With my respects to HelenJ, I move to make a whaling ship report.
The death of Captain Charles E. Weeks of the Thrasher,
29th March 1895.
The log of the Thrasher was kept by A.F. (Fanny) Weeks, the Captain's wife.
On the
28th March Fanny notes:
We went out For a walk [...] and talked with Capt & Mrs Porter for a long time.
The next day a terrible event occurs.
29th March
5.15 P.M. cleaned the after cabin. Charlie left me at 5-15. I was a the table hadnt finnished my tea. When Mr. Tihitu came in and wanted some whisky as husband had fell. I got it. It seems he went out to see one of the men that was going out hunting but the man had been taken coal out of the middle hatch he went down to see and fell. He was taken up. He was unconscious condition but come to before he was brought in the after cabin. All the Capt of the Fleet were their but could not help him he knew all and suffered terrible. He lived just one hour. And a half. Mrs. Porter and Mrs. Cook were with me. Capt Cook. Capt Tilton. Capt. McInnis.
My thanks to April (arboggs) for the Thrasher logbook transcriptions.
I managed to track down the Journal of Sophie Porter (Mrs Porter, The Jessie Freeman) in the Western Arctic Historical Citation Project. I find it heartwarming to see the companionship shared by the Captains' families, and that proved so kind at this sad moment for Fanny Weeks.
The Aug. 1894 to March 1896 Herschel Island diary of Sophie Porter, wife of Captain William Porter of the whaler Jessie H. Freeman. Transcribed and edited by Walter Vanast, McGill. Draft 6. 2001. 73 p.
" 29/03
At 5 :15 p.m. Captain Charles Weeks fell from between decks, striking we suppose the keelson and then the skin of the ship. He was insensible when picked up and died at 7 o`clock. He was quite conscious when he died. His collar bones were crushed in and there was apparently some injury to the back.
30/03
All the P. S. W. Co. Captains take turns sitting up with Mrs. Weeks. The blow has made her very low.
31/3
Captain Weeks’ remains were laid up in the ice house to await the arrival of the Jeanie when they will be taken to San Francisco. Captain Tilton read a short but impressive service and a hymn “Near My God to Thee” was sung by all who could conveniently come on the Thrasher`s deck. Then the casket was placed on a sled and draped with the “Ensign”. A large body of men and all the Captains and ladies followed to the vault.
Our attention was given then to poor Mrs. Weeks, who needs the most tender care. I stayed up with her last night and will take turns with Mrs. Cook in doing so till she is a little stronger.
1/4
It is arranged for Captain Murray to take charge of the Thrasher and he will go on board at once. This is a great comfort to Mrs. Weeks, as she will be able to stay in her own home and have one who was a dear friend of her husband to take his place.
05/04
My log with many other things in the “Quarters” has been put aside for a week. Only the absolutely necessary work has been gone on, and it will be many weeks before people will recover from the sudden and dreadful blow which came to us in the death of Captain Weeks, which occurred at 7 :00 p.m. on last Friday the 29th of March. We have always thought with dread of the possibility of sickness and death in this far away corner of the earth, but no one dreamed of such an accident as this, which would have been dreadful if it had happened to any one of the men on the ships, and we who have been so closely associated in every way for the past year, feel that almost a family tie has been broken, for Captain Weeks was a favourite with everyone and and a “friend” in the truest sense."
