A True Tragedy ~ SS Atlantic

We headed out early in the morning to find a Lighthouse and a memorial on the SS Atlantic.  The SS Atlantic was a White Star luxury liner that sunk on April 1st 1873 ~ the same people owned the RMS Titanic which sank on April 15th, 1912.  Both of these ships has history with Nova Scotia and we went to visit the area that was involved with the SS Atlantic while down in Lower Prospect.

Sandy Cove Lighthouse ~ coastal views and a small replication of the town that some man made in his front yard
(it was very cool)

Here is an old photo from the museum of the retrieval efforts of the SS Atlantic ~ all you can see is the mast of the ship.  It sunk here but within 5 days had fallen further down into the ocean.

Sailors scavenge the wreck of the The S.S. Atlantic—the other White Star catastrophe—for bodies and valuables. The Atlantic has more casualties buried near Halifax than the Titanic, and its hulk lies on the floor of Nova Scotian waters.

The White Star’s luxury steamship S.S. Atlantic ran into Mar’s Head at Lower Prospect on April 1, 1873. It appears April was an unlucky month for the White Star Line. This was the worst single vessel disaster to occur in Canadian waters prior to the Titanic which also sank in April. Five hundred and sixty two people lost their lives that day, but 390 were saved due to the efforts of the local fishermen and their families.
                 

Visit the SS Atlantic Museum first to understand the horrific tragedy and the stories of heroes rescues. See artifacts that have been recovered from the sunken ship  stories of the crew and passengers.

There is an Interpretation Center, the mass burial site, a boardwalk that wraps around the coastline, and a gazebo to take in the magnificent view. This area has been landscaped and interpretive panels installed which tell the story of this disaster.  The young man in the Museum was so full of information and was very helpful helping us understand more the circumstances that lead up to that fateful crash upon the rocks of Terence Bay.



~ Memorial Park ~

The ships of those days divided their passengers by class... The front part of the ship held single men, the center was families and the rear of the ship held single woman.  When the ship hit the rocks the front half was broken completely off and the other two thirds of the ship sunk right away.  The only survivors were all men and one small boy who just so happened to be spending the night in the front with his brother.  So terribly sad... This area we are visiting right now has had more then there share of tragedies and have put together beautiful memorials for each one of them.  Tragedy that brings people together to help and remember. 

~ Memorial Park ~

We really enjoyed learning the history of this sad event in Terence Bay as strange as it may sound.  If you come this way be sure to come out to explore this coastal area town, Sandy Cove Lighthouse and the SS Atlantic Museum & Memorial.  It is well worth the trip.

Have Fun & Travel Safe

Beacons of Light ~ Part II

One-eyed sentries standing tall
dare to challenge every squall,
to be a beacon in the night;
A guide, a friend, dependable light.

Raging Nature can never douse
The welcoming beam of a lighthouse.
A fortress planted at the shore
Undaunted security at any hour.

Never a ship will worry near
a rocky shoal with a lighthouse there.
To whom do we owe this nighttime blessing?
Those who've died on the rocks, I'm guessing
author unknown

These are some of the the other Lighthouses we enjoyed while here on Prince Edward Island ~ it has been a real joy searching for and visiting them.  There is nothing like the peace the ocean can bring you or the fury.  Our love for Lighthouses continue ~

Cape Tyron Lighthouse
We traveled out a long dirt road to reach this lighthouse ~ found it standing amongst the red dirt cliffs.  It was one of my favorite spots to go on our time on the island.  The square wooden tower is shingled. It is painted white with red trim and the lantern is also painted red like all Island lanterns. It has never had an attached dwelling. This is the second lighthouse at this site. Early records indicate a light was established there in 1865, although the first lighthouse itself was not built until 1905. The original lighthouse was a two-storey dwelling with the lantern attached to the roof on the seaward side. The original lighthouse was located somewhat to the left of the present tower. It has been relocated and nicely restored as a private residence.

Cape Egmont Lighthouse
Built in 1884 this coastal lighthouse is an important light for the fishing and other marine interests along the south west shore of the Northumberland Strait, as it is the only coastal light along the 46 mile coast between the lighthouses at West Point and Sea Cow Head.  It was a pretty little lighthouse along the rigged coast.



West Point Lighthouse
Built in 1885 West Point Lighthouse is called the first of the 2nd generation of lighthouses on PEI. It was the first one built by the new Department of Marine. The pre-Confederation or Colonial lighthouses on the Island were either round or octagonal. West Point was the first of the square towers and the highest. Eight Prince Edward Island lighthouses pre-date this one: Point Prim (1845); Panmure Head (1853); Seacow Head (1863); St. Peter’s (1865); North Cape (1866); East Point (1867); and Murray Harbour Front and Back Ranges (1869).

This was one of our favorites ~ you can stay there in the Inn that was once the Lighthouse keepers quarters

Summerside Lighthouse & Range Lights
Summerside is one of the little towns very close to where we were staying  ~ so we went over there quite a bit to eat and sight see. These lighthouse were very small ~ as most were... The Summerside Outer Range Lights, which began operation in 1991, are the most recent set of enclosed range lights to be established on Prince Edward Island. When properly aligned, the red range lights guide vessels to the mouth of Summerside Harbour, near the Indian Head Lighthouse, from where they can use the Summerside Range Lights to proceed up the harbor. The two lighthouses are similar in appearance, both being square, pyramidal towers topped by enclosed, square lantern rooms that are surrounded by a simple metal gallery. A white, trapezoidal daymark with a red vertical stripe is mounted on the seaward face of both towers. The front tower is 29.5 feet tall, while the rear tower is 33.2 feet tall. As the front tower is located near the shore at the western end of the harbour, its focal plane of  30.6 is roughly the same height as the tower. The focal plane of the rear range light is 48.5 feet.

Summerside Front Range Light ~ Indian Head Lighthouse ~ Summerside Back Range Light

Indian Head Lighthouse
Built in 1881 Indian Head Lighthouse is also known as the Summerside Lighthouse. The lighthouse has a very distinctive shape, not unusual in 1881, but now rare. This type of lighthouse was built on rocks or other places where there was little room for a separate keeper’s dwelling. It is an octagonal structure with a keeper’s dwelling at the base and a tower and lantern above that rises from the centre of the dwelling’s roof.
If you love Lighthouses as we do and you ever get up here you will enjoy the adventure and beauty of searching for these jewels along the coast...

Have Fun & Travel Safe

