Hayruss IV A Maryland State Police helicopter arrives and illuminates the ice field with its searchlight, passing back a nd for t h, circling w ider, scanning the ice field for the boat and survivors. Tackle arrives and joins t he search. A ll are aware that every minute, every second, counts. There is no sign of t he Hayruss IV or any of her crew. Ashore, everyone waits. At midnight, Miss Addie turns off her radio and goes to bed. She knows that it is now over, as does ever yone. No one could sur v ive that long in such frigid water. A Tilghman resident, Mrs. Ada R i d ge w a y H a r r i s o n , h a s b e e n keeping daily notes on her calendars for forty years. Her notations help us know what the community knows as the daily drama unfolds. On this day, February 9, Miss Ada writes: Snowed thi s A . M. ~ stopped around 9 o’clo c k. S upp os e d to b e v e r y c old tonight. Hay r u s s lost. Coast Guard and Maryland
Marine Police Boat searched all night. L e t u s b e c le a r. E v e r y i nc i dent recorded on the Watermen’s Plaque involved death and loss. Thankfully, however, most of those events were concluded quickly ~ within hours, or a day or two at most. Families grieved, and then they and the community moved on with their lives, as we all must do when we lose a loved one. W it h t he Hayr u ss I V, it wa s dif ferent. A f ter she went dow n, the search that followed involved dozens of vessels and hundreds of men and went on for weeks. The scale of this operation was unprecedented. It was gallant, persistent, courageous, f r ustrating, and at times extraordinarily dangerous. That story will be told next month.
Gary Crawford and his wife, Susan, own and operate Crawfords Nautical Books, a unique bookstore on Tilghman’s Island.
GRAFTON GALLERIES FINE ART
New Work by
Diane Nelson
“Caution Ahead” 32 E. DOVER STREET, EASTON 410-459-4583 · graftonart.com 164