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Death on the Ice: The Great Newfoundland Sealing Disaster of 1914
Each year, for generations, poor, ill-clad Newfoundland fisherman sailed out 'to the ice' to hunt seals in the hope of a few pennies in wages from the prosperous merchants of St. John's. The year 1914 witnessed the worst in the long line of tragedies that were part of their harsh way of life.
For two long, freezing days and nights a party of seal hunters--one hundred thirty-two men--were left stranded on an icefield floating in the North Atlantic in winter. They were thinly dressed, with almost no food, and with no hope of shelter on the ice against the snow or the constant, bitter winds. To survive they had to keep moving, always moving. Those who lay down to rest died.
Heroes emerged--one man froze his lips badly, biting off the icicles that were blinding his comrades. Other men froze in their tracks, or went mad with pain and walked off the edge of the icefield. All the while, ships steamed about nearby, unnoticing. And by the time help arrived, two-thirds of the men were dead.
This is an incredible story of bungling and greed, of suffering and heroism. The disaster is carefully traced, step by step. With the aid of compelling, contemporary photographs the book paints an unforgettable portrait of the bloody trade of seal hunting among the icefields when ships--and men--were expendable.
For two long, freezing days and nights a party of seal hunters--one hundred thirty-two men--were left stranded on an icefield floating in the North Atlantic in winter. They were thinly dressed, with almost no food, and with no hope of shelter on the ice against the snow or the constant, bitter winds. To survive they had to keep moving, always moving. Those who lay down to rest died.
Heroes emerged--one man froze his lips badly, biting off the icicles that were blinding his comrades. Other men froze in their tracks, or went mad with pain and walked off the edge of the icefield. All the while, ships steamed about nearby, unnoticing. And by the time help arrived, two-thirds of the men were dead.
This is an incredible story of bungling and greed, of suffering and heroism. The disaster is carefully traced, step by step. With the aid of compelling, contemporary photographs the book paints an unforgettable portrait of the bloody trade of seal hunting among the icefields when ships--and men--were expendable.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
37 people are currently reading
1001 people want to read
About the author
Cassie Brown
13 books3 followersCassie Eileen Brown (1919–1986) was a Newfoundland and Labrador journalist, author, publisher and editor. Brown is most distinguished for her books Death on the Ice which was featured in Reader's Digest and the Wreck of the Florizel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
January 27, 2022
This book details the tragedy that befell the seal hunters from the S.S. Newfoundland when they were negligently left stranded on the sea ice for two nights in 1914. I know that some people have a strong objection to the spring seal hunt, mainly because the animals being hunted are basically cute tubes with flippers and great big eyes that look at you pleadingly as you club them to death. Personally, I wouldn't have much stomach for a job of that nature, but for the cash-strapped outports of Newfoundland the hunt was the only annual income some of the participants had, so I can't judge them for that. After all, not every man who enjoys a hamburger wants to kill a cow.
The spring ice is a treacherous place to work: floes break apart and drift off, they push together and form ridges and spires. Usually the entire ice surface is uneven and one has to avoid stepping into cracks or fissures or blowholes. Getting soaked with ice water in the open when the Arctic winds are blowing down on you can be fatal very quickly. The work is hard and nasty, usually involving a trek of miles across the ice before the killing and skinning commence. When the seals are processed, the hides are dragged to a place where they can be winched aboard the ship. Working men were treated like cattle, fed next to nothing, and had the cost of work equipment deducted from their wages. At the end of the hunt, the sealer could even find himself in debt to the company . Meanwhile, the owners and Skippers grew rich.
The disaster occurred when the sealers from the Newfoundland were set on the ice at the start of what turned out to be a huge blizzard. They dispatched some seals but then had trouble getting back to the vessel. The Skippers on the ships all assumed that the sealers had got on board another vessel but either couldn't be bothered to check or were too cowed by authority figures to insist on things as simple as sounding the ship's whistle to guide the lost men to the ship in the blizzard.
Cassie Brown quit her job as a journalist to research this story and write the book. Fortunately, some of the survivors were still around and she was able to interview them in person. It must have been a harrowing thing for them to remember: walking through snow whipped horizontal by winds and so thick you could hardly see the man in front of you, trying to avoid gaps in the ice because to be wet was to die. She tells of the exhausted men who struggled miles across broken ice to intercept a ship only to see it turn and steam away just when they thought they were rescued. Many were the men who watched brothers die in that white hell; the book is full of such stories. I remember in particular a frozen group of three, like a sculpture or a statue, of a father with his arms around his two sons as if sheltering them in death. They were stacked on the deck like cordwood along with the other corpses chipped off the ice, covered by a tarp and sailed like cargo back to port where they had to be thawed in hot baths to be laid out in the morgue.
I wish I could tell you some good came of it. Some funds were raised for the families of the departed, so they were likely worth more dead than alive as far as assets go. A hearing was held, with predictable results. You know the golden rule: he with the gold makes the rules.
I really can't do this great book justice in the few minutes I have to make a review. Suffice it to say that even although I knew the story before reading the book, Cassie Brown had me up all night turning pages. She was able to source a lot of good photos as well. Might be the best book I'll read this year.
