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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Some of the lighthouses have no foghorns and when the mariners are creeping through befogged channels they know this. But the lightkeepers do their best. 
There is one lightkeeper in a certain pass, not 100 miles from the city, who makes a fog horn of coal-oil tins. He beats these as the Steamer nears the pass he guards as a Chinese villager clangs a gong when brigands are descending on the village. 
When the Steamer has successfully voyaged through the channel, creeping in the fog, the lightkeeper starts a gramophone which plays: 
‘Keep a-moving’; keep a-movin’; 
Keep a-moving’ right along, 
Cross de ribber o’ Jordan – keep a-movin’ right along.” 
–er-r-r-r-bang!  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 23 (1905-04-01 to 1905-12-13) →

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.

As I was collecting this information from the newspaper archive website, I noticed that many articles were in consecutive order and applied to Lennard Island, so I collected them all together here. It is a bit long, but interesting, as it describes the building of a lighthouse from the ground up as they say. Take note of the dates at the end of each article. it surely was not done overnight. More extensive information can be obtained from the actual scanned copies of the newspapers themselves on the above website.

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Five new lighthouses are to be established in British Columbia waters. Colonel W P Anderson, chief Engineer of the Department of Marine & Fisheries, who has just completed his tour of inspection of the aids to navigation and lighthouses in these waters has located the sites of several newlighthouses… The 5th light to be established by the Marine and Fisheries Department will be placed on Lennard I at the Southeast entrance of the East channel to Clayoquot Sound. The site for this light was selected by Colonel Anderson on his recent visit to Clayoquot on Dominion Government Steamer Continue reading Lighthouse History – 22 – Lennard Island (1902-09-13 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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W P Daykin, of Carmanah Point, who came from the West Coast lighthouse with his son in an open boat in 45 hours, has been conducting some signalling experiments, using a 25-candle power incandescent light. Mr Daykin sent messages from the vicinity of the Marine hospital, which were received by Mr E J Haughton of the Canadian Pacific Railway telegraph staff, without difficulty. Mr Daykin, who has had long experience in signalling in connection with his extended lighthouse service, has invented a new system of signalling by night, using the Morse code. In the past signals have been sent by flashes and fixed glares of a white light, but Mr Daykin has substituted a red light, by placing a red glass in front of the light, for the dash, thus avoiding confusion which has occurred in the past regarding the duration of the dot or dash shown by the white light. [Colonist, 1903-04-25] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 21 (1903-04-25 to 1904-04-17) →

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, Captain Walbran, returned to port yesterday afternoon with Col. Anderson, chief Engineer of the Department of Marine & Fisheries, on board. Steamer has been to the West Coast, going as far as Clayoquot. Colonel Anderson has been inspecting the Coast and Gulf lighthouses and aids around the Coast. He did not go further West than Clayoquot on the West Coast, and therefore did not see Cape Cook, where many mariners have longed to see a light for seasons past… [Colonist, 1902-09-12] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 20 (1902-09-12 to 1903-03-27) →

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 returned yesterday from a short but useful cruise to Clayoquot Sound. Two additional buoys were placed in position as aids to navigation, one off Echatchet’s I, Templar Channel to mark the rock nearby in the centre of the fairway, and the other off the Southwest point of Meares I, to show the turn into Deception Channel. The old buoy off Stubbs Spit was replaced by a new one. 
When in the Sound Captain Walbran carefully fixed the position of 4 uncharted rocks. Two of these are dangerous to navigation, one in the fairway of Browning Passage, with only 5′ of water over it at low water and the other, which dries at a very low tide, at the East end of Hecate Passage. Particulars of these rocks will be published by the Marine and Fisheries Department at an early date.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 19 (1902-05-13 to 1902-08-06) →

