The following extracts taken from early Victoria, British Columbia (BC) newspapers are credited to Leona Taylor for her excellent work in indexing the papers. Full information can be found here: ”Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers“, 2007-09.
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Tug William Jolliffe, of British Columbia Salvage Co, returned from West Coast lighthouses loaded cement for a new lighthouse at Estevan Point and will probably sail again today for the West Coast. Tees, Captain Townsend, sailed last night for the West Coast with a good cargo and a fair complement of passengers. She took lumber, coal, barrels and stores and several large shipments of provisions. Passengers included F W Vincent, of the Canadian Pacific Railway coast service staff, who is making his annual trip of inspection; H Simpson, R J Flaherty, S Dickson, A W Neill, Mr/Mrs J Durham, J W McCreary, J H McGregor, D Wyer, D Duncans, W T Buttar and Messrs Bruce, W McCurdy, Godrich, Todd and Gregg. [Colonist, 1908-09-22] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 34 (1908-09-22 to 1909-01-23)→
For those of you that do not know, MCTS (Marine Communications and Traffic Services) is “the Branch of the Canadian Coast Guard that provides communications and vessel traffic services to the sea-going public”.
“MCTS monitors for distress radio signals; provides the communications link between vessels in distress and the JRCC/MRSC; sends safety information; handles public communication; and, regulates the flow of vessel traffic in some areas. MCTS is an important link in the SAR system”.
On one of our beachcombing trips Roger Mogg and I headed up this narrow deep inlet on the East side of Price Island, just a few kilometres from McInnes Island Lighthouse. (see interactive map above – red marker is McInnes Island; Price Island is NE a bit and labelled as such) Continue reading Death on Price Island→
A short while ago I posted a story about 3D lighthouse drawings. It was meant to show what was available in the retail world, but just recently I discovered that even you and I can draw a lighthouse. Well maybe not right away, but with Google’s FREE Sketchup program, which is now in version 8, you can draw real 3D pictures of lighthouses, outbuildings, and even station boats.
Kincardine Lighthouse as shown in Sketchup
Click on the lighthouse photo above left. It is a model of Kincardine Lighthouse which one can see displayed in Google Earth in its exact location. This location is contained in a KMZ file which works with Google Earth.
In late [27th] May of 1990, the container vessel Hansa Carrier encountered a severe storm in the north Pacific Ocean (approx. 48°N, 161°W) on its passage from Korea to the United States.
During the storm, a large wave washed twenty-one (21) forty foot (40 ft.) shipping containers overboard. See this video of damaged cargo ships and cargo being lost.
Five of these 20-metre containers held a shipment of approximately 80,000 Nike® shoes ranging from children’s shoes to large hiking boots. It has been estimated that four of the five containers opened into the stormy waters, releasing over 60,000 shoes into the north Pacific Ocean.
This one looks a bit rough
That winter of 1990, hundreds of these shoes washed ashore on the beaches of the Queen Charlotte Islands , western Vancouver Island , Washington and Oregon.
After hearing of the accident, oceanic scientist Curtis C. Ebbesmeyer seized the opportunity and established links with beachcombers and formed a network of people reporting the landfall of the contents of this spill.
When Oregon newspapers began running the story, the Associated Press picked it up, and the word spread. The publicity resulted in many additional reports of the finding of Nike shoes on Pacific beaches. Dubious about some of the reported finds, Ebbesmeyer decided to confine his study to only those shoes found in groups of 100 or more. Even with this restriction, he accounted for approximately 1300 shoes from the more than 60,000 released.
Despite a year in the ocean, much of the footwear was in fine shape and wearable after a washing. Unfortunately, the shoes were not tied to one another so that matching pairs did not always reach the beach together.
“I remember this very well as I could never find a matching pair!” – retlkpr
Each shoe, however, had an identifying serial number, and with information obtained from the manufacturer, Ebbesmeyer was able to determine that the shoes were indeed from the Hansa Carrier.
Drift bottle
The accident turned into a scientific gold mine. With information on the locations where the shoes were found, Curtis Ebbesmeyer and Jim Ingraham were able to use the spill to test and calibrate their ocean current model. In the past when researchers have released a multitude of drift bottles1 to provide data for testing models, only about one or two percent of the drift bottles are typically recovered. Thus, the accidental release of approximately 61,000 shoes and the recovery of approximately 1600 shoes (2.6%) provided data as good as any pre-planned study.
Ebbesmeyer and Ingraham used the OSCURS (Ocean Surface Currents Simulation) computer simulation model to determine where and how the shoes may have drifted after the containers were swept overboard.
