The "Paradise" Coal-Boat

Charles John Cutcliffe Wright Hyne (1866-1944) was a British writer of popular adventure fiction and fantastic literature. "The Paradise Coal-Boat" is the story of Ezra Pollard, skipper of a coal boat working between Tyneside and the South coast. The cost-conscious shipowner, Gedge, makes it very clear to Ezra that he is to sail his route at top speed and in the event of any collision to bring home no survivors from other ships who could make claims for damages against the firm. But Ezra is haunted for years by an incident where he accidentally mows down a fishing smack and drowns its crew. And then one foggy night, the "Paradise" collides with a passenger liner carrying three hundred souls.