, that would break over the boat, and that was the end of it. She'd have swamped the boat right there. What it was, you know-- everybody was blessing the seas, according they were coming. They blessed the sea. If they see the sea coming like that--I know poor old Dad used to tell me about it, 'cause he fished all his life upon the Grand Banks. They were in a dory like that, and a big sea was coming like that, and they'd make the sign of the cross like that. {Connie has his hand out before him, making the sign of the cross, blessing an incoming wave.) And he thinks he used to break the sea down. (Before it would come over you.) Right. But I know every time that sea would come in, she'd break before she'd come to the (life)boat. And when she'd break, you were down • you were down like in a big cave. And then the next thing, you were way up in the air again. (But she never broke on you.) Never.... It would only take one sea. then the snow started ing in. You get a few squalls and then it'd Udder Delight Ice Cream Caboose Delicious homemade HAND-ROLLED CONES| • 18 FUVOURS of OLD Fashioned ice Cream • YOGURT BLENDED WITH FRESH FRUIT • SLUSH CONES • SOFT-SERVE CONES • BEAUTIFUL, RELAXING VIEW • DISCOVER Old General Store at Bras d'Or Come visit... a Working Old Country Store Established in 1907 in a Beautiful Atmosphere • FRUITS -VEGGIES -BAKING -GIFTS DELI • HOME DECORATING ITEMS -CRAFTS That Old-Time Feeling • at Bras d'Or stop. But I don't know. Maybe we were in the shallow water there. The water was shallow, and maybe that's what made the sea so bad, you know. If you were out in the middle of the Gulf, you might not have got the sea so heavy. But where the water was shallow.... it was the worst day I ev? er had in my life. (How far out were you?) I think it was twelve miles out. I always said to the wife, you know, "I never want to get drowned." But it was an experience. I mean, you'll never forget it. The 20th of April every year, that'll flash, you know. That's the time she went down. I never ever miss it. But she was about the best sea boat CN ever had. But I guess we just had a fluke accident, you know. If there wasn't no loss of lives, it might not have been too bad, but when you lose four men. And maybe if it wasn't daylight there could have been forty-seven more of us gone. I mean, when you're trying to work in the dark, what do you do? It's just luck we had the daylight with us. (What time of the morning did it hap? pen?) I'd say it was between seven and YOUNG'S.. POWER EQUIPMENT SALES'SERVICE'PARTS STIHL & JONSERED CHAIN SAWS BRIGGS & STRAnON MURRAY -TECUMSEH ARIENS SNOW BLOWERS & ROTO TILLERS LAWN TRACTORS - GENERATORS SELF-PROPELLED MOWERS SAFETY CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES 674-2008 MILLVILLE, BOULARDERIE MacNEIL*S fLrl ff' _ril#l_' comfortable accoTrunoddtions ''''' ??*?? *??'*' • REASONABLE RATES • 6 MILES EAST OF SEAL ISLAND BRIDGE 3 MILES WEST OF NEWFOUNDLAND FERRY Trans-Canada Highway 105, Bras d'Or, Cape Breton BOC 1B0 17 UNITS COLOUR CABLE T.V. ELECTRIC HEAT • some with microwaves & refrigerators • Overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes (902) 736-9106 • (902) 736-2692 HILLTOP TRAILER SERVICES and AUTO GLASS • complete line of RV parts & accessories • service to all makes & models of trailers • canvas repair & replacement, boat tops, etc. • windshield repair & replacement • specializing in new & used awnings WE DO IT ALL AND KSWTm Trans-Canada Highway WE DO IT RIGHT! Wi>U'iii!Vm BRAS D'OR BeautiSul Bras d'Or: A Cape Breton Island Centre 47