Relatives
of Louise B. Crary's Captain, William H. Potter, shed light on
family history
Photograph
of a painting of Louise B. Crary under
full sail. (courtesy of Leigh Irwin).
Relatives of Louise B. Crary's captain, William Harper
Potter of Orient, Long Island, New York, have brought to life
their seafaring ancestor. Five separate relatives have contacted
the sanctuary with stories and photographs about Louise B.
Crary and its only captain. Their correspondence has provided
important social context for the Potter family. The relatives
and their relation to Captain Potter include: Roxanna Mellinger
- grand daughter, Charissa M. Roberts - great granddaughter, Timothy
Hunter - great grandson, Mills Dunlap - great great great grandnephew,
Leigh Irwin - great grandson in law.
Recently,
Captain Potter's grand daughter Roxanna Mellinger, her husband
Clyde Mellinger, and Charissa Roberts visited the sanctuary's
headquarters and shared wonderful photographs of Captain Potter
and his wife Effie.
Roxanna
(left) Charissa (center) and Clyde
(right) are helping to put a face and a life to Louise B. Crary's
captain.
Captain
Potter (left) and his wife Effie (right)
(courtesy of the Mellinger family).
The
sanctuary is recording the family history and lore surrounding
Captain Potter to better understand the lives of the people who
sailed the great coal schooners and fueled the American economy
at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Roxanna
and Clyde Mellinger recall that Mabel Potter Richard, daughter
of Captain Potter, often told stories to the rest of the family
about her father and his ordeal after the sinking of the Frank
A. Palmer and Lousie B. Crary in 1902. After being
rescued Captain Potter was taken to [Massachusetts General] hospital
where the doctors considered the amputation of his frozen legs
to be the only option. He asked them to delay the surgery for
a day so he could pray for healing. The next day he made the same
request of the doctors who still favored the amputation. On the
third day, Captain Potter's legs showed signs of improvement and
the doctors relented. He recovered almost full use of his legs
in a year. Captain Potter was a religious man, who two years earlier
in 1900 christened Louise. B Crary's bow during launching
with a scattering of bible leaves.
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