1886
DENSE FOG— PERILOUS SITUATION OF FISHING CRAFT. —The old saying, “A silken Sabbath a harran week,” has been true if ever of the present one. The brilliant sunshine with which it opened was succeeded by cold drizzling showers, especially on Monday, when a dense fog also settled in the Forth. As a consequence, the navigation became very critical. Vessel signalled to vessel with steam whistle or fog horn at sea, but the mariner had no such friendly guide he groped along the shore. Thus, on the voyage from Banff to Yarmouth, the boat Abstainer came into collision with the Carr Rock about midnight. The stroke made the little craft quiver from stem stern, but luckily she floated over the reef and arrived at Anstruther, with no more serious mishap than a little damage to her forefoot. A couple Manx fishing vessels, however, were in more serious plight. The Nellie, of Port Mary, at 8 P.M. struck the same dangerous reef, the beacon, as we hear, being mistaken in the mist for vessel’s sail. It was about low water, and believing that the loss of the smack was inevitable, the skipper and his crew took to the long boat, with which, strangers as they were, they safely landed near Randerstone Castle. Within half-an-hour the second smack, the Thomas Brown, of Peel, went ashore near Fife Ness. The crew were no less fortunate in finding their way the homestead of Craighead, where the sailor friend, as many a poor castaway has reason to speak of Mr Morton, at once supplied them with all needful comfort and rest. In the meantime their companions in misfortune had travelled to Kingsbarns, from which they by-and-bye returned to the scene of the wreck; but in the interval extraordinary adventure had befallen the derelict. Floating with the tide, she drifted with one the tiller or sheet till she stranded high water near the “Golden Strand “at Cellardyke. When first seen she was lying high and dry on a flat with the captain’s watch ticking in the cabin and other valuables lying about if and his crew had left all in the rush for life. With the sea, however, as calm a lake, little, if any, anxiety was felt about their welfare, reasonable was the opinion that they had either landed on the May, or been rescued by a passing ship. But if the vessel was to be saved there was time for hesitation, and accordingly the well-known ship and boat builder, Mr Jarvis. at once proceeded to the spot with his men, and skilfully and well did be perform his task that at high water on Tuesday afternoon she was safely moored in Anstruther Harbour. The situation of the Thomas Brown was more doubtful, the tide ebbed and flowed through a large hole in her bottom, but the Nellie was no sooner in safety than Mr Jarvis drove, through the kindness of Mr Morton, Fifeness, to advise about her salvage. Neither vessel, understand, is insured.
BOAT for SALE; Length, 45 feet; Built in 1874, and in good condition, just as she has been at this Lammas Fishing. Apply to Wm. Gardner Skipper, 59 John Street, Cellardyke.
THE CELLARDYKE SCHOOL Mr Sharp stated that the Committee had done nothing with regard to getting a wire netting putt up to protect all the windows in Cellardyke School. Mr Donaldson noticed that none of the panes had been broken this year. The Chairman—That is most unusual. Whom have we to thank for that? Mr Donaldson- I think Mr Mitchell baa a great deal to do with it. He looked well after the school during the vacations. Mr Smith—There is no doubt be is a daur upon the children. Mr Sharp—ln former years there was none to look after the property during the vacations, but this year Mitchell has proved a good caretaker The Chairman—ln that case there is not the same necessity for having the wire netting put up. L am rather in favour of having the playground enclosed, but in the meantime we will allow the matter to be on the table.
EXPOSURE OF PROPERTY. — The two houses built at the west end of Cellardyke by Mr Alexander Wallace were again exposed for sale in the Town Hall on Saturday. The reduced upset of each property was £330, but no sale was effected.
PAINFUL ACCIDENT. —Alexander Doig, one of the crew of the Cellardyke boat “Refuge,” had his hand terribly mutilated by the wheel of machinery upon which he was engaged working. One of the forefingers was completely torn away. Dr Craig attended to the injured man.
THE SCARLATINA EPIDEMIC. —At a meeting of Kilrenny School Board on Wednesday evening it was reported that there were about 29 families in Cellardyke with children ill with scarlatina, and that while Dr McCallum had stated that the epidemic was spreading, it was not doing so to any rapid or alarming extent, so that there was no need in the meantime to close the schools. The officer had warned all the parents not to allow their children to attend school until the disease was entirely clear of their families. The Chairman was authorised, should the epidemic seriously increase, to summon a special meeting of the Board to take further precautions against its progress. There had been one or two deaths from the disease among very young children.
THE LOCAL PRONUNCIATION IN THE SCHOOLS. — The Inspectors’ reports on the Cellardyke schools were read at a meeting of Kilrenny School Board on Wednesday evening. Complaint was made of the reading of the pupils being affected by the local pronunciation, and not reaching the same high level as the other work. The Chairman stated that the Inspectors complained of this personally to him when they were in the schools. He thought that the Board should call the attention of the teachers to the subject, so that it might be remedied in future. The suggestion was agreed to, and it was remitted to the School Committees to confer with the teachers on the subject.
A TENTH CONVICTION. —The young Cellardyke carter, George Mitchell, who only ended his term of imprisonment the other week, was again before the East Anstruther Bailies on Friday, charged with a drunken brawl near the Salutation Inn on the previous night, when he became outrageous and had to be locked in the cells. He pleaded guilty, but, in respect of there being no fewer than nine previous convictions against him, he was sentenced, without the option of a fine, to thirty days in jail. He was at the same time warned by Bailie Darsie that in the event of another complaint he would be remitted to a higher Court.
TURNIP STEALING. —At the bar of Kilrenny Burgh Court on Monday—all the Magistrates on the bench—three Cellardyke urchins, David Watson, David Sutherland, and Wilson Birrell, pleaded guilty to turnip stealing on the farm of Kilrenny Mill, tenanted by Mr James Cairns. In passing sentence Provost Skinner hoped they would have as much self-respect as not to commit so mean a theft again, robbing the farmer of the food raised with so much labour for his cattle. They were each fined a couple of shillings.
A PAINFUL CASE. —Robert Blyth a lad of about ten years of age, residing with his father at the village of Kilrenny was accused before the magistrates in Cellardyke on Monday of having stolen a purse containing a florin from another boy of half his years, the son of John Simpson, blacksmith, at the same village. It appears that the father, Thomas Blyth, had been advised to send the lad to the Reformatory; but he not unnaturally wished to keep him in his family. The Court so far sympathised with the unhappy parent that, to give him another chance, it was agreed to continue the case till Saturday.
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