A. T. Gifford (ship) - Fire and Sinking

Fire and Sinking

In July, 1915, the Gifford left Provincetown, MA on its final voyage. After dropping off supplies and picking up a two years' catch of furs from Capt. Cleveland at Cape Fullerton in September 1915, it was never heard from again.

In 1917, George Fred Tilton of Martha's Vineyard was hired by the Monjo company to investigate the disappearance of the schooner. He sailed to Hudson Bay on the schooner Pythian and determined that it had burned and sank in flames on its homeward journey. Tilton wrote, "I found proof that the schooner had caught fire and burned until her gas tanks blew up and sunk her, and I learned from the natives of three men who landed in a small boat and died from burns and exposure."

An overturned fisherman's dory covering two skeletons were found by Capt. Cleveland at Coats Island in 1921, alleged to be the remains of crew of the schooner A. T. Gifford. One of the two bodies was identified as Captain Gibbons by his small stature and his revolver. The second skeleton remained unidentified, but was presumed to be one of the Gifford's officers. The men were thought to have been trying to reach the nearest Hudson Bay trading post, some 70 miles (110 km) from where the dory was found, when winter storms set in. The Canadian Government held a criminal investigation.

No other survivors of the wreck have ever been located.