The Wreck of the Whaler Bertha

Old whaler "Bertha" on "Sow and Pigs" 1-C.jpg

In the log of the Tasco, the Bertha was wreck number 65. According to the log, the whaling bark  went ashore on the reef "Sow and Pigs" on August 18, 1911 while bound into New Bedford with a cargo of whale oil. The reef is located near Cuttyhunk Island at the entrance to Buzzards Bay. An article in The Day of New London was published on August 21,  with more details about the cargo and and the fate of its crew. Seven men of the crew of 35 were missing including Captain Louis Lopes. After completing a successful cruise of 18 months, the Bertha was carrying thousands of dollars worth of ambergris in addition to the sperm oil.  The surviving crew arrived in New Bedford in three whaleboats.

The collection also includes a photocopy of the 1911 lawsuit over ownership of the 60 barrels of oil salvaged from the wreck.