From the Evening Telegram, St. John's, 1911-12-01
Fatal Drowning Accident : Two Brothers Meet Death Together
On Sunday moming about 8 o'clock, an awful accident occurred here recently in the death of two men, brothers Patrick and John Viscount. The younger brother, John, seeing a wild duck in the offing, fired and killed it. Then the two went out in a small boat to secure the bird. When they were returning, the sea, boisterous and seething from the dreadful gale ofthe preceeding day, threw their boat on Iron Rock, overturning it and casting the occupants into the water.
The place of the accident was Beachy Cove, lying about one mile west ofthe entrance of Little Merasheen and where only the Viscount family lived. Mrs, Viscount, wife of Patrick, was the sole observer of the accident and in reply to her husband’s call started over the hills to obtain assistance, When the men had gathered, the younger brother had disappeared whilst the older one still clung to the upturned boat, but all efforts failed to rescue him. A boat had put out from Little Merasheen and owing to the maddening violence of the sea all day and all along the shore,was compelled to make a long circuit before turning to aid the drowning man. Before she reached the place, the poor fellow, exhausted by the heavy seas beating against him and numbed by extreme cold had slipped his hold of the boat and sank. Efforts were made during the day to recover the bodies - seen frequently in the surf - without success. Early yesterday the sea having calmed, no difliculty was experienced in securing them.
Early Monday, news of the sad accident reached St. Kyran's and at once the Pastor, Rev. Fr. Doutney left for Merasheen to assist at the funeral. Before reading the beautiful service for the dead, the reverend gentleman preached a most telling discourse on the necessity of being ever ready to answer to the call of the angel, and referred in affecting terms to the awful occurrence of the previous day. After the prayer was read, the funeral procession winded its way to the cemetery where silently and mournfully the brothers, so united in life, were laid to rest side by side in the one grave. The tragedy has cast a gloom over the whole settlement, and the hearts of all have gone out to the bereaved widow, orphans, and friends.
Merasheen November 26, 1911
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Paddy’s Cove (or Beachy Cove as it was known back then) is situated on the rugged shore between Pitcher's Point and Margaret’s Cove. The following information was provided by Ron Pitcher some years ago: Paddy and John were drowned on a stormy day after shooting a seabird and capsizing their dory trying to retrieve it. Paddy’s wife first ran to Olf Rogers, who wasn't home, and then out to Joey Pitcher. Joey sculled out in his boat and could see Paddy hanging on to the upset dory. The sea was wild and before he could get into the cove, the dory smashed on the Iron Rock. Paddy and John had an almost completed boat in the meadow by the cove. When she left there, Paddy's wife sold the boat to Dennis Walsh Sr. who completed building it.
