1868
Sudden Death at Sea.—A very striking and painful instance of the uncertainty of life occurred at sea on Monday evening, in the case of James McRurie, a fisherman belonging to Cellardyke. The unfortunate man was one of eight others who formed the crew of the deep sea going boat Neptune, of Cellardyke, skipper John Montidore, which sailed at an early hour on Monday morning from Anstruther harbour on a great line fishing cruise. The crew had cast their lines on a well known ” bank,” about forty or fifty miles in east southeast direction from the Isle of May, everything went on well until about dusk, by which time the lines had been again drawn in, and the sails set and trimmed for the homeward voyage. Their work being over, the crew went down into the cabin to partake of supper, when McRurie, who appeared to be in excellent health and spirits, ate heartily, and with seeming relish. After his comrades had gone on deck, he remained behind to light his pipe, when in a short interval one of the crew going into the cabin found him lying prostrate and speechless on the floor. All possible assistance in the circumstances was immediately rendered bv the skipper and the rest of the crew; but, notwithstanding all their solicitude and care, the unfortunate man whose case was seen to be hopeless from the first, became gradually weaker and weaker, until he breathed his last, only an hour after his distress had been observed. From such symptoms as the partial turning round of the mouth and the loss of power in one side, the disease which thus ruthlessly cut the unfortunate man off would appear to be paralysis of the worst type. Every effort was made to bring the boat to land, but light and fitful winds prevented this from being done until the midday of Tuesday when the boat arrived in the harbour here. The sad tidings of their unlooked for bereavement was broken to the deceased’s family by Mr John Caldwell, the, senior elder of the U.P Church Anstruther, but it needless to say that the scene which followed was of the most affecting and painful description. McRurie who was about sixty two years of age, has left a widow and several a family all of whom, however, are grown up. He was a most industrious and experienced fisherman, and was much respected for his quiet and inoffensive disposition.
STAYS. STAYS. STAYS. P. Thomson, GENERAL DRAPER, CELLARDYKE, Has always on Hand a large Assortment of LADIES’ and CHILDREN’S HAND-SEWED STAYS, deserving Public Attention.
A Singular Prize.—The other day, as the Cellardyke deep sea going boat, belonging to Mr John Gardiner, was out at the great line fishing, upwards of thirty miles in the offing off Aberdeen, the crew found a large shark entangled amongst the lines, which, with much difficulty, they hoisted on board of the boat, for the purpose of extracting the liver. After this operation had been effected, one of the fishermen, actuated simply by curiosity, opened the shark’s stomach, in which, curious enough, was discovered a fine salmon, about twelve pounds in weight, which, from all appearance, could not have been more than an hour or two in that insatiate organ. With the exception of a blemish or two in the middle of the body and at the tail, as if it had been caught there by the teeth of the ruthless scourge of the sea, the salmon was unscathed if it had been taken out of an ordinary fishing net. The fishermen, arriving at Anstruther, divided their prize amongst them, and on its being cooked it proved delicious and savoury if it had been caught by Isaac Walton himself while disporting in the crystal brook, instead of having been taken out of the maw of a ravenous shark. In these days when so much is being said and written about the salmon, the above incident may be regarded, with some interest in reference to the migratory habits of the fish.
Serious Accident to a Fisherman.—On Tuesday morning, as the Cellardyke fishing-boat, of which Mr James Murray is skipper and owner was returning from the great line fishing ground, a very serious accident occurred to one of the crew, named Alexander Jack. It appears that the mainmast was being set, preliminary to making more sail, when, this was being done, the pitching of the boat in the seaway caused the mast to spring from the “step” in which it rests, upon the contiguous boarding, when the crew proceeded to make an effort to restore it to its proper place. Jack was assisting in this operation, when the mast rolled over and crushed him against the edge of thwart. His body in this dangerous position being made to weight of the heavy spar, the effect was most deplorable, as, besides being fearfully bruised, his collar bone and nearly all the ribs on one side were broken, some of these being in two places. The sufferings of the poor man were most acute and severe, as the accident occurred about twenty miles seaward of the Bell Rock, when many hours necessarily elapsed before land could be reached. When the boat at length reached the harbour, no time was lost conveying the poor sufferer to his house in Cellardyke, where he was promptly attended to by Dr Jamieson. the extreme severity of the injuries he sustained, hopes are still entertained of his recovery, although at present he lies in such precarious condition as to lead to the greatest anxiety for his safety.
Curious Surgical Operations.-
The other day a rather curious operation in surgery was performed in a certain fishcuring yard in the west end of Cellardyke, which equally invites attention from the singularity of the process and the rare success which followed it. As everybody may know, dissection and anatomy are carried on much more extensively in a curing yard than in even the College of Surgeons, but in either place the case which now claims attention is, and would have been, peculiar although nothing more than the patent. It is quite a familiar phrase in speaking of anything curious, whether it be biped or quadruped, to say it is a rara avis, but in this case, as in so many others, it would not have been exactly accurate, as it was no strange bird, but a fine domestic hen, which came under treatment. Tappie, it seems, was a prime favourite in the family of the worthy curer, because of that great virtue of her kind that she almost daily added to the comforts of the breakfast table. The ills of life men and hens are many and great, for Tappie was lately seized with distemper which everybody said was a hopeless case, as doctors always say when their prescriptions fail. Meanwhile appearance of Tappie seemed fully to bear out their wise though dismal forebodings, for instead of being capital type of well-conditioned matron, she day by day dwindled away into walking skeleton, very near to the end of its journey. The Cooper of the curing yard seeing the distressed condition of the poor fowl, determined to make effort, if possible, to save it. “Desperate diseases require desperate remedies” became his motto for the nonce, and, acting upon it, he coolly proceeded to examine the patient, and, concluding from the swollen appearance of the breast, that something was wrong with the stomach, he whetted his knife, and then by a dexterous incision, first of the skin, and then of the membrane of the bag, laid it open. This diagnosis proved correct, as a large, hard ball of matted grass was found in the interior, which, on being extracted, and the incisions closed up, seemed to be followed with a magical result. No sooner was the operation over than the hen flapped its wings, and gave every indication of restored health and spirits. In a day or two Tappie became perfectly convalescent, and is now in such condition as to pipe the praises of the ingenious piper who so successfully assumed the character of professor of surgery.
1869
CELLARDYKE. Road Reform.— Arrangements have been advanced for having the main street of the town properly causewayed. Suitable stones for the purpose have been secured. The expense, it has been estimated, will amount to about £150
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