Page 78 - "Cap" Cowley - A Salvage Tug Captain

ISSUE : Issue 54

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/6/1

From the scrapbook: "Foundation Josepiiine wiille engaged on dally hire uprighting the Leicester at Murray's Anchorage, Bemiuda, was caught In the 150-m.p.h. hurricane that devastated the island on October 17,1948. Both vessels were driven ashore and sustained severe damage." Capt. Cowley: "This is the morning after the hurricane.... That (photo at right) was showing where the wire cut through the bulwarks on the first blow from the hurricane. And there (left) was the battleship nxwring buoy, which was supposed to hold a 60,000-ton battleship." Saapbook: "With the aid of the salvage party from Halifax and tocal assistance both vessels were refloated." here's the Leicester, also on the rocks-- just about half a mile away from us! So, now, there, you see, the Leicester--we had performed the salvage by tying her to the buoy. The Company were now entitled to the salvage of that ship. And although she had no cargo in her, the award was $290,000, which is a lot of money in those days. So, immediately that Lloyd's form is signed, she is re-insured, see. So now, here she is, two days after being re? insured, she's a complete wreck again. So, here's another salvage job coming up. And the Josephine was fully insured, so that's another salvage job coming up. (Salvage your own vessel.) So, (the Foundation Maritime company) flew a salvage crew up from Halifax, and a floating crane, and everything came. And WHERE GOOD FOOD AND GOOD TIMES COME TOGETHER fV ROADHOUSE RESTAURANT 'Y 500George Place,Sydney, N.''. Across from Centre 200 • Phone 564-8844 (Dancing: Monday thru Saturday 10 P.M. - 2 A.M.) SYDNEY'S NEWEST RESTAURANT AND ENTERTAINMENT HOT SPOT %aaidxL' TUgM inUUng,nigM worked on her for a long, long time. We got the Leicester off first, and then we got the Josephine off. But it was a lot of hard work. But the Foundation Maritime got three salvage jobs out of it. (In all. Captain Cowlev worked for Founda? tion Maritime fpr six yearst Thgn he quit,) I told them to stick the job, eh? Because I couldn't get along with this new fellow that came down. This is when they wanted to send me--after a year without any vaca? tion- -they wanted to send me away the next day on another ship while mine was getting a refit. They wanted to send me up to New? foundland for the winter. And I asked them, I said, "Double my wages and I'll take the job." One fellow agreed, and the other didn't. So, I said, "Okay. Never mind. I'll quit." (Did you really want to quit?) No. No, not necessarily. I didn't really want to quit. Best selection of I'l"! hooked rugs 'S'jji! - Demonstration of rug hooking by Flora - Rugs made by over 100 local craft ladies Hooked Rugs • Coasters • Chair seats • Wall hangings • Rugs IfwtdonlhavtH. m Other Hand Crafts Quality • Knitted Sweaters, sOUVenirS Socks and Mitts ' v • Placemats Celebrating over 25 years . • Quilts of service to the • Brass Tourist Industry OPEN DAILY

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