This story appeared in a series of articles by Forrest Frank in 1920 in the Scarborough Daily Post - This story came from Captain John Wilson
In southerly winds what was known as the Mosquito Fleet - small coasting traders - bound south would bring up for shelter under Speeton Cliffs; but , if it came too hard and had a bit of east in it, they would up -anchor and make a run for Scarborough - dozens at a time maybe, and there was always a bit of excitement ashore and on the piers when this occurred. The vessels had kedge and rope prepared to drop to stay their way at the piers end, and cobles with six men in each were waiting to meet them and warp them in. I remember one afternoon such a rush as this occurred - we could see the little vessels coming along and the cobles meeting them from our school windows - whenn we saw one of the cobles capsize.
Whichever coble it was, it was bound to contain the father or some relation of one or more of our scholars, and we were soon all out of school and rushing harboursward. Before we got there all six of the men - Cappleman, Goulder, Nightingale, Douglas, Clark and another - were drowned within sight of those assembled on the pier, for nothing could be done to save them. The Rev. Richard Felvas, Wesleyan minsiter, was near the lighthouse at the time, and he knelt down and prayed for the men as they were drowning. He subsequently raised a subscription for the dependents, and I remember going with my mother to the memorial service at Queen Street Chapel. the bodies of all but Clark were washed ashore, but his was only found after his father, Kitty Clark, had got the guns in the South Steel Battery to be fired with the object of raising it.
