Jacksonville, Florida, Cabinet Card, Captain David Kemps Clyde Line Pilot

Description: Capt. David Kemps, the well-known Clyde line pilot and one of the oldest river men on the St. Johns river, died at his home on New Berlin, at 4 o'clock yesterday morning of a stroke of apoplexy. The news of the death of Captain Kemps was received in the city yesterday morning upon the arrival of the steamer City of Brunswick from Mayport. The steamer had its flags at half-mast, and as soon as the sad news was learned by the river men the flags on all vessels in port were lowered to half-mast. When the mail launch arrived from New Berlin at 9:30 the particulars of the death of Captain Kemps were learned from Capt. Ed. Tuttle, his son-in-law, who came up to make arrangements for the funeral. Captain Kemps piloted the steamship Comanche, of the Clyde line, out over the bar Sunday afternoon and then started to return home in his rowboat. He was not feeling very well, and was taken in tow by the tug Three Friends which was coming up the river. When he reached New Berlin he had to be helped out of his rowboat. During the evening he became much better and retired, saying that he would be all right in the morning. About 4 o'clock yesterday morning he rose and after awaking his boys, drank a quantity of ice water and went back to his room. He was found a half hour later kneeling by the side of the bed, and had been dead for at least fifteen minutes. Upon examination there was little doubt that he had died from a stroke of apoplexy. Captain Tuttle and other relatives came up on the launch and made arrangements with Undertaker Chas. A. Clark for the funeral, which will take place from the late [sic] home of the deceased in New Berlin this morning at 10:30 o'clock. Undertaker Clark sent a casket down on the steamer City of Brunswick yesterday afternoon, and will go down himself this morning to conduct the funeral. The internment will be in the New Berlin cemetery. Capt. David Kemps was about 58 years of age, and had been in Florida for the past twenty years. He was a native of Ireland, and moved to Savannah with his parents when quite young. He leaves a wife and eight children, five daughters and three sons. His daughters are Mrs. Charles Emery, Mrs. Ed. Tuttle and Misses Ethel, Agnes and Blanche Kemps. His sons are William, David and Napoleon Kemps all living at New Berlin. Captain Kemps followed the water all his life and was formerly captain of various steamers on the St. Johns and other rivers. Nearly ever since the Clyde line began running ships to this port he has been pilot in charge, taking the ships in and out over the St. Johns bar sometimes getting off at the bar and waiting for an incoming ship and again going on to Charleston and there meeting the next ship. He was decidedly popular and his death is universally regretted. He was a whole souled man, with a good word for every one. A short time ago he gave out a contract for building of a new pilot boat to be placed on the St. Johns bar. The boat was just about completed and it was expected that it would be put into service within a week or two. He was the owner of the Steamer David Kemps, which was burned a few weeks ago. A number of years ago Captain Kemps met with an accident that nearly cost him his life. He was piloting a schooner over the bar, before the jetty work had been begun, when during a rough sea he was knocked overboard. No one on the schooner missed him until the vessel had gone some distance. A boat's crew then started out to look for him. After a long search, they found him lying on Pelican bank apparently dead. Upon investigation it was found that he was still alive and after hard work he was brought around and then brought to this city for treatment. The doctors found that he had been struck in the breast and two of his ribs broken. The blow knocked him senseless and he had floated on to the bank while in that condition. He remembered nothing of being knocked in the water, but he was laid up for several months as a result of the accident. In 1891, while piloting the schooner Charlotte T. Ribley over the bar, he was knocked overboard and severely injured. Since that time he has been a sufferer from attacks of heart trouble. About two years ago he was painfully injured by his launch slipping from the ways at New Berlin and running over his body. Captain Kemps, during the war, was a pilot on the blockade runner B and later on the F. At the same time he owned a blockade runner, the Stevens. He knew the island passages and bars of the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts like a book and carried out successfully past the Federal warships many cargo of cotton for Nassau and other ports. His schooner, the Stevens, after the war, was re-christened the Bettelini and became a pilot boat on this bar. The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL), 27 Jul 1897, Page 5, Column 1. Father: David Kemps Mother: Margaret Moore

Price: 200 USD

Location: Sarasota, Florida

End Time: 2024-12-04T18:05:22.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD