Escuminac Disaster (I), The

DESCRIPTION: June 19, 1959 "around Escuminac A sudden storm did appear. Oh, wicked waves! Oh, wailing wind!" The men that went out with their nets in the afternoon were in the wrecked fishing fleet in Miramichi Bay. Though 35 were lost, heroics saved some.
AUTHOR: Bernadette Keating of Chatham (Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi)
EARLIEST DATE: 1959 (Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi)
KEYWORDS: rescue drowning fishing sea ship storm wreck
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
June 19, 1959 - 22 salmon boats and 35 crewmen from Escuminac lost in a storm (Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi)
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi 17, "The Escuminac Disaster" (1 text, 1 tune)
ST MaWi017o (Partial)
Roud #9195
NOTES [102 words]: Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi: A source for information about the disaster is The Ecuminac Disaster by Roy Saunders. - BS
The Escuminac tragedy was one of those defining moments for its community. Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi report that performers sang no fewer than five songs about it at the 1959 Miramichi Folk Festival, and another in 1960 -- one, in fact, a tribute to the area by one of the drowned men. Of these six, they reported three, including this one, written by a 13-year-old schoolgirl.
It's interesting to note that Keating is probably still alive. One wonders what has become of her since. - RBW
File: MaWi017o

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