The Wreck of the
S.S. Florizel (1918)

Paddy McCarthy

Patrick (Paddy) McCarthy was coming out of Mass on a Sunday morning when he heard about a shipwreck. He was living in Renews, Newfoundland.

I WASN'T VERY OLD. I was only fourteen years old. After coming out of Mass, everybody heard about the Florizel, which struck ashore on Horn Head, Cappahayden. There wouldn't be a heck of a lot of ways to get the news then, but I suppose the Goodridges had a telegraph office or something like that. All hands went up to see her then.

My father and I went up on the horse and slide. I suppose it was about eight miles from Renews to Cappahayden. It didn't take us long, about three quarters of an hour. Then we had to walk to Horn Head, so we left the horse in Cappahayden and walked up. That would be all of half an hour. Maybe you'd do it quicker when you were serious, rushing. Anyway, it was half an hour.

It wasn't very nice, what we did see. The Florizel was out on Horn Head Rock. The stern half of her was down, but the bow part was up. When the sea rolled in, it would roll right over her, even over the bow section.

The few people who were aboard her were in the Marconi room, right by the funnel. Just as they'd open the door you'd see their hands waving. Not too often, but any chance they got, you'd see them wave. Then you'd know there was someone alive. But with regards to getting to her, it was as good as trying to climb to the moon.

It started to get nice and fine. The sun came out and the wind died right down. By two o'clock it got to be a perfect day, with not a breath of wind. Soft. You knew it was calming down a bit, but on Horn Head you could hardly notice it because of the shoals. It was awful. The seas were funneling in. But everywhere else along on the shore you knew it was smoothening down.