tales-of-Fogo-Island

the weather cleared. However, it was decided that the schooner would anchorin Seldom for the night.Captain Patrick Miller's son, William Miller (thirty-one) was in command of theship. Another of Patrick Miller's sons, Ignatius Miller (twenty-one, Engineer)was also on board. Three other crew members were also from Fogo. Theywere Augustine Pickett (twenty-seven, Seaman), Maxwell Payne (forty-five,Cook) and Stewart Keefe (thirty-five, Seaman). Another man, Alfred Mullins(twenty-five) was also on board and planned to leave the ship in Catalina.The ship did not stop in Seldom as many people believed it would. The windshifted to the southeast and brought heavy snow. The Francis P. Duke wouldnever make it to port again. On entry to Valleyfield, the ship struck Shag Rockand was destroyed.At approximately nine o'clock in the evening, the wife of one crew member,was taking in a line of clothes when she heard her husband calling her name.She could not explain what she had heard, but she was certain that herhusband's life was in danger. This lady could not have known, but a greattragedy was about to change her life forever.One little girl was seven years old when her father was lost. She clearlyremembers hearing the bad news:I heard the other children saying things about the wreck. I was afraid, soI ran home to tell mother. Mom did not hear anything about it before Itold her. She ran to our neighbor's house because they had a radio. Weall sat around and listened. When the news came on, we heard it all. Itwas a hard way for mother to learn that her husband was lost. It wasalso a hard way for us to find out that our father would not be cominghome again.The bodies of Captain William Miller, Augustine Pickett and Maxwell Paynewere recovered. They were returned to Fogo where funeral services wereheld on December 23, 1947. The bodies of Stuart Keefe, Ignatius Miller andAlfred Mullins were never found. It was a sad Christmas season for thefamilies and friends of the six men and for all of Fogo Island.Questions to think and write about:1. What did 'wreckers' do when there was a shipwreck?2. What happened when the Sunset Glow broke one of its anchor lines?3. How many people were lost when the Francis P. Duke went aground?