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COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY 

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What happened to SCUDDER ABBOTT?

12/5/2018

15 Comments

 
A group of sailors standing at top of rigging with flag on top, waving from precarious heightsNorwegian-American whaling captain C. T. Petersen climbing the rigging, circa 1935. Courtesy New Bedford Whaling Museum
By Joan Lowenthal 

Recently a visitor to the Museum was reading an excerpt from the displayed logbook of the whaleship the Sheffield. He read that on Thursday, May 21st, 1846 while taking in sail at sunset, Scudder Abbott, a crew member on the Sheffield, lost hold and fell about 70 feet from the topsail yard to the deck. He became delirious and blood ran from his mouth and nose. He was immediately taken to the cabin and bled and made as comfortable as possible. The next day he was at times sensible and then again quite deranged. The visitor wanted to know if Abbott survived the fall. Did he?

Whaleships and the nature of the whaling industry were dangerous, and the Sheffield was no exception. She was the largest whaler sailing out of Long Island, and the third largest whaler in the US. She was purchased in 1845 by the Cold Spring Whaling Company and boasted an impressive history of speedy, having broken records by crossing the Atlantic in only 16 days.

Onboard whalers, there were commonly shipboard accidents, fighting, illnesses, food poisoning, drowning, and of course the dangers of hunting a powerful whale. Captains were responsible for dealing with illnesses and injuries aboard. They used their limited medical knowledge and supplies from the onboard medicine chest. Starting in 1790, the medical chest was part of legal required equipment on all American ships of 150 tons or more with ten or more people on board.  The chest contained vials of drugs from powdered rhubarb to arsenic, identified by numbers which corresponded to recommendations outlined in a list of symptoms. During a time when doctors may not have been much more knowledgeable than the captains themselves, many times the treatments were worse than the injury or illness! 

After Scudder Abbott fell, as the logbook records, he "was taken up senseless in the cabin and bled and everything that we know of to make him comfortable." Considered one of medicine’s oldest practices, bloodletting was the standard treatment for various diseases.  The logbook continues to document his recovery. The following day, he was "at times sensible and then again quite deranged." On Saturday, May 23, 1846, Abbott was "still out of his head but he was able to sip some soup and drink some sage tea."  Sage tea has been used medicinally throughout history to help improve a variety of health issues. 

Two days later, the logbook records light squalls of wind and rain, and states Abbott seemed more rational and appeared to be “in the gaining hand.” Thursday, May 28th, after noting fog and unpleasant weather, the logbook records:  “The invalid Abbott is much the same as yesterday, rather stronger but rather out of his head.”

Abbott is briefly mentioned thereafter. On Sunday, June 14th, 1846, the logbook states, "Right Whales were chased sometime without success. Abbott was well enough to stay on deck all day for the first time since he fell from aloft." But the very next day, he remained forward in his bunk. The last entry about Abbott was on Friday, October 8th, 1846. The logbook simply stated that "S. Abbott rather better."

Nothing is known about Abbott past this point, even after searching crew lists. With his lucky survival, he quietly vanished back into the workforce of thousands of crew members who faced incredible and serious risks in order to light the world. 

For more information on medical practices on board a whaleship check out Hen Frigates Passion and Peril, Nineteenth-Century Women at Sea by Joan Druett (A Touchstone Book Published by Simon and Schuster, 1998).

Picture
Medicine Chest
15 Comments
James
12/17/2018 06:53:45 pm

Great article! Really well researched, I can't believe he fell 70 whole feet!

Reply
Joan Lowenthal
12/17/2018 07:45:10 pm

It might have been even higher than 70 feet. Amazing that he survived at all.

Reply
Alan Parisse link
12/18/2018 11:11:25 am

Quite a story. Given the times, it is impressive that records were made and kept. Devastating workplace accidents were much more an everyday part of in the 1850's. Sadly, they still happen - often gradually and much less dramatically. Just read an article about the black lung disease that creeps up on today's coal miners.

Reply
Joan Lowenthal
12/18/2018 01:45:02 pm

The Museum does not have all the logs from that particular voyage of the Sheffield, but we had enough to find out something about that incident. Amazingly fishing occupations are considered one of the most dangerous jobs in America today.

Reply
Harry Lowenthal
12/18/2018 01:01:34 pm

Interesting blog about the nitty gritty of every day life on board a whale ship instead of just generalizing.

Reply
Joy Hermalyn link
12/31/2018 01:23:21 pm

Great story! Grateful for oversight of workplace safety of today. Pretty amazing that he was 'rather better' two weeks later having lived at all!!

Reply
Joan Lowenthal
12/31/2018 03:03:07 pm

I know I searched and searched but could not find anything definite that would really tell me what is fate was.

Reply
K. De Roo
7/16/2019 05:57:38 pm

According to a transcription of the Sheffield's log, he died at 11:10 a.m. on October 11, 1847.

Debbie Hocevar
12/31/2018 03:19:04 pm

I am very curious if he survived or not, maybe he had amnesia after that trip!

Reply
Joan Lowenthal
12/31/2018 03:23:07 pm

You know maybe he did have amnesia and that is why I cannot find him.

Reply
Joan Lowenthal link
7/17/2019 03:19:18 pm

K. De Roo how did you come about to have the Sheffield Log for October 11, 1847? The Museum does not have that month. The last entry I saw about Abbott was October 8, 1846. Our next Sheffield Logbook begins with November 1847.

Reply
K. De Roo
7/17/2019 03:54:33 pm

The New Bedford Whaling Museum has a transcription of the Sheffield's 1845-1849 voyage (KWM #594).

Reply
Joan Lowenthal link
7/17/2019 04:29:41 pm

K. De Roo,

Do you know if the transcription of the Sheffield is digitized?

K. De Roo
7/17/2019 05:09:12 pm

It's not. I had to get it on microfilm through inter-library loan. If you send Mark Procknik (MProcknik (at) whalingmuseum.org) an email he'll send you a scan of that date for free.

Joan Lowenthal link
7/17/2019 05:25:09 pm

Thank you. I will contact him.

Reply

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  • Home
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