The Storm
The fishermen reached the fishing grounds, just a mile or two off shore, quite early. The morning began calm, fair and mild but the wind began to strengthen as the morning progressed and by around mid-day the weather took a dramatic turn for the worse and the south-westerly gale drove the boats away from land and down the firth. Although the men were powerful oarsmen the ferocity of the storm overwhelmed all three boats. All 21 people, men and youths, were drowned; only women, young children and the elderly remained.
Read more about this topic: Stotfield Fishing Disaster
Famous quotes containing the word storm:
“The victors and the vanquished then the storm it tossed and tore,
As hard they strove, those worn-out men, upon that surly shore;
Dead Nelson and his half-dead crew, his foes from near and far,
Were rolled together on the deep that night at Trafalgar!”
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)
“Here’s neither bush nor shrub to bear off any weather at all. And another storm brewing, I hear it sing i’ the wind. Yond same black cloud, yond huge one, looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor. If it should thunder as it did before, I know not where to hide my head. Yond same cloud cannot choose but fall by pailfuls.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)