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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-02-27, Page 15• I A tt.1- 4ct „4. ."‘ be iiioberirfi • SIGNAL—S 128 YEAR -9 THURSDAY FeBRUARY 27, 975 Does anyone know whatfreighter it was? " • , . • Recent articles by W.E.. Elliott concerning Big Bill Forrest in the Goderich Signal -Star have triggered reaction from readers from far and near. This photograph is of the Schooner Azov, taken on the St. Clair River in 1907. The' photo was sent to the Signal -Star by Captain R. Wilson of Sarnia and Is from the W. Humphries Collection. The schooner, built in 1866 served until 1911. She weighed 195 tons and had an overall length of 108 feet. [aro top awards Claude Tureotte, left, -received the Special Adjudicator's Award forhis work as stage manager in the GDCI Drafna Club production The Great Storm and Jed DeJong, centre,„was named the best actor' in the Huron -Perth Festival held, Saturday night. Here the two chat with director, producer and writer of the play, Warren Robinson(staff-photo) r4177.4, t.> • A real team effort Ensemble awards for work in the GDCI Drama Club produc- tion The Great Storm were presented to three members of the Goderich company for their work in the Huron -Perth Festival production Saturday night. Here the three chat with assistant director Eleanor Robinson who holds a platePresented to her (rk • ••• eV Cs 11111111 THIRD SECTION lint rescuei of unidentified boat elated in, the Bermingham noteboo COPYRIGHT BY W.E. ELLIOTT Construction jobs often are,. "gambles" enough without tempting Lady Luck in an unfamiliar field. Evidently that was the view of William Ber- mingham, founder of Ber- mingham Construction, when he turned down a partner's proposal to buy a silver mine. Mr, Bermingham and John., McMartjn had a grading contract at the time, about 1900, on the Algoma Central Railway. McMartina, met a blacksmith named LaRose who had staked a silver mine nearby which looked good, and he wanted to go into part- nership with LaRose for the purchase of the mine. Mr. Bermingham was sceptical; didn't think he could afford to carry on -construction work as well as invest in a mine. McMartin was sold on the idea of the silver mine and got another partner, Noah. Tim- mins,. who helped him finance the 'subsequently. ° famous LaRose mine. Both men became multi -millionaires as • result of their adventure at Cobalt. . • Mr,. Bermingham continued to attend to his knitting, so to speak, with growing success in the construction field. In later years his work from time to time centred in the Goderich waterfront. One adventure, • relating to the salvaging of a grain carrier and her barge in tow, is related in the notes left. by Mr.CJ. (Spike) Ber- • mingham. •' a "It wag. mid-December of 1922 in Goderich,." he wrote, "that Big Bill Forrest and I were living in a tarpaper -shack ,on the north pier which served as a bunkhouse and a con- struction office. A gale had blown up from the northwest, • with blinding snow and winds which gusted up to Q0 miles per hour. The storm was so severe that the water level in the harbor had risen nearly five feet above normal. The pride of 0 our fleet, the tug WI-. Forrest, was moored on the north side of- . the harbor, riding her moorings like:a-yacht, because Big Bill had given orders, when the gale started, that the -heavy iron anchor chain should be run out about 300 feet -ahead of her and fastened to a staunch mooring bollard on the wharf. The • weight of the chain, as it sagged ahead of the tug, cushioned the surge from the.waves that were rolling even inside the harbor. • "Four lake freighters, grain carriers that had been laid up for the winter, Were not so fortunate. . They had been moored to the dock with wire rope hawsers which parted with the force of the storm, aril all the ships had broken their moorings and ended up bum- ping against each other at the sauthea.st-end-ef-the.harbof7--- -- The tug W.L. Forrest was in process of -being laid up for the winter, and had only a skeleton, • cre.w aboard, but fortunately she still had • a full head of steam in her boiler. -Her cap- tain, Bill Hiscott, five feet two and weighed about 110, had been master of the Forrest ever • since she was launched. He had Vdlse teeth, always loose, a little black moustache, and he always wore a celluloid collar, dark tie, and a vest. He lived aboard the tug, occupying the: - 'captain's cabin' in the stern. "The chief engineer was Bill Murdock, a very dependable type, who never panicked, and never left his post at the engine - room controls, so long as they were under steam and away from the dock. Normally the rest of the crew, consisted of the first mate (captain of sail) John (``Minister''). MacDonald; a fireman by the name of Fred,and adeckhand who might be anyone who knew how to handle mooring lines and tow lines. "0 thi i ht i D with the snowstorm and the gale blowing, Big Bill ,and were . awakened (in our tar- paper shack) by a most mournful sound