The spring ice is a treacherous place to work: floes break apart and drift off, they push together and form ridges and spires. Usually the entire ice surface is uneven and one has to avoid stepping into cracks or fissures or blowholes. Getting soaked with ice water in the open when the Arctic winds are blowing down on you can be fatal very quickly. The work is hard and nasty, usually involving a trek of miles across the ice before the killing and skinning commence. When the seals are processed, the hides are dragged to a place where they can be winched aboard the ship. Working men were treated like cattle, fed next to nothing, and had the cost of work equipment deducted from their wages. At the end of the hunt, the sealer could even find himself in debt to the company . Meanwhile, the owners and Skippers grew rich.
The disaster occurred when the sealers from the Newfoundland were set on the ice at the start of what turned out to be a huge blizzard. They dispatched some seals but then had trouble getting back to the vessel. The Skippers on the ships all assumed that the sealers had got on board another vessel but either couldn't be bothered to check or were too cowed by authority figures to insist on things as simple as sounding the ship's whistle to guide the lost men to the ship in the blizzard.
Cassie Brown quit her job as a journalist to research this story and write the book. Fortunately, some of the survivors were still around and she was able to interview them in person. It must have been a harrowing thing for them to remember: walking through snow whipped horizontal by winds and so thick you could hardly see the man in front of you, trying to avoid gaps in the ice because to be wet was to die. She tells of the exhausted men who struggled miles across broken ice to intercept a ship only to see it turn and steam away just when they thought they were rescued. Many were the men who watched brothers die in that white hell; the book is full of such stories. I remember in particular a frozen group of three, like a sculpture or a statue, of a father with his arms around his two sons as if sheltering them in death. They were stacked on the deck like cordwood along with the other corpses chipped off the ice, covered by a tarp and sailed like cargo back to port where they had to be thawed in hot baths to be laid out in the morgue.
I wish I could tell you some good came of it. Some funds were raised for the families of the departed, so they were likely worth more dead than alive as far as assets go. A hearing was held, with predictable results. You know the golden rule: he with the gold makes the rules.
I really can't do this great book justice in the few minutes I have to make a review. Suffice it to say that even although I knew the story before reading the book, Cassie Brown had me up all night turning pages. She was able to source a lot of good photos as well. Might be the best book I'll read this year.
April 17, 2020
When I visited Newfoundland in the summer of 2019, I was told that this was considered one of the best books written about an important event in Newfoundland. These recommendations were not wrong and I learned about the devastating consequences miscommunication can have when it results in the deaths of 178 men. Complete with black and white photos of the era, the chapters were short and the vocabulary easy to follow.
Goodreads review published 12/04/20
Goodreads review published 12/04/20
October 5, 2013
A quick read about a specific event that sheds light on quite a bit of Newfoundland's labor, social, and cultural history. Cassie Brown provides enough information about how and why sealers do what they do, and under what conditions, for the lay person to follow along without boring us. Although this is nonfiction, it reads as a novel, and you'll feel the tension mounting every time someone makes a decision or assumption that you know will lead to the deaths of so many men. The magnitude of what they suffered in a blizzard on the ice for two days and nights is astronomical; the greed and callousness of the men who own the sealing ships, even more so. A great read about an important event that, unfortunately, did not lead to the reforms it should have.
September 18, 2019
Cassie Brown's book about the actual events that occurred on the North Atlantic ice of the 1914 Newfoundland sealing disaster is very clear and so well written, that I feel I got to know these sealers. Although it is a true story of what actually happened to the sealers from the ship Newfoundland when they spent two days on the ice in the North Atlantic in a terrible blizzard in 1914, it reads like a novel. Ms. Brown uses the colloquial language of Newfoundland and Labrador and she introduces us to all the unfortunate sealers as she moves through the disaster chronologically. It is a very difficult book to read, but totally enthralling. This book belongs on my most memorable books list for sure. It is an incredible story about the harsh life that these sealers led at the turn of the 20 century. It is also an expose of the greed and lack of empathy for human life that big companies like the sealing companies practised in those days. Times were hard for these hard-working sealers. Their job was to go out on the breaking ice and kill as many baby Harp seals as they could for the entire sealing season. They lived off of hard tack and copious amounts of tea. The conditions were appalling on the sealing vessels. Bungling and mistakes caused this disaster to happen and 85 sealers died on the ice. The 55 or so survivors were horribly maimed and many had lost feet and/or hands to the killing cold. Even in those appalling conditions, we see some real heroes come to the forefront. Without those men, fifty-five sealers would not have made it back. I urge every Canadian to read this book and lift a "mug-up" to these brave, courageous men, forefathers of our wonderful fellow Canadians in Newfoundland and Labrador.
August 1, 2022
This book was impossible to put down. I lost a lot of sleep reading "just a bit more". This tragedy was heartless to learn about. The author melded the experiences from all sides flawlessly and the terrible suffering of the men that died and survived was felt fully through her words. It was so well written I would get lost in wanting to know more and needing to keep reading. There was some feelings of disbelief that this is all true! How could this happen and the person at fault have so little remorse? Did he truly have no ability to consider he was wrong? Why was one man given so much power over the lives of others but yet terrified those same men to the point they didn't speak up about their concerns? It's so sad. Whether you agree with the seal hunts or not is completely irrelevant to the story except for why the men were on an arctic ice flow in the first place. What a terrible thing for all those family and loved ones to live through whether their man died, or survived but was forever crippled and no income or compensation to be found. I highly recommend this book, but warn you there will be lost hours of sleep when you can't put it down.
