Schwang and Schwing were performing Sea Monkeys, captured off the coast of Tching Lang-Lee Island in 1953. To make them more appealing to theatre-goers, their tails were surgically removed at Rosemont Medical Center. Dr. Richard Skillings, who performed the operation, was quoted at the time: "It was a difficult procedure, but the tails came off quite cleanly and I expect the little ladies' balance to return to normal in relatively short order." Schwang and Schwing's manager, Professor Horace Gilbert, made a small fortune off the pair, as they then toured Europe and the Americas - filling scrapbooks with their tales.
Once rated "Most Charming Harbor" by Armchair Traveller Magazine, the port of St. Francis had grown chillingly quiet this June. Back in March, the town physician, Dr. Stanley Proctor, had returned from a Thai vacation with "one hell of a bug". By April, the virus - undiagnosed - had spread throughout the population. By May, the townsfolk were dropping like flies. Remarkably, Dr. Proctor survived, along with just three others: Tom Bell from The Corner Hardware, Susan Holden from the post office, and Lenny Shore from the harbor authority. To celebrate their survival, the four set sail on Lenny's yacht for a champagne brunch at sea. Once past St. Francis Point, however, a major squall hit - sending the provisions overboard, and turning the happy campers into prune-faced partygoers. Two days later, the provisions - including a bottle of Moët & Chandon - washed ashore on nearby Richter Island, where they were discovered by the resident lighthouse keeper, Sharon Coulter. Feeling blessed, Sharon ran into her house with the bottle and popped the cork. The next day she came down with a "hell of a bug".
© BILL BLAIR 2010
