Birth Of The ‘Shepherdess’
The ‘Shepherdess’ arrived at
Constant Bay on Sunday
afternoon 1879 31st August
sea calm virtually no wind
but no harbourmaster on duty
she lay off the entrance harbour
until the following morning
awaiting signalled to enter port
light breeze weather fine clear
attempting to tow the schooner
‘Shepherdess’ into port
through narrow rocky entrance
using a dinghy surf boat
to secure anchorage mooring rocks
suddenly a large wave swamped
stout dinghy threw
Thomas Bailie, Charles Craddock
into tidal sea surge
Bailie managed to clamber back
into surf boat then pulled dragged
Charles Craddock
back in but tragically immediately
a second wave smashed
into the boat, overturned the boat
again two men are thrown into surf
what wave force
second wave overturned the dinghy
impossible to right
no option but try to swim for shore
pounding surf smashed valiant efforts
into ocean inlet
floor time time again, each try time
it hope appeared
they might reach safety, wild breakers
drove two back, while crowd watched
life drama helplessly
two men struggled, desperately constantly
for their mortal lives
none attempted, dive into boiling waters
none thought to throw hope a rope
a large crowd gathered
perhaps none could swim wild tide
finally a rope was found
they tried to throw to struggling men
three times four more rope was flung
delay was to late
weak limbs could not grab last hope
too late too late
Thomas Bailie made a desperate lunge
for last life spent ebb hope the rope
gasps watchers eyes
Bailie starfish clings hung with tenacity
a man who surely knew
to release life thread was to brine drown
Bailie was dragged from sea by watchers
on a rocky shore
but Charles Craddock was spent exhausted
by fearsome struggle
could not swim in could not swim reach rope
Charles sank beneath waves once twice
re-surfaced struggles
struggles shoreward struggles Charles sank
below waves third
time last time Charles was gone lost lost...
to a brine grave while wild breakers
breaking broadside
across the ‘Shepherdess’ bumped
schooner toward port
good news tragedy overshadowed
Charles Craddock in death left a wife
three children in 1879
body swept away never recovered
a fortnight accident after
a leg was washed ashore duly buried
this leg was buried in Charleston cemetery
a belief in Craddock family
maintains though event was not recorded
in cemetery burial records
Constant Bay life lost in adverse conditions.
See also the poem ‘Where Unknown Ancestors Died’.
poem by Terence George Craddock
Added by Poetry Lover
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