April 4, 2022
My great-great grandfather is mentioned in this book.
October 10, 2022
Pure horror. A terrifically told waking nightmare pieced together from survivors' accounts - hard to put down and made me gasp-out-loud-and-put-a-hand-to-my-mouth several times. How easy it is for tragedies to happen when profit is being chased. Highly recommend if you've the stomach for it; glad I saw Nicole Cliffe mention it.
Several typos and formatting errors in my ebook.
Several typos and formatting errors in my ebook.
October 20, 2019
The worst disaster story I have ever read. (This is not a reflection on the writing, which is actually pretty good. What makes the story so awful is the sealing industry at that time (NOT perpetrated by the Inuit) and the fact that the men would not have died if they hadn't been ordered off a ship at the start of a blizzard.)
February 5, 2012
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, sealing, the slaughter of baby harp seals for their pelts and their fat, was a way of life for Newfoundlanders. Always in debt to their employers, for the men never made enough each season to come in the clear financially, the sealers nevertheless enjoyed going to the ice each spring in hopes that they would finally strike the seal equivalent of the mother lode. But in 1914, instead of riches and wealth, the poorly dressed, poorly equipped, poorly fed (sealers usually subsisted on nothing more than hard tack and tea during a run) men of the Newfoundland found themselves abandoned on the ice just before a massive spring storm hit. Each ship in the area assumed the men had made it safely to another ship, and due to the lack of a wireless set on the Newfoundland, there was no way to confirm that the men had made it back. Instead, one hundred and thirty-two men were left to wander among pans of ice in freezing temperatures with gale force winds and driving snow and rain. Some fell in to the water between the ice floes. Shelters were erected but could not protect the men sufficiently. Two-thirds of the men on the ice died during the two days and two nights they spent on the ice. Had the Newfoundland still had her wireless (it had been removed as unprofitable the year before), the deaths would have been averted. This is a chilling account of how greed and wealth can lead to easily avoided human tragedy and disaster.
February 4, 2013
I read this years ago as part of my high school curriculum. Even though all those years have passed I still remember the haunting story this book entails. Great read!
December 9, 2021
As a book, this is not a story that particularly interested me, as there were a few too many details of horrible moments for my liking. As a non-fiction book, the story shocked me. Why do Canadian high schools teach about ancient European battles but not about Newfoundland's more recent and more relevant history?
By the second half of the book, I was starting to get into the book either way. The author switched between perspectives well, including what was revealed during trials after the fact. The story did move slowly though, and began with far more details than my brain could be bothered to remember.
As well, before seeing the photos included in my copy, it was very difficult to picture the size of the ships and their crews; the initial descriptions led me to believe it was a tiny wooden boat like those used for fishing, which would have fit a maximum of 30 people on board. I also got the impression that hundreds of sealers died during the event every year, and didn't find out until I had almost reached the end of the novel that even the nightmarish Greenland event had less than 100 men die (I won't spoil the Newfoundland event's numbers).
By the second half of the book, I was starting to get into the book either way. The author switched between perspectives well, including what was revealed during trials after the fact. The story did move slowly though, and began with far more details than my brain could be bothered to remember.
As well, before seeing the photos included in my copy, it was very difficult to picture the size of the ships and their crews; the initial descriptions led me to believe it was a tiny wooden boat like those used for fishing, which would have fit a maximum of 30 people on board. I also got the impression that hundreds of sealers died during the event every year, and didn't find out until I had almost reached the end of the novel that even the nightmarish Greenland event had less than 100 men die (I won't spoil the Newfoundland event's numbers).
January 14, 2024
I had heard a little of these events in the past, but never dug deep into it. This book shared the story in a well done historically based novel. The pain you feel as you read of their experiences and the lives lost in this tragedy, and the longing for wanting someone to do something right, is brought out with each new page you read.
It’s like hoping the ending of the movie “Titanic” would end differently, and the whole time you are yelling at the tv telling them “don’t do this or that”. The entirety of the book spurs those same reactions.
It’s not long enough to develop a true understanding of ALL of the individuals involved, but it’s really done well enough that every person still meant something.
This one is hands down a 5 star read for me!
It’s like hoping the ending of the movie “Titanic” would end differently, and the whole time you are yelling at the tv telling them “don’t do this or that”. The entirety of the book spurs those same reactions.
It’s not long enough to develop a true understanding of ALL of the individuals involved, but it’s really done well enough that every person still meant something.
This one is hands down a 5 star read for me!
September 7, 2023
Actually a DNF. I really loved the writing, and it seemed meticulously researched, hence the 5 star rating, but my brain just does not understand all the descriptions of ship locations, bearing, wind directions etc. Between that and the fact that the content of the story is absolutely harrowing, I found myself avoiding reading this before bed, which is when I like to read. I would recommend it if you're up for the aspects that I couldn't handle!
