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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Within the next 2 weeks the new lighthouse at Amphitrite Point will be blinking its powerful rays seaward to the North of Barkley Sound. 
Lighthouse tender Leebro, Captain Hunter, in port yesterday from West Coast Vancouver Island, brought the news that the lighthouse is in the final stages of completion. 
When Leebro left there the workmen were putting the final touches to the 2nd storey of the lighthouse, and practically everything was in readiness for placing the lantern in position. The structure, which is built of solid concrete, is 2-storeys in height, and will be surmounted by a 5th order light. The construction of the lighthouse has been carried out in a remarkably short space of time. 
Captain Hunter says the recent trip to West Coast Vancouver Island was made under most favorable conditions, there being a total absence of gales, usually frequent at this season. 
Leebro is now loading and will put to sea with the last consignment of supplies for the light on Fri. [Colonist, 1915-02-24]

 

new lighthouse for Cape Mudge…; Mar 3, 9… [Colonist, 1915-02-27, p. 10]

 

Mr H J Hillier, telegraph operator at Ucluelet, and Mr C C Binns, members of Ucluelet lifeboat crew, have earned a great reputation as fishermen among natives of West Coast Vancouver Island by reason of the skill displayed in landing a 60 lb salmon from a small boat in a choppy sea, according to information brought here by lighthouse tender Estevan. Although a larger fish is reported to have been caught at Ucluelet, the one handled by Hillier and Binns is declared to be the liveliest that was ever induced to grasp at the business end of a spoon bait. 
It was only after the huge fish, which measured about 4′ 6″, had played itself out by its exertions, that it was hauled aboard through the combined efforts of the 2 men. 
Large schools of salmon are now running on West Coast Vancouver Island. 
Estevan was stormbound for 8 days. [Colonist, 1915-03-24]

 

Mariners are officially notified that the new concrete lighthouse, at Amphitrite Point, West Coast Vancouver Island, to replace the former lighthousewhich was washed away during a heavy gale last fall, has been put into operation. [Colonist, 1915-03-26]

 

Dispatched on an errand of mercy to Estevan Point, for the purpose of bringing to Victoria Mrs Jensen, Wife of lightkeeper at Estevan lighthouse, who is reported seriously ill. DLT Estevan, Captain Barnes, left port yesterday for West Coast Vancouver Island. A message was received yesterday at the local offices of the Marine Department stating that Mrs Jensen, who was recently operated upon in a Victoria hospital, has suffered a relapse, and as the case appeared urgent Estevan was ordered out at once. It is expected to be off Estevan early this morning, and in the event of the weather being calm the patient will be taken aboard and should arrive in port Mon am. Providing the weather is heavy there some difficulty will be experienced in making a landing and the arrival of the ship here may be delayed. Last night it was reported that a Southeast wind was causing a heavy swell off the point. [Colonist, 1915-04-04]

 

Sgt James V Carroll, 7th Battalion, Killed in Action, joined 88th Fusiliers Aug, 1914, aged 28, single. He had served 9 years in RMLI. native of England, left with 1st Canadian Contingent. Prior to coming to Canada he served 9 years as machine-gun Sgt with Royal Marine Light Infantry. Jun 8, 5 – reported Prisoner of War to Mr C Webb, Victoria. Sgt Carrol was formerly a cook on lighthouse tender Estevan and spent several years in Victoria. Aug 4, 5 – Prisoner of War. [Colonist, 1915-05-13, p. 1]

 

John Wright, San Francisco, died at Victoria, British Columbia, Aug 23, 1915, aged 84, native of Killearn, Scotland. He came to Victoria in 1859 to do architectural work along the Coast, being specially employed to design lighthouses. While in Victoria he was in charge of several important contracts, the most notable being the old Methodist church, Pandora/Broad Streets. While a local resident he became identified with 1st Presbyterian church. He left Victoria in 1866 for San Francisco, being accompanied by his partner, Mr F Saunders… [Colonist, 1915-08-25, p. 7]

 

50 years Ago files printed lately refers to an accident that had occurred on Xmas, whereby 5 lives were lost through the upsetting of a boat which was trying to make Race Rocks lighthouse. Mrs George Maynard, daughter of late John Davis, keeper of Race Rock lights, was an eyewitness of that tragedy, having been at the lighthouse at the time. Mrs Maynard clearly remembers having seen some of the occupants of the boat clinging to the bottom of the overturned craft for a long time. There was a lifeboat at the lighthouse, but it was a very unwieldy craft, requiring 18 men to handle it. [Colonist, 1916-01-01, p. 6]

 

 

 

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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Dominion Government Steamer Quadra is loading supplies for the lighthouses of West Coast Vancouver Island, and is expected to leave about the end of the week. [Colonist, 1912-09-05]

 

Walbran may command Estevan… came here in 1888 with SS Islander, native of Yorkshire, England, b 1848. Educated at Ripon Grammar and served on British training frigate Conway, served in merchant marine for 11 years, and secured his master’s certificate at age 22. First ship commanded by Walbran was sailing vessel British Consul, bound from Continue reading Lighthouse History – 41 (1912-09-05 to 1914-12-30) →

