Michael Joseph Johnston

1898 - 1927  (29 years)

• Name	Michael Joseph Johnston
  Born	10 Jun 1898	Caplin Bay, Newfoundland   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Baptism	12 Jun 1898	Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland   [1]
  Died	24 Aug 1927	Atlantic Ocean   [2]
  Cause: drowning - lost at sea
  Special Note	26 Aug 1927	Georges Banks
  Michael Johnson (sic) was not specifically identified as a Newfoundlander in the newspaper article, but this is undoubtedly the event where he lost his life. Out of Gloucester website - wwww. downtosea.com: The Harvard - Friday, August 26, 1927 - One Swept From Deck - Local Man Has Close Call Steamer Harvard, a Boston beam trawler, limped up Boston harbor last night to the Fish Pier, her flag at half-mast for the loss of one of the crew, and bringing a tale of suffering, as a result of a battering from the terrific gale that at times reached cyclonic proportions and threatened to engulf the vessel while on Georges on Wednesday night. A Gloucester man, John Yuerrea, was nearly hurled to his death when a wave swept him over the side but another swept him back and he clung until the water receded. Other members of the crew were badly bruised and cut during the struggle which lasted for several hours while the gale was at its height. Michael Johnson of 270 Lovell street, East Boston, was carried overboard and lost when one of the giant combers swept over the craft. John Yuerrea of Gloucester, was swept from the deck and thrown back again by another wave. He was so badly crushed about the body and head by his weird experience, he was removed by ambulance to the U. S. Marine hospital in Chelsea for treatment. William Fowler of East Boston and Ronald Whiffen of Gloucester were injured about the head and body, but were treated for the injuries aboard the ship. The trawler was in the vortex of the heavy storm that swept the Atlantic coast on Wednesday. The Harvard, commanded by Capt. John T. Hayes of Dorchester, with a crew of 22 men, was trawling near the Georges Banks, about 125 miles off Cape Cod, when the gale struck them, with very little warning. The crew had barely pulled in the lines when the sea was whipped into a fury. Soon the waves were running 30 to 40 feet high. For six hours they were at the hurricane's mercy. Tremendous volumes of water broke over the ship, carrying everything movable on the deck into the sea. A heavy rainfall, so thick that the bow of the ship was invisible from the pilot house, cut the faces of the men if they looked to windward. It was the worst storm Capt. Hayes had ever encountered in his long sea experience. It seemed to come from all directions. The fire room became waist deep in water, while the firemen feverishly worked to keep up steam. But their efforts were in vain. The steam gauge lowered and with the loss of power, the ship could not be kept head on into the raging sea. The trawler was thrown into the trough of the waves and tremendous seas broke over her. The galley door was forced open and it was filled with water. The boat was tossed about like a cork and the crew was thrown about like tenpins. One of the waves carried Johnson to a watery grave. A short while later, Yuerrea was lifted overboard and was rescued by a freak trick of the elements, when he was thrown back again on the crest of another wave. Fowler and Whiffen were swept along the deck, and wedged under a steel grating at the stern of the boat. After six hours of terror, the storm subsided as quickly as it arose. Members of the crew stated they couldn't have lasted another hour. The firemen had become exhausted and could not have kept up even the amount of steam they had succeeded in doing much longer. Newfoundland Weekly - Boston. Reprinted in the St. Johns Daily News - 5 Sept. 1927. MICHAEL JOHSTON - The terrific storm that raged along the coast last week played havoc with the fishing fleet operating out of New England ports, and a young Newfoundland life fell a victim to the elements. The steam trawler, Harvard, arrived at East Boston on Thursday with her flag at half mast and brought the sad news of the loss of Michael JOHNSTON, one of the crew. The Harvard left on Monday, Aug. 22nd, for the fishing grounds at George's Banks and encountered one of the worst gales ever experienced off the coast. The seas poured into the fire room and it was impossible to keep the trawler head to the wind. JOHNSTON was aft in the act of opening oil barrels when a tremendous wave washed him overboard and he was seen no more. The unfortunate victim of the disaster was the son of Peter JOHNSTON of Calvert, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, and had been fishing out of East Boston for five years. He was 27 years of age and had been married but six months to Miss Beatrice SWAIN, also of Calvert. Besides his wife, there survive him in Massachusetts four sisters, Mrs. Catherine SWEENEY, East Boston; Miss Nellie JOHNSTON, Winthrop; Miss Winnie JOHNSTON, Dorchester, and Mrs. Stella MEAD, Cohasset; whilst at home there are left to mourn at Calvert his father, brother William, and Mrs. Mary O'BRIEN, sister. Nearly all the crew of 14 of the Harvard were Newfoundlanders, and the skipper, Captain John T. HAYES, formerly of Harbour Grace, reports that last weeks storm was one of the worst he has ever experienced. The "Weekly" expresses deep sympathy to the young widow and members of the deceased's family. - Newfoundland Weekly, Boston.
  Buried	Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada
  Michael Johnston is commemorated on the same headstone as his parents in Holy Trinity RC Cemetery at Ferryland. It is inscribed that he was lost at sea 24 August 1928, however the tragedy actually happened in 1927. His body was never recovered.
  	Ellen (Kent) Johnston Peter Johnston Michael Johnston
  Person ID	I735	Families of Calvert (Caplin Bay), Newfoundland
  Last Modified	27 Jul 2016

  
  

  Father	Peter Johnston,   b. Jan 1861, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland ,   d. 15 Oct 1937, Calvert, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 76 years)
  Mother	Ellen Kent,   b. Abt 1867, Cape Broyle, Newfoundland ,   d. 26 Mar 1909, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 42 years)
  Married	13 Jan 1889	Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland   [3]
  Family ID	F88	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary Beatrice J. Swain,   b. 9 Sep 1900, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland ,   d. 9 Sep 1941, Maine, United States  (Age 41 years)
  Last Modified	10 Apr 2015
  Family ID	F23	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 10 Jun 1898 - Caplin Bay, Newfoundland Baptism - 12 Jun 1898 - Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland Died - Cause: drowning - lost at sea - 24 Aug 1927 - Atlantic Ocean Special Note - 26 Aug 1927 - Georges Banks Buried - - Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S88] Holy Trinity RC Parish (Ferryland) Baptisms 1870 -1910, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online: Transcribed records of photocopied parish records held at The Rooms Archives for Brigus South to Aquaforte, Ferryland District). [S7] Headstones - Ferryland RC Cemetery, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online database: http://ngb.chebucto.org/Cemetery/cem-ferryland-rc-fer.shtml). [S8] Holy Trinity RC Parish (Ferryland) Marriages 1870 - 1910, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online: Transcribed records of photocopied parish records held at The Rooms Archives for Brigus South to Aquaforte, Ferryland District).