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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Queen City, which returned from Ahousett and way ports on the West Coast last night, brought news of further wreckage off the island coast, which may have a connection with the fate of the missing Condor. When bound in, Queen City passed a … sail boom floating about 4 miles out from shore, and about 6 miles South of Clo-oose. The boom was about 40′ long or thereabouts, and was either yellow painted or scraped bright. As there are few sailing ships afloat these days which carry studding-sail booms other than warships, it may be that this wreckage is from Condor. Whether this is so cannot be determined, nor could it be learned last night whether Condor carried any booms such as that seen from Queen City. Steamer passed some distance from the boom, but it could be plainly seen, and it was noticed that the heel ropes were gone, evidently broken away.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 18 (1902-02-07 to 1902-03-09) →

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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Queen City returned to port yesterday, bringing further advices regarding the derelict Schooner which has been washed onto the coast after the seas have exhausted their wrath upon it, but the identity of the lost vessel still remains in doubt. It seems that the crew of the wrecked vessel have been lost, for, although a boat has been found by Indians at Village I, intact and unbroken, no trace has been found of any shipwrecked seamen. This boat, which was located by Indians and reported by them to Captain Townsend, is a common ship’s boat, but as far as could be learned, there was no name, number or mark upon it, by which it might be identified. Sails, running gear, blocks, etc, are also coming ashore amongst the miscellaneous wreckage which the seas are casting upon the rocks, Continue reading Lighthouse History – 17 (1902-01-17 to 1902-01-28) →

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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Queen City, which returned to port from Ahousett and way ports on West Coast Vancouver Island yesterday, brought more news of wreckage. At 2 ports at which she called on her down trips news was given to her officer, meagre, but alarming, of a vessel seen off the coast floating bottom upward. This latest victim of the heavy gales was unidentified, and all that could be learned was that she was a good-sized sailing vessel, which was described by the Indians as a Schooner, thought to be a 3-master. It was at Clo-oose that the 1st news of the derelict was received. Rev Mr Stone reported that Indians had come in after sighting the derelict floating bottom upward a short distance off the coast. No particulars were learned by him which might render her identification possible.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 16 (1902-01-14) →

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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Queen City sailed tonight for Cape Scott, Quatsino and way ports of West Coast. On her down trip she will bring a consignment of clams from Quatsino. She will also have a consignment of gold from Wreck Bay. On her last trip she saved the lives of 2 men in the rescue of a Columbia River boat which was threatened with destruction on the breakers at Wreck Bay. A new propeller is being made which is calculated to increase the speed of Steamer 
An immense run of salmon in the Straits was reported by lighthouse keeper Daykin of Carmanah Point yesterday. [Colonist, 1901-07-20]

The storm of Christmas night played havoc along the coast of Vancouver Island, upon which in years past so many wrecks have been thrown during the stormy season. This time, fortunately, no vessels, unable to withstand the force of wind and seas, were caught out in it, at least a close lookout was kept along the coast by the officers of Queen City, which arrived last night, and no signs of distressed or wrecked vessels was seen, Continue reading Lighthouse History – 15 (1901-07-20 to 1902-01-03) →

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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“W B G” of Alberni writes, under date of Feb 6, to the Vancouver Province as follows: Editor Province: As you will see by the heading of this letter, I wish to attract through your columns, if possible, attention to the unguarded condition of West Coast Vancouver Island. By unguarded, I refer to the lack of communication and also of warning from which that coast is in need. The Dominion Government has granted an appropriation for a telegraph line to Alberni from Clayoquot, which is certainly, when accomplished, a step in the right direction. But I consider it will be but one step in the direction desired, and the erection of at least 2 or 3 more lighthouses or beacon stations is imperatively required along the long and dangerous coast line on West Coast Vancouver Island, which has been only too significantly named the “bone yard of the Pacific”. Whilst I am writing this the United States Government vessel Grant is cruising up this coast to find, if possible, further particulars and details as to the cause of the large amount of wreckage strewed from Carmanah Continue reading Lighthouse History – 14 (1901-02-12 to 1901-06-20) →