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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phs/Clayoquot, called after a West Coast tribe of Indians. ‘Cla-o-quaht’ means people different from what they were. (See Walbran). It is situated partly on a peninsula of Vancouver Island and partly on Meares and Stubbs Islands. The white settlement is commonly known as Tofino, though it is registered at the Provincial Land Office as Clayoquot Townsite, and is situated at the Northwest extremity of the peninsula extending about 9 miles Northwest from Long Beach. The Indian village, known as Opitsat is situated on the Southwest shore of Meares I. The hotel, large store, and wharf belonging to Mr Dawley are on Stubbs I, with the Post Office and police stn shown on the Admiralty chart as Clayoquot. 
The common meeting ground of all the settlements is the large sheet of water between them, full of sand banks and channels, with strong tide rips, so that all the inter-communication has to be by boat, making it a miniature Venice. There are many Norwegian seafaring settlers, many of whom form the lifeboat crew at Tofino; besides owning their own houses, they build rowing and motor boats with great success. The only motor boats and pilots to be hired for the work up the many inlets of Clayoquot and Nootka Sounds are at Tofino. The expeditions after timber, minerals, earths, cannery sites and land locating in these sounds are nearly endless, and they have been all transported by these Tofino guides and their motor boats. In fact, Clayoquot is the best place to commence any small expedition to any inlet South of Cape Cook and Quatsino Sound.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 40 (1912-04-14 to 1912-07-20) →

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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Up to the time of going to press this morning no further word had been received regarding the accident to Tees reported to have struck a rock in Kyuquot Sound.

There was much anxiety regarding Tees since early yesterday. Northwestern en route to Seattle from AK, caught a wireless message from Tees. It was brief, stating only: ‘Tees struck rock. Kyuquot Sound.’ The message was transmitted to Estevan and thence to Victoria. United States Steamship Tahoma was at Neah Bay and when Tatoosh heard the news at 4:30am this vessel was notified and proceeded at once to the scene, being due at 11pm at Kyuquot. Mr E J Haughton, Superintendent of the Dominion Wireless Stations, sent a message to tug William Jolliffe of the Fisheries Protection service, which was off Quatsino. C P Edwards of Ottawa, who is on board making a visit of inspection to the coast Stations, has fitted a set of apparatus on the tug and sent a message reporting Jolliffe would reach the scene about 5pm. British Columbia Salvage Co sent the salvage Steamer Salvor with a wrecking crew, and Captain W H Logan, special agent of London Salvage Assn, was a passenger. Salvor is due at Kyuquot this morning. Steamer Newington of lighthouse service, last reported from Clayoquot 2 days ago, has also gone to render assistance.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 39 (1911-11-30 to 1912-04-10) →

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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After a rough passage from West Coast Vancouver Island Tees returned to port yesterday with 60 passengers from Holberg and other ports of the island coast. News was brought by Tees that the little tug bought a short time ago by Captain Milliken, of Alberni, suffered severely during a heavy gale on Sun night, her deckhouses being swept away and a deckload of lumber lost when enroute to Ucluelet from Alberni. Tees was tied up 4 times during the voyage owing to heavy weather, sheltering at Tofino during the gale of Sun night. Among passengers were Mr Britton, timber cruiser from Holberg, J Pearson, of the New Vancouver Coal Co, from Quatsino, J W Jones, who is working a copper property at Sydney Inlet, J Killeen, resident Engineer of the Marine and Fisheries dept, who has been overlooking construction work at the lighthouse being built at Nootka. The cargo included a shipment of salmon from Toquart and 54 drums of whale oil from the Kyuquot whaling station [Colonist, 1910-11-30] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 38 (1910-11-30 to 1911-06-25) →

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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Captain Gaudin, Agent of Marine, has received details from David Logan, lineman at Clo-oose, regarding the wreckage washed ashore near Carmanah as recently reported by wireless despatches. Mr Logan’s report says that among the things found were 12 sacks of flour, 23 tins of coal oil, 2 50-gal barrels of coal oil, a case of bird seed and some broken things. At Ucluelet a bottle was found containing some pieces of paper, it having been thrown from Steamer President in Oct. 
Lumber seen floating off the Vancouver Island coast recently was probably from Schooner Yosemite which has arrived at San Francisco and reports having 60,000′ of lumber washed from her decks on Nov 27, when 30 miles from Columbia River. The coal oil found on Vancouver Island coast is supposed to have been part of that included in the cargo of the wrecked Schooner Argo consigned to the Tillamook lighthouse. [Colonist, 1909-12-07] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 36 (1909-12-07 to 1910-09-30) →

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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Many ex-Victorian seal hunters are on the Japanese sealing Schooner Matsu Maru, which recently put into Hesquoit and has proceeded on her sealing voyage off this coast on her way to Behring Sea, according to ProvincialConstable E McLeod of Clayoquot, who is in the city with an Indian woman, sentenced to one month’s imprisonment at Clayoquot for supplying liquor to other Indians. George Diehl, a well known local hunter, who has been hunting under the Japanese flag for 2 or 3 seasons, and 9 others, including a majority of Victorians. The Schooner has 9 hunting boats, on one white hunter is in charge of each boat, with 3 Japanese hunters. Captain Thompson is navigator of the vessel. 
The 2 Japanese who deserted from the Schooner at Hesquoit were captured at Clayoquot, after much trouble in reaching that village, and were returned on board when the Schooner was hove to off Lennard I lighthouse. She continued on her cruise after taking the deserters on board.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 35 (1909-04-21 to 1909-10-12 ) →

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) →