December 2, 2022
This book was recommended to me as "the scariest book I've ever read" and I think I have to agree. A terrifying, harrowing account of a tragedy caused by inept leadership rooted in greed and exploitation. A disaster caused by a corrupt system as much as the elements.
May 4, 2024
I read this as part of my tenth grade English curriculum, and then went on to read it twice more on my own time.
A haunting story that gives the reader a look into what Newfoundland life as a fishermen and their families was like during the trying times of Winter in our Province. What they had to endure, why they did what they did, how they were treated, how their families felt, how they themselves felt.
As well as a look into what Newfoundland history and culter is and was.
It draws you in, you experience it with them... you feel it with them.
You feel the drive, you feel the sense of obligation, the need to provide, the longing, the pain, the betrayal, the bite of the cold, the sting of the wind, the confusion, the hopelessness, the suffering, and the loss.
Whether you're familiar with the tragedy or not, but especially if you're an Islander.
Years have passed and so have generations... but almost every family that l know lost someone in result to what can only be called the greatest tragedy of our Province.
Back home, in a small town in Bonovista Bay... we have a museum, a statue, and a series of plaques standing as a memorial dedicated to those involved and to those we lost during the Great Sealing Disaster of 1914.
80+ years had passed since the event and my birth and yet- I still learned about it, read about it and then eventually traveled to the museum, the statue, and the memorial to mourn the lost lives of people I never even knew, family members I never even knew.
It's part of our history, and in a way...part of who we are as whole.
The people of Newfoundland will never forget, and therefore never let those to come after them and us forget either.
Cassie Brown helps us do that by allowing others to read and learn about it as well, whether they're from Newfoundland or otherwise.
A haunting story that gives the reader a look into what Newfoundland life as a fishermen and their families was like during the trying times of Winter in our Province. What they had to endure, why they did what they did, how they were treated, how their families felt, how they themselves felt.
As well as a look into what Newfoundland history and culter is and was.
It draws you in, you experience it with them... you feel it with them.
You feel the drive, you feel the sense of obligation, the need to provide, the longing, the pain, the betrayal, the bite of the cold, the sting of the wind, the confusion, the hopelessness, the suffering, and the loss.
Whether you're familiar with the tragedy or not, but especially if you're an Islander.
Years have passed and so have generations... but almost every family that l know lost someone in result to what can only be called the greatest tragedy of our Province.
Back home, in a small town in Bonovista Bay... we have a museum, a statue, and a series of plaques standing as a memorial dedicated to those involved and to those we lost during the Great Sealing Disaster of 1914.
80+ years had passed since the event and my birth and yet- I still learned about it, read about it and then eventually traveled to the museum, the statue, and the memorial to mourn the lost lives of people I never even knew, family members I never even knew.
It's part of our history, and in a way...part of who we are as whole.
The people of Newfoundland will never forget, and therefore never let those to come after them and us forget either.
Cassie Brown helps us do that by allowing others to read and learn about it as well, whether they're from Newfoundland or otherwise.
July 16, 2017
Death on the Ice, was recommended to us by someone we met in Newfoundland... who spoke so passionately and strongly about this book that I knew I had to find a copy and read it.
It is a remarkable story about a remarkable group of men (sealers) who found themselves in a horrible storm... trapped on the ice.
It was a terrible tragedy of lives, dignity and certainly had a huge impact on what was, a significant industry in Newfoundland in the early 1900's.
Death on the Ice brings the story of how the ship captains demanded much of their men, and the ships themselves were filled with inequities depending on the rank and experience of the captains. It certainly shows the reality of the wealthy captains and the poor fishermen who took to the sealing ships to make some extra money for their families.
I think the book shows the strength, compassion and family devotion of many Newfoundlanders ... who have not only a physical strength but a tremendous strength of character.
I'd definitely recommend this book.... fascinating look into a unique point in history.
It is a remarkable story about a remarkable group of men (sealers) who found themselves in a horrible storm... trapped on the ice.
It was a terrible tragedy of lives, dignity and certainly had a huge impact on what was, a significant industry in Newfoundland in the early 1900's.
Death on the Ice brings the story of how the ship captains demanded much of their men, and the ships themselves were filled with inequities depending on the rank and experience of the captains. It certainly shows the reality of the wealthy captains and the poor fishermen who took to the sealing ships to make some extra money for their families.
I think the book shows the strength, compassion and family devotion of many Newfoundlanders ... who have not only a physical strength but a tremendous strength of character.
I'd definitely recommend this book.... fascinating look into a unique point in history.
October 18, 2019
I never wish death on anyone. Being as I have huge soft spot for animals, this book had me torn. Feeling sorry for men butchering baby animals for money is not easy for me. Kind of a you get what you give person. But personal feelings aside, it is a darn good book. Written well and the content is exactly what it claims to be on the cover. I did feel bad for these men.....when I didn't feel like clubbing them.
June 27, 2013
Incredibly haunting look into history.
April 22, 2021
Death on the Ice: The Great Newfoundland Sealing Disaster of 1914 by Cassie Brown with Harold Horwood was published in 1972. I bought it during my trip to Newfoundland in 2012, so it has taken me only nine years to read (and there are still other books I bought during that trip which I haven’t read yet either). While I was in St. John’s I was riveted by an exhibit by artist John McDonald at The Rooms entitled You Don’t Know Cold. It featured life-size paintings of the men who suffered on the ice for two days and nights during the Newfoundland Sealing Disaster (where the term “Newfoundland” plays double duty as it was also the name of the sailing ship which lost nearly two thirds of its crew). I wanted to learn more about the circumstances that led to the deaths of these 78 men, who were stranded on the ice for 54 hours with inadequate clothing, hardly any food and no shelter. I saw Death on the Ice for sale and realized that it was about the paintings I had just seen.
Brown wrote a brief history of 217 pages wherein she gave the reader both literal and figurative chills. She got down to business and did not need to set the story with a lengthy introduction. In late March 1914 men came from all over Newfoundland to St. John’s to take part in the seal hunt out on the open ice. Brown captured the brutality of the ordeal (and I’m not talking about the seal carnage)–where sealers were given only hard tack to eat and maybe hot tea–and had to supply everything else themselves. It was not an easy time on board even when they were not on the ice, yet the financial reward was too enticing to pass up. She was best at describing the struggle atop the sometimes smooth yet often jagged ice as the sealers risked their lives hopping from floe to floe in search of harp seal pups, sometimes becoming stranded as floes drifted too far apart to jump across.
Miscommunication, assumptions and the lack of a wireless on the Newfoundland all contributed to the circumstances that led to the death of 78 men when they were let off their ship yet dismissed from another, the Stephano. 132 sealers roamed the ice searching for their own ship–or any ship–to pick them up before nightfall. A storm was approaching and they faced a night upon the open ice.
We feel their optimism when they spot ships nearby, but succumb to their helplessness when they see them, time and time again, departing in opposing directions. The waves of emotion varying between rescue and desertion were as rugged as the waves upon which the ice floes bounced and crashed. Brown captured the physical horrors of freezing to death, describing ice blindness and frostbite as the starving and exhausted men could go on no longer. After a second night upon the ice men witnessed others die if they took a desperate break to rest or sleep. Men also died standing up, kneeling in prayer, or in the example below, in a paternal embrace:
“[Edward] Tippett’s arms were frozen around his sons’ bodies and they still huddled close to him in death. They stood like pieces of sculpture, planted solidly on the ice in a standing embrace, the drifting snow swirling around them.”
Brown included witness testimonials at the public commissions of enquiry yet kept coverage of the legal proceedings brief. The two commissions disagreed in their assignment of blame and “[n]ot a single cent of damages or other liability was ever assessed against the companies that sent the men to their deaths without proper clothing, a decent survival outfit, the food needed to keep them going under stress, or signalling equipment on their ships.”
A large photo insert showed the horrific sight of frozen men being winched and piled onto a ship three deep. They had to be thawed in order to be identified.
January 3, 2021
This is a gruesome story in many ways, from the massacring of seals to the absolute tragedy that befalls the sealers themselves. Told mostly in a tick-tock fashion, the story bounces from boat to boat stuck amidst the ice in the Atlantic during the annual seal hunt. It's a death-defying hunt, wherein the men have to leap from the boats, fight their way across sea ice (sometimes thick, sometimes not so thick), club seals, and then get themselves and the seals back to the boat before the ice breaks up or drifts away. Don't try this at home, kids.
The short version is that the
This book falls victim to some of the common traps of disaster literature. In particular, the storytelling takes on too many characters, making particular narratives difficult to follow (and, honestly, making the start of the book a little slow to get into). It also hides away some of the historical debates, revealing them only in the final pages as the inquiry is conducted. Even a little of this kind of historiographical work would add tremendous value.
There's also an interesting decision to attempt to - um, vividly - capture Islander dialect in writing, which results in some quotations being very difficult to read. While I get the spirit, it really does not enhance readability to have to parse through each phonetic attempt to decipher what was meant, particularly when the author was working from secondary accounts and retellings conducted much later (i.e., it's not like these quotes capture important linguistic details exactly as they were on the ice).
There are also some interesting themes that could have been pulled out more directly. We get a brief taste of discussions around workers rights and occupational safety (particularly in the last few pages), but a lot more could be done to contextualize this and help reveal how this specific tragedy fits into the larger historical process. Similarly, much of the disaster And, the telling of the processes post-return is incredibly rushed, leaving much room for discussing even a tiny bit more about the recovery process and the broader impact on the industry.
Still, credit where credit is due: Brown has written an interesting book. While it's not necessarily the /most/ engaging disaster tale I've ever read, if you're into the survival genre, it's an interesting enough read.
The short version is that the
This book falls victim to some of the common traps of disaster literature. In particular, the storytelling takes on too many characters, making particular narratives difficult to follow (and, honestly, making the start of the book a little slow to get into). It also hides away some of the historical debates, revealing them only in the final pages as the inquiry is conducted. Even a little of this kind of historiographical work would add tremendous value.