The model suggested that the main landfall would have been around the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the central coast of British Columbia approximately 249 days after the spill.
The first reports of shoe landfalls came from Vancouver Island and Washington approximately 220 days after the spill. A large number of shoes were recovered in the Queen Charlotte Islands and northern Oregon suggesting that when the shoes neared the North American coast some were diverted north and others south by coastal currents.
In the summer of 1992 (two years after the incident), shoes were reported arriving at the northern end of the Island of Hawaii. After reaching North America these shoes may have continued southward along the California coast and then been pushed off the coast by currents moving westward to Hawaii.
The rest of the story is on the website of Keith C. Heidorn (aka the Weather Doctor).
– Narrated by Sharlene Macintosh with help from her cousin Zellie Chamberlin Sale (granddaughters of Howard Frazer Chamberlin, lighthouse keeper c. 1930 – 1941)
Nootka Light -photo - Bill Maximick of Maximick Originals
My grandfather was Howard Frazer Chamberlin who was lightkeeper at a few lighthouses around Vancouver Island – Nootka , Pine Island , Quatsino , Trial Island come to mind – my Mom knows them all. His brother, Charles Benjamin Chamberlin was also assistant at Nootka.
My Mom, Mina Peet (née Chamberlin) was born in Oct 1933 while her Dad was a lightkeeper. He originally did various jobs such as farming, prospecting, trapping, and logging with horses. He had a sawmill at Coombs, BC and he was injured while logging with horses on Vancouver Island. He was put into hospital where he met my grandmother Dora Anna Wordsell who was a nurse.
They married December 12, 1928 in Nanaimo, BC. They had three daughters: Connie (who died in 1985), Pearl, and Mina. The first child, a son, died up near Prince Rupert, BC right after birth, so my grandmother was sent the next time to New Westminster, BC to give birth (at a real hospital) where her parents lived, and the second two times to Victoria, BC. Continue reading Howard Frazer Chamberlin Family Adventures c.1930s→
This song is from the album Undun by the Roots. It is called Lighthouse. The words to the chorus are interesting. Imagine lying in the ocean and seeing a lighthouse nearby and no one sees you because it is unmanned! Imagine the feeling of fear! Think automation? Unmanning lighthouses?
No one’s in the lighthouse You’re face down in the ocean And no one’s in the lighthouse And it seems like you just screamed It’s no one there to hear the sound And it may feel like there’s no one there That cares if you drown Face down in the ocean
The rest of the lyrics can be found here. The video below is just the song as it is sung by the group. I think you must hear it a couple of times to get the meaning of the song. I know I did.
[Hook: Dice Raw] No one’s in the lighthouse You’re face down in the ocean And no one’s in the lighthouse And it seems like you just screamed It’s no one there to hear the sound And it may feel like there’s no one there That cares if you drown Face down in the ocean
[Verse 2: Black Thought] After the love is lost Friendship dissolves And even blood is lost Where did it begin The way we did each other wrong Troubled water neither one of us could swim across I stopped holding my breath Now I am better off There without a trace And you in my head All the halted motion of a rebel without a pause What it do is done till you dead and gone The grim reaper telling me to swim deeper Where the people go to lo and behold the soul keeper I’m not even breaking out in a sweat Or cold fever but I’m never paying up on my debt or tolls either I’ll leave the memories here I won’t need them If I stop thinking and lie, now that’s freedom Your body’s part of the Maritime museum Face down in the past is where I’m being Lyrics provided by http://www.kovideo.net/ Source – http://www.kovideo.net/lighthouse-lyrics-roots-1266459.html
[Hook: Dice Raw] And no one’s in the lighthouse You’re face down in the ocean And no one’s in the lighthouse And it seems like you just screamed It’s no one there to hear the sound And it may feel like there’s no one there That cares if you drown Face down in the ocean
[Outro: Dice Raw] If you can’t swizzim then ya bound to drizzown Passing out life jackets bout to go didown Get down with the captain or go down with the ship Before the dark abyss I’m gon’ hit you wit’ dis (Repeat)
The following extracts taken from early Victoria, British Columbia (BC) newspapers are credited to Leona Taylor for her excellent work in indexing the papers. Full information can be found here: ”Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers“, 2007-09.
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Rev Father Brabant appointed Apostolic Administrator of Diocese pending appointment of an archbishop (Orth resigned due to fatal illness). Brabant is the only one of the local priests who was a priest under Bishop Demers, first of the bishops at Victoria. He remained since under Bishops Seghers, who was killed in AK; Brondel, Lemmens and Christie. Brabant is 62 and has been on this coast for 39 years, mostly engaged at Hesquiat among West Coast Indians. He is the authority upon the language of these Indians. It was in 1874 that in company with Bishop Seghers, the new apostolic administrator went to the West Coast, as passengers on Captain Spring’s trading Schooner Surprise. A machinist who went to install the machinery at Cape Beale lighthouse was also a passenger. During his long residence on West Coast Vancouver Island he has had many adventures, being shot on one occasion by superstitious Indians when a smallpox epidemic was causing illness amongst the tribesmen. He buried the victims of some wrecks, and had numerous adventures among the people of the island coast among whom he lived so long. [Colonist, 1908-05-05]
photograph: Banfield Creek Motor Lifeboat… now being repaired by Hutcheson Brothers, Victoria. Photo on Banfield Creek at practise. Lifesavers are practising rowing, with Captain Gullin at the till. Banfield Creek cable stn is seen in the background. Dominion Government Steamer Quadra returned after landing gear for the lighthouse and wireless telegraph stn at Pachena Point, and will leave in a few days with Captain Gaudin, local Agent of Marine and W H Roebuck, fog alarm expert, on a cruise to lighthouses and aids of the British Columbia coast on an inspection tour. [Colonist, 1908-05-12, p. 10]
Captain Gaudin, marine agent, who was on board Dominion Government Steamer Quadra engaged inspecting lighthouses and fog alarms, has sent word that… the new lighthouse at Pachena Port, is being shown from a tower which stands on the top of the bank, at the extreme point. It is an octagonal wooden building, with sloping sides, painted white, surmounted by a red circular metal lantern. Height of tower from base to vane is 66’… describes flashing light… a white rectangular wooden doubled building with a hip roof has been erected NE of the lighthouse, on top of the bank, immediately behind a narrow gorge used as a landing place in fine weather… description of fog alarm… [Colonist, 1908-05-24]
Steamer Leebro left yesterday for Estevan Point and West Coast lighthouses, carrying a cargo of building material and machinery to be used in the completion of the lighthouse and fog alarm and wireless telegraph stn at Estevan Point. A lighthouse tower is under construction on the Southwest extremity of Estevan Point, locally known as ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’. The light to be shown from this tower when completed will be a 1st order triple flashing white light… A fog alarm building has been erected at this light station A fog alarm, consisting of a diaphone, operated with air, compressed by an oil engine, will be installed in the building this year. A number of carpenters from Clayoquot were taken in a launch to Estevan to work on the new lighthouse. [Colonist, 1908-07-03]
Ottawa report… Harbors and Navigation… 4 lifeboat Stations – Clo-oose, Banfield, Ucluelet and Clayoquot. A coast road in course of construction on West Coast Vancouver Island, 24 miles completed; 5 wireless Stations – Estevan, Pachena, Victoria, Port Grey and Cape Lazo; Kyuquot – Gas buoy; Estevan Point – lighthouse and fog signal in course of construction; Cape Beale – fog signal; Pachena Port – lighthouse and fog signal; Port San Juan – gas and whistle buoy… [Colonist, 1908-07-11]
Thomas Paterson, who for many years has had charge of the Cape Beale lighthouse, and who, with his wife, Mrs Minnie Paterson, has done so much in aid of shipwrecked mariners and to save life, has tendered his resignation as lightkeeper. Mrs Paterson’s trip over the sodden trail to send Quadra to save Captain Allison and 9 men from the wrecked Coloma and the work of her husband and herself, when Valencia went ashore won a great deal of praise. [Colonist, 1908-07-21]
I came across this article that shows the life on an Australian lighthouse starting in 1971. A wee bit different than Canada I must say.
What got my attention were the requirements for a lighthouse keeper:
The job requirements of a lighthouse keeper were a car licence, an ability to climb to heights and an ability to get along with the other lighthouse keeper . . .
The article is worth reading to illustrate the differences between Canadian and Australian lights (wildlife, for one), plus, on the page is a reference and a link to an ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) website which is exploring some of Australia’s iconic lighthouses.
This new site is called Shining a Light and is an excellent documentary on some of Australia’s lighthouses. The map above shows the lighthouses mentioned.
The following extracts taken from early Victoria, British Columbia (BC) newspapers are credited to Leona Taylor for her excellent work in indexing the papers. Full information can be found here: ”Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers“, 2007-09.
