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Archiver > GenMassachusetts > 2005-11 > 1131846141
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Subject: 7 Bay Staters - in crew of sunken ship - freighter, Faith 1967 ~ Outcome?
Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2005 20:42:21 EST
An old post to the List. I wonder what was the outcome of this disaster?
Janice Farnsworth
Two rescued - Calif & Texas seamen.
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From: andrea Brown (mailto:)
[GM-L] 7 Bay Staters in Sunken Ship Crew ~ 11 Oct. 1967
Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 16:33:03 -0400
RECORD AMERICAN , BOSTON, Wednesday , October 11, 1967
~ page 3 ~
HOPE FLICKERS FOR SUNKEN SHIP'S CREW
JUNEAU, Alaska - A flame of hope flickered faintly for the families of
seven Massachusetts men listed as missing after the sinking of the freighter
Panoceanic Faith in the icy waters of the North Pacific.
The Coast Guard reported that three more survivors were
picked up and were aboard the Norwegian vessel, the Visund. Unfortunately
the names
of the three men were not available immediately.
The Visund in a terse radio report also reported picking up four bodies
in the area where the 459 foot vessel sank suddenly yesterday shortly before
dark
in an area about 870 miles southwest of Kodiak. Other reports said bodies
were seen
floating in the debris.
So far five men are reported alive after the ship sank.
Two other survivors Gorden L. Campbell , Oakland, Cal. and Lewis E. Grey Jr.
, Houston, Tx were known to have been recued by the Japanese freighter, the
Igaharu Maru.
Bay Staters listed missing by the Panoceanic Tankers Corp. in
New York, owners of the vessel were:
3rd mate JOSEPH P.NOWD,jr., 22, of Cambridge St., Brighton .
3rd Mate JOHN R. McPHEE ,22, of Cedar Grove Rd., East Orleans.
1st Engr. JOHN M. WARD ,20, of 136 Rockland St. Canton.
2nd Engr. JOHN P. DUNPHY,26, Bay Road , Eastham.
3rd Eng. ROBERT E. JANES , 20, of 6 Warren St., Danvers.
Wiper EARL M. RICHARDSON, 30, Brick Hill Rd., Orleans,
father of five.
Oiler JAMES BECHTOLD ,21, 63 Lane Ave., Weymouth.
All except Richardson are graduates of the Massachusetts Martime
Academy , with Janes, Nowd , Betchtold, and McPhee all graduating last March.
The Coast Guard said water temperature in the area was 50-55 degrees and
added, men could not survive long in such cold unless properly dressed.
BODIES SEEN
The radio reports of bodies in the water was recieved at the U.S. Naval
station at Adak , Alaska, from one of the search planes . The intensive
water search
continued under somewhat improved weather conditions as contrasted
with the 20-25 foot seas and 45-50 knot winds which prevailed when the ship
first asked for
"immediate assistance" early Monday.
Gov. Walter J. Hickel described the sinking as "a maritime tragedy of
terrible proportions and one which again points up the need for incresaing
the
search and rescue capabilities of the Coast Guard in the North Pacific and
off the
long coastline of Alaska."
Associated Press dispatches from the area reported : Military planes
which flew to the scene just after radio calls for assistance were recieved
from
the stricken vessel dropped rubber life rafts to the crewmen bobbing in life
jackets , and a pilot from the Navy from
Adak, Alaska reported he saw several men climb into them.
The Panoceanic Faith , hauling fertilizer from San Francisco to India
under a U.S. aid program sank so quickly , the Coast Guard said that the
crew
was unable to launch it's two lifeboats or two life rafts. The crew of the
stricken
ship first radioed for help at 2:55 p.m. Monday, saying her
decks were being swept by 20-foot waves, her No.1 and No. 2 holds were
filling with water, the engines were failing and she was in danger of
sinking.
In New York City , Augustus S. Polemis , president of the company which
owns the Panoceanic Faith , said " it carried a very good crew."
The company Panoceanic Tankers Corp. , identified the master as Captain
John F. Ogles , of Alexandria,Va., a master for the company since 1961, and
the
chief engineer as Harry K. Bradley of Glendale, Cal. The ship built in 1945
was to have refueled at Yokohama , Japan on it's way to india .
- --------------------------------------------------------------
There are pictures of 4 of the 7 men.
J.P. Nowd
John M. Ward
John P. Dunphy
James Bechtold
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