Page 41 - The Sinking of the Patrick Morris - One Sailor's Day

ISSUE : Issue 74

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1999/6/1

I think the man was dead. I don't know, but I'd say he was dead. He'd been all ni 3lat-thjere_, So then our captain decided to put her stem into it (into the following sea), to pick this (up), you know, to try and go around to get him again. That was it right there. All the alarms went off then. All the fire alaanns. Which we thought was a fire. The alainns went off. So one of the watchmen was on the bridge, emd I guess the captain must have told him to go down and check the car deck, see where the fire was at. I was in sitting on a little bucket, peeling away at potatoes. You know, I just thought it was a fire and if the alarms still go off, well naturally you go emd check it. So I heard this guy when he passed the port, and on his way back I heard him say, "The stern door is gone out of her." Well now--I mean, you're in trouble if the door's gone. So I went back then, the alarms still started to go off and the lights, you know, kept flashing. So I said, "I guess I'd better get off of this bucket and check it out." So I met the chief steward and he said, "Holy Cow, b'y, there's not a fire but there's something desperately wrong." So I said, "Well, I guess we got to go and find out and see." So I was coming out through the galley, and when I walked out through the galley • well everybody was going then, you know, for their life jackets. When I passed, she was over, she was over far enough then that the silverware and the glasses were rolling off the tables. So I tried to get back to my room then and when I was going through the door I met the captain. I never met him, you know, but he was going from side to side. He was trying to get the two (life)boats out. And you know, he was there saying • well, it's hard to say what he was saying at the time be? cause everybody was in a rush. So I went in and I started feeling around my room till I got my life jacket. When I came out. ~ Over 100 Q'ears of Service - John D. Steele's Sons, Limited MONUMENT CENTRE & DISPLAY 32 William Street 794-2713 NORTH SYDNEY, N. 8. (after hours: 794-4411 & 794-3171) though, the ship was • she was gone then. Most everybody was in the boats then. I'd say twenty-five minutes, it was all over. The whole ship was gone. I got my life jacket, you know, in my hand, and I had a pair of cook's pants on and a T-shirt. And it was snowing. So I went out to the boat where all the other guys were at, but they were lowering the (life)boat down then. When the boat went down I just, you know • the (ship) was only this high out of the water {lifts his hand a few feet from the floor), When I went out I just had to put my foot out and walk right into the boat. (The ship) was over then DELI & CAFE BAKERY .NATURAL FOODS i OPEN YEAR ROUND! 8 AM to 6 PM • SEVEN DAYS A WEEK* I NYANZA7.5MIW OF BADDECK 0 MusildFcest '99 ' 0' '' Springhill, Nova Scotia July 30 to August 1 f Featuring: Anne Murray, The Rankins, Bruce Guthro 8c special guests James Keelaghan, 1' Gordie Sampson, Garnet Rogers, Terry Kelly, Kate Wheatley, Susan Crowe, Cindy Church, Bob Snider, Este Mundo, Bleu, The Nova Scotia Mass Choir, PC''vS'TlA April Verch, The Kidd Brothers, |:i: JS/fi i'in ''' Wonderbolt Circus, :fci::Si??ll''' The Guitar Summit, Tickle For information and tickets please contact us. mpatico.ca Web:http:/ 1-877-363-3363 41

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