There's also an interesting decision to attempt to - um, vividly - capture Islander dialect in writing, which results in some quotations being very difficult to read. While I get the spirit, it really does not enhance readability to have to parse through each phonetic attempt to decipher what was meant, particularly when the author was working from secondary accounts and retellings conducted much later (i.e., it's not like these quotes capture important linguistic details exactly as they were on the ice).
There are also some interesting themes that could have been pulled out more directly. We get a brief taste of discussions around workers rights and occupational safety (particularly in the last few pages), but a lot more could be done to contextualize this and help reveal how this specific tragedy fits into the larger historical process. Similarly, much of the disaster And, the telling of the processes post-return is incredibly rushed, leaving much room for discussing even a tiny bit more about the recovery process and the broader impact on the industry.
Still, credit where credit is due: Brown has written an interesting book. While it's not necessarily the /most/ engaging disaster tale I've ever read, if you're into the survival genre, it's an interesting enough read.
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October 1, 2023This is the harrowing account of how 132 sealers were left stranded on a giant ice-field off the Northern coast of Newfoundland for two days and two nights in March 1914. By the end of the second night 78 men had died. The men were poor fishermen, who were continually in debt to their company store and welcomed the chance to earn about $28 in cash, even though the work was exceedingly dangerous. They were poorly dressed, and conditions on the ships were appallingly filthy, with bad water and few hot meals. The men who were stranded belonged to the SS Newfoundland, an old wooden boat that was one of the few without a wireless telegraph machine; its owners said it wasn’t worth the expense. After weeks with few seals, their captain, Wes Kean, saw that his father, Abrahm Kean, was flying a flag indicating he’d found seals. Wes sent his crew to Abe’s ship where they are fed, then taken to a spot within striking distance of the seals and only 3 to 4 miles from the Newfoundland. In fact, Abe had miscalculated, it was closer to 7 miles and a storm is brewing. Abe thought they’d made it back to their ship; his son thought they were still aboard Abe’s ship. And so, the men were stranded. The fault lay partly with Abe, but he was never held responsible, nor were the rich sealing companies who failed to outfit the ships with telegraph equipment. In the end, a public commission narrowly deems the disaster an “Act of God.” Abe continued to captain sealing boats for 27 years and received the Order of the empire for killing 1 million. The only good to emerge, was that ships had to have wireless telegraphs and more credibility afforded to fisherman advocate William Coaker who had witnessed the disaster.
It's a sobering and tragic story of inhumane labour practices where greedy companies exploited desperate workers. It's such an old story, but here it resonates thought Cassie’s habit of circling in and out of the tale does it no favours.
Others have made accounts of it including an NFB animated short, 54 hours, written by Michael Crummy and a Video part of the “Disasters of the Century” series. This fall, there’s a new novel by Donna Morrisey called The Rage of the Night, which partly concerns the disaster.
It's a sobering and tragic story of inhumane labour practices where greedy companies exploited desperate workers. It's such an old story, but here it resonates thought Cassie’s habit of circling in and out of the tale does it no favours.
Others have made accounts of it including an NFB animated short, 54 hours, written by Michael Crummy and a Video part of the “Disasters of the Century” series. This fall, there’s a new novel by Donna Morrisey called The Rage of the Night, which partly concerns the disaster.
October 1, 2017
This book is based on historical events which the author researched in order to create a story of what happened. It reads like a novel, but it is history. I have been starved for reading lately, and I finally decided that I could allow myself some time to read. This book is about the country I'm living in right now. It was a terrible tragedy that happened in 1914. *** stop here for spoilers**** Men in Newfoundland signed up to go on ships to kill seals. Their usual pay was about 30 dollars. Their lives were so tied to fishing and the company store that they never got ahead and the chance to make some money was very enticing for many. For me that fact was very sad. They lived on hard tack- which is a biscuit that is as hard as a rock and tea for three weeks. They even slept on top of the seal pelts when the hold got full. They trusted their captains and never questioned orders or dared to talk back. A series of errors and the lack of a radio- caused about 80 men to die because they were left on the ice for two days and two nights during a terrible storm. This book tells the story with all the details from the court records. It was truly sad as she told how a father put his arms around his sons and they froze to death. Others froze while kneeling to pray. Some just laid down and died. It was chilling and tragic. The worst part is that the only good to come from it was that ships were required to have a radio. So many died. There was a movie made about this topic called "The Viking." It wasn't a great movie- but the footage of the sealers on the ice is worth watching. They jump across the different ice pans while the ice rolls and waves up and down without hesitation. Very scary. It was so dangerous. It is also sad because they killed thousands of baby seals. I guess it's good to learn history- but maybe it's a part of history I would rather not have dream about in my nightmares.
At the end of the book the author adds that it was many factors:
If Captain Kean had known where he was,
If George Tuff had spoken up and said No we want to come aboard for the night.
If Joe Kean had followed his inclination to go looking for the men.
If Tuff had stopped the men when they reached the Stephano's flag, and built shelter there.
If they had struck towards the Stephano.
If the Newfoundland had been equipped with wireless.
If Wes Kean had kept his whistle blowing that night.
If Abram Kean had been even half as concerned about the men's danger as his son.
If any one of those things had been so, then most of the Newfoundland's sealers would not have died.
At the end of the book the author adds that it was many factors:
If Captain Kean had known where he was,
If George Tuff had spoken up and said No we want to come aboard for the night.
If Joe Kean had followed his inclination to go looking for the men.
If Tuff had stopped the men when they reached the Stephano's flag, and built shelter there.
If they had struck towards the Stephano.
If the Newfoundland had been equipped with wireless.
If Wes Kean had kept his whistle blowing that night.
If Abram Kean had been even half as concerned about the men's danger as his son.
If any one of those things had been so, then most of the Newfoundland's sealers would not have died.
September 25, 2021
I had wanted to read this book in high school. Our teacher had the choice between this book and Lure of the Labrador Wild, and choose that. I didn't think much of Lure as a teenager but have revised my opinion of it, after re-reading as an adult. I'm not sure what my opinion of this book would have been when I was younger, but I can say as an adult, I enjoyed learning of this tragedy.
This book is the true story of the events that lead up to and the events of the tragedy of the spring of 1914. It is collected through first hand events, court documents, ships logs and all other sources the author could find.
She provides background into the industry and attitudes of the time, as well as explains the reasons behind actions and behaviors. After reading this, I feel I understand no only what happened, but why.
There is a bit of Newfoundland slang, mostly from direct quotes from the people involved. While this can be a bit hard to understand, if you're not familiar with it, it is usually self explanatory and used sparingly.
There are, too many people involved. However, there is little the author can do about that, as this is a true story and the event involved more than a hundred people. She does a good job at narrowing down the main cast, but there is still many times I didn't know who she was talking about. It never affects the overall understanding, but it can be a little distracting.
All in all, this book is a gripping read into the events leading up to, during and the aftermath of the Sealing Disaster of 1914. It is well told and, I believe, fair to the people involved. It is a hart breaking account of how so many men's lives were just thrown away. It is an important story and shouldn't be forgotten. It is important to remember, no matter one's feelings about hunting, fishing, sealing or killing, these men weren't villians, they weren't heros, they were just men, doing a job, and didn't get to come home after work.
This book is the true story of the events that lead up to and the events of the tragedy of the spring of 1914. It is collected through first hand events, court documents, ships logs and all other sources the author could find.
She provides background into the industry and attitudes of the time, as well as explains the reasons behind actions and behaviors. After reading this, I feel I understand no only what happened, but why.
There is a bit of Newfoundland slang, mostly from direct quotes from the people involved. While this can be a bit hard to understand, if you're not familiar with it, it is usually self explanatory and used sparingly.
There are, too many people involved. However, there is little the author can do about that, as this is a true story and the event involved more than a hundred people. She does a good job at narrowing down the main cast, but there is still many times I didn't know who she was talking about. It never affects the overall understanding, but it can be a little distracting.
All in all, this book is a gripping read into the events leading up to, during and the aftermath of the Sealing Disaster of 1914. It is well told and, I believe, fair to the people involved. It is a hart breaking account of how so many men's lives were just thrown away. It is an important story and shouldn't be forgotten. It is important to remember, no matter one's feelings about hunting, fishing, sealing or killing, these men weren't villians, they weren't heros, they were just men, doing a job, and didn't get to come home after work.
September 18, 2023
In 1914 a terrible disaster befell the Newfoundland seal fishery.Cassie Brown describes the operation of the seal fishery, the greed of the ship owners in not providing safety equipment like the wireless and the human errors by the ship captains, especially the lead captain Abram Kean which led to the deaths of 251 men.The SS Southern Cross, having filled its hull with seal pelts, raced to be the first ship to return to Newfoundland but a giant storm on March 31 hit before she could reach port and the ship and crew were never seen again.The ship might have been over-loaded.Simultaneously, the SS Newfoundland put a large crew on the ice to hunt for seals but finding few ,the sealers boarded the ship of Captain Kean seeking shelter but he put them back on the ice again telling them to return to their mother ship.With the storm raging, the crew were on the ice for two days.By the time they were rescued 77 had perished from the cold.Inquires were held and the owners were forced to put wireless on all ships as a safety measure ( missed communications between the ships of the sealing fleet was one reason for the disaster) and legislation was passed prohibiting ships from carrying more than 35000 pelts but this was a tepid response to a preventable tragedy.Death on the Ice is written with passion and almost reads as a novel as the sealers march to their doom.It is rightly regarded as a Canadian classic.
October 29, 2019
Though not the most well-written historical non-fiction, it's the kind of book I love to read. I particularly enjoyed the story as it was about a land (Newfoundland) and livlihood (sealing) that I know nothing about. I can't fathom the physical, emotional, and spiritual despair the sealing men endured. Would I give in and give up the fight, as many did, or would I persevere, as a few did? How much physical suffering am I capable of? In many ways, it's a nautical version of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" as the lust of wealth drove merchants to take advantage of the weak, prizing profit over personhood.
Here's a few stanzas from a song written about the disaster (not in the book):
Each moment we stayed on the ice was a year,
We’d frozen our limbs and were blinded by snow;
So lost in that white hell that went on forever,
With no one to say where to go.
And then one by one we fell to the ice,
Though we tried everything to keep warm;
Some died while singing, others died prayin’,
And some wandered off in the storm.
