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Literature:

A brief article published in The New York Times, Aug. 5, 1902, details the plight of the Birnam Wood:

Three of the Crew of the British Bark Birnam Wood Die from the Disease

BANGOR, Me., Aug. 4.-After three days of aimless drifting in the fog the British bark Birnam Wood, Capt. Swatridge, from Rio de Janeiro June 19, for St. John, N. B., in ballast, arrived on Sunday night in Little Machias Bay, on the Eastern Maine coast, and came to anchor close to Old Man Ledge, off the Cutler Shore.

She put up signals of distress and a boat from the shore learned that the vessel had yellow fever on board and that three of her crew, including the second mate, had died. Two of the dead were buried in the bay after the boat came to anchor. Capt. Swatridge and the cabin boy are both sick with the fever, but are expected to recover. No other cases have developed.

The first mate, who is in charge of the vessel, sent for the doctor in charge of the United States Marine Hospital at Machias but in the absence of that physician Dr. Shaw, Coroner of Washington County, went down to the vessel and rendered aid. The bark will be held in quarantine, and will be fumigated, after which she will be towed to St. John. The crew tell of a hard passage and great difficulty in reaching the harbor on account of the fog. The Birnam Wood is a vessel of 1,268 tons and hails from St. John, N. B., where she is owned by William Thomson & Co.

Note:

In August of 1902, returning to her home port of St. John, New Brunswick from Rio de Janeiro, yellow fever struck the crew of the barque 'Birnam Wood'. Three men died and were buried at sea and the captain and other crew members became gravely ill. The current lot represents the ship anchored in quarantine at Partridge Island, off the St. John coast, flying signals of distress.