Thomas Croft
The Quebec Daily Mercury, 30th June 1863
LOSS OF A QUEBEC TRADER - GREAT SUFFERING OF THE CREW
We received here last night the particulars of the wreck of the snow Thomas, of Goole, near Hull, Thomas Croft, master, bound from London for Quebec and Montreal with government stores.
The loss of this vessel has been accompanied with an amount of suffering upon the part of her captain and crew, under which the preservation of even a portion of them, appears almost miraculous.
The vessel left London on the 2nd April last, and when in lat 49.50 and long 47.50 she struck a pan of ice, when she began to fill, after having worked at the pumps for several hours without avail, the captain and crew were at length forced to abandon her, with 9 1/2 feet of water in the hold. They launched the long and jolly boat, and stood of W.N.W. in hopes of making the land. This they succeeded in doing on the 12th May, after having been confided through much inclement weather, to the boats for nine days.
They reached Bird Island Cove, in so exhausted a condition, that upon landing, they were unable to move for some time - one of their companions having become quite a lunatic and all more or less injured by frost. Two of the crew, William Moore and Charles Stiffen, died and were buried at Bird Island Cove, and two more - John Dixon and William Brown died at Bonavista.
The captain, mate and three of the surviving crew, arrived at St. John Newfoundland, on Wednesday, the 10th instant, after having suffered and still suffering severely from frost burns.