Though the writing is not at all religious, the faith of many of the men was clear through the story. This is sad and shocking when you compare this to the current state of the gospel in Newfoundland. Fewer than 2,000 people out of 500,000 have any connection to a gospel-oriented faith. A pastor who has begun a church planting effort (Mile 1 Mission) in St Johns unabashedly calls it "the largest, most unreached population in North America." Newfoundland needs the Gospel every bit as much as India. (Don't tell Gary Eberly I wrote these last two sentences)
Here's a few stanzas from a song written about the disaster (not in the book):
Each moment we stayed on the ice was a year,
We’d frozen our limbs and were blinded by snow;
So lost in that white hell that went on forever,
With no one to say where to go.
And then one by one we fell to the ice,
Though we tried everything to keep warm;
Some died while singing, others died prayin’,
And some wandered off in the storm.
Though the writing is not at all religious, the faith of many of the men was clear through the story. This is sad and shocking when you compare this to the current state of the gospel in Newfoundland. Fewer than 2,000 people out of 500,000 have any connection to a gospel-oriented faith. A pastor who has begun a church planting effort (Mile 1 Mission) in St Johns unabashedly calls it "the largest, most unreached population in North America." Newfoundland needs the Gospel every bit as much as India. (Don't tell Gary Eberly I wrote these last two sentences)
February 24, 2023
This is a deeply moving story of the one of the most important events in the history of Newfoundland—the loss of 79 men during the sealing season of 1914. It focuses on the over 100 sealing men of the S.S. Newfoundland, an aging wooden steamship, who were set on the ice at the beginning of a historic blizzard and left for two days and two nights. It is the story of courage, hope, pride, and compassion. And, it is also the story of profound hubris, overwhelming greed, and devasting arrogance. The author succinctly focuses on the events, providing enough background details to set the stage and then lets the men who survived tell the story. Throughout the narrative, the author provides a clear-eyed, largely unbiased, and ultimately very readable story which provides a clarity into a way of life and the history of Newfoundland.
August 1, 2019
I picked up this book at the Crosbie Sealers Interpretation Centre in Elliston, Newfoundland (and the centre is a worthwhile stop if in the area). Like many non-Newfoundlanders, I knew that sealing was a dangerous business and that sealing was a big part of Newfoundland's development. Until I read this book, I had no idea how dangerous or how important it was. Brown's non-fiction book reads like a novel with dialogue and observations used extensively to fill in the gaps. She paints a moving picture of the conditions on the ice and the impact of the disaster. I read in another review how this book was a required school reading for them. It certainly should be something that every Canadian should know.
February 28, 2023
the Newfoundland sealing disaster got referenced a few times in a book I read earlier this year, so when I saw this in a second hand bookshop I snapped it up! it's really interesting and informative, and extremely moving in the last third especially - I had thought for the first few chapters that it was a bit dry and academic, so I was surprised that it made me cry in the last few!
there is a LOT of graphic detail of the actual sealing practices (ie animal cruelty) which was hard to read but necessary for setting context, so it's not a complaint as such - just something that made me super sad. I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could, but have round up to 4 instead of down to 3 for the emotional kick.
there is a LOT of graphic detail of the actual sealing practices (ie animal cruelty) which was hard to read but necessary for setting context, so it's not a complaint as such - just something that made me super sad. I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could, but have round up to 4 instead of down to 3 for the emotional kick.
September 14, 2023
I read half of this book in a class at school, we didn’t get to finish it before the year was over so recently I decided that I wanted to try and finish it myself. This book tells the tale of a very tragic accident within the sealing industry here in Newfoundland. What those men experienced on the ice is something that I will never get to understand. Like most others, I blame Captain Abram Kean (Old man) for this accident. You know that a man has a cold heart when even after a tragic accident like this, his thoughts were focused whether he placed second for the most amount of seals that season or not. I feel for all of those men and their family’s. Including the ones on the Southern Cross. This story is a piece of history that Newfoundlanders will never forget. 4.5 stars !
January 1, 2019
Riveting source material with implications for the formation of Newfoundland identity, but the story is told in a somewhat amateurish way. Brown loves to use (apparently) authentic quotes from the incident, but only rarely do they actually add anything to the narrative, and most are of the "woah Jim, this storm is really bad" variety.
Additionally, in assigning culpability to Abram Kean, Brown leaves the discussion of his judgement of atmospheric conditions badly under-analyzed, and relies heavily on the reader knowing what to make of the magnitude of changing barometer readings. There are other related arguments that struck me as logically incomplete as well.
Still, it is a notable incident in Newfoundland history, and Brown does do a good job of conveying just how dangerous it was to be a sealer in the early 20th century. For this, if not for the writing, it is worth reading by those with ties to the island.
Additionally, in assigning culpability to Abram Kean, Brown leaves the discussion of his judgement of atmospheric conditions badly under-analyzed, and relies heavily on the reader knowing what to make of the magnitude of changing barometer readings. There are other related arguments that struck me as logically incomplete as well.
Still, it is a notable incident in Newfoundland history, and Brown does do a good job of conveying just how dangerous it was to be a sealer in the early 20th century. For this, if not for the writing, it is worth reading by those with ties to the island.
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