coming from • out in the lake. This was well before the days of ship -to -shore telephone, radio or radar. The sound we heard was a distress signal on a ship's whistle - the equivalent of today's `May -day' - five long lonesome blasts coming from the lake outside the harbor. and I dressed in'warm Clothing and ran out nearly 'to the end of the north pier, and there it was again - five long whistles from a ship in distress. Back we both went, nearly half. a mile, to where the tug W.L. Forrest was . riding so beautifully at her moorings with only her skeleton •crew aboard. "Big Bill stormed down the • gangplankback-to-the-capta ii quarters aft, and bellowed, as only he could: "Well, don't you hear them whistles out there? What are you going to do ...' lie here all snug and warm all night while those poor sailors drown in that icy water?" • "So Captain Hiseott dug out the fireman, who built up ,a head of steam. :Then he roused Bill Murdock .and said, 'Let's go!' Tlit first mate was at.home asleep, in Godericii, and Bill, knowing that all eyes were on him to fill the empty spot,- said, 'You know damn well I would come with you, but I would-be •seasick before we got outside the breakwaters and would be no use to. you.' As a result, I was enlisted as e very proud and excited deckhand. ("Spike" Bdrmingham at this time was about 22 years of age.) "We sailed out of the harbor in the blinding snowstorm, with no. searchlights • worth .men- tioning, and into the worst backwash of waves -I have ever experienced. • Capt. Hiscott, complete with .celluloid collar,. loose teeth, and"vest was very much in command, not only of the tug, but the whole sit4ation. "Outsidethe breakwaters we found a most appalling situation. A lake freighter, about, 300 feet long, with a barge at the end of a 500 -foot tow line, had tried to enter Goderich harbor for shelter. The captain of the freighter, being unfamiliar with the harbor had tried to come in very slowly and carefully through the gap between the breakwaters. That was his big mistake; ,the gale caught the barge on a slack towline - and • carried it into the lake side of the southwest breakwater, dragging the powered steamship with it. When we arrived, the steamship was,,..„ wallowing on the harbor side of the breakwater, with. its barge riding violently on the • lake -Side • "Cap ain Hiscott brought the tug up by the . boow of the steamship, and with • a hand- held megaphone yelled: 'When I come round again pass .me a. towline.' .The captain , of the • steamship yelled back: 'No, no. Just take us Off.' -"Paying no heed, Captain Hiscott circled again and came right under the bow of the freighter. Then he ... five feet two - left his wheelhouse...and helped 'rne catch a heaving line thrown. by the .Ship's crew. We,,' pulled it down till we had hold of their big' 21/ :inch manilla hawser anchrianaged to get the eye of the line into.bur tow post. "Capt. Hiscott then went I .back to his wheelhouse' and rang up 'slow ahead.' He took ' up the slack While the crew on *the ship paid out about 400 feet of towline and then made fast. When he had gotten ,a good strain on the line; he, rang up four bells • - • full ahead. Gradually the ship came away from the breakwater, followed ContinOed on page 213/7 • • Ust of winning ?nil in Huron—Perth Festival and her husband Warren for their vVork with the student club. John Reinhart, left, lighting director, Laurie Kernighan, right of Mrs. Robinson, actress and Paul Cummings, soUnd effects, shared awards for their stage work In the play. (thri-photo) see 4"1 The GIDC1 Drama Club was honored Monday morning for their weekend performance of The Great Storm of 1913. The club performed the Warren Robinson production at the Huron -Perth •Collegiate Drama Festival on Saturday night. Several mem- • bers of the company were .singled out for their achiwtements the festival and ,the remainder of the actors, actresses and stage workers were paid a hearty tribute by the GDCI student body. The companycinembers are Paul O'Brien, Graham Royal, Dave Ross, Rob McEman, Rob Bundy, Earl Salter; • , •'Dave Sinith, Pat Carter, Sean McLaren, Mike Doorly, Pat ConIon,Ien Tigert, }red Bistef, Tim Clancy, Dan Donnelly, Mike Donnelly,. Rob Shrier, Cathy Westlake, Kim Carter, Norah Donnell Nlary Burns, Sheila iO'Brien, Anne Marie Lassaline, Linda Hoffmeyer, Margo Moore, Wanda Linner, Jed DeJong, Laurie Kernighan, Marva Jackson, Flora Simpson, Pauline Hall, Ann Coulter, Carol Chapman, Judy Fisher, Cathy McPhee, Janice Davies, Cheryl Hoy, Wendy Thompson, Brenda McClinchey, Susan :Feagan, Lucy Turcotte, Deb HamiltOn, Deb Dustow, Judy Langridge,‘Diane Mltchelmore, Penny Rlaisdale, Anpe4larie Murphy, Vicki Park, Jimmie, Thompson, Vicky Dierolf, Marianne Frayne, Mary Mien Lynn4 z, CheT9 Doak, Una Costello, Larry Plaetzer; lighting; John Reinhart; costuming, Kim Wilkinson; stage managerx.Clande • Turcotte; sound effects, Paul Cummings; Director —Warren:- Robinslh and Assistant Director -'Eleanor Robinson. 0•1 • Jt.