On 20 May, 1909, the George Weems set sail off Cape Fear, North Carolina carrying more than 200 tons of cargo bound for Great Britain. With more than a dozen crew members aboard, the 148-foot, wooden-hulled freighter caught fire after an explosion occurred in the boiler room. Crippling the vessel, the George Weems began taking on water minutes after the incident. Despite the valiant efforts of the crew, the George Weems descended to her watery grave in the reefs of the Fry Pan Shoals–a particularly treacherous area that has claimed numerous ships and other sea-going vessels.
After an extensive investigation, the Captain and crew were exonerated of any negligence or wrong-doing associated with the sinking of the George Weems. Despite the verdict, the Captain–T. Henry Elliot–never regained his commission. Accepting his fate, Elliot settled for a job as a factory worker in the Charleston District of South Boston.
He never returned to the sea.
In maritime circles, Captains who lost vessels were considered by many to be cursed. Regardless of culpability, the loss of a vessel was the death knell for a sailing man.
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