from "Among the Deep Sea Fishers" | July 1912

Items from the Grenfell Association of America

The George B. Cluett, after discharging her cargo in St. John’s, sailed for New York, bringing Mr. Karnopp down to look after the shipping of the furnishings for the Institute. 

She had a hard battle to fight coming through the fields of ice, so was somewhat longer on the way than had been anticipated. Her log showed that she was only about one hundred miles from the Titanic when the latter went down. Capt. Pickels brought her safely through, however, and after spending some time in Bridgeport having her engine repaired and other necessary work done, she finally reached New York. Mr. Karnopp was obliged to return to St. John’s before the loading was completed, but it was looked after by Mr. Halsey, who had come down from St. Anthony to purchase the summer’s supplies, and Capt. Pickels. After many delays such as seem incident to the running of boats, the Cluett, which had to stop at Boston to take on institute furnishings, finally go on her way to St. John’s. . . .

Mr. Halsey left St. Anthony by dogteam about the middle of April, coming about half the way with the dogs and the other half on foot, until he reached the railroad arriving in New York the latter part of April. This was rather strenuous travelling, and he found the paved streets of New York rather hard on feet that had grown accustomed to the soft seal skin boots in the north. Mr. Halsey has had charge of the purchasing of supplies for the mission and is now waiting for the Geo. B. Cluett to arrive so that he can superintend the loading of the cargo. The boat will come to Boston, where Mrs. Fowler’s party will go aboard. They hope to get away by the 25^th of June. 

J. L. G., Secretary

Items from the New England Grenfell Association

My dear Miss White:

 

 .. . . As one of my pupils wrote later in an English exercise: “Our fingers was so cold that we couldn’t write.” The best we could do was to play games, sing songs, recite “verses” (anything with a jingle or a rhyme in it delights the hearts of these children) and read in relays around the stove, until far on into the day when things began to get warmed up. As soon as we told this story to Dr. Little and Mr. Halsey, they began to plan different arrangements for us. . . .

Our new schoolroom, as no doubt Mr. Halsey will tell you, was the new downstairs ward in the hospital, which, it happens, has not been needed for patients this winter. It is a large, pleasant room well lighted with southwestern exposure and a goodly supply of radiators. We now learned what it was to be too warm, for almost as soon as we had moved the weather began to grow mild and continued unseasonably moderate all through February. . . .

Affectionately yours,

Betsy L. Copping

***

February 22^nd, 1912.

My dear Miss White:

Mr. Halsey has had entire charge of opening all boxes sent here since Mr. Webster left, so I have been unable to find out about hose you referred to, but I am sure all have been acknowledge as great care has been taken in that line since the St. Anthony Committee took charge.

… Sincerely yours,

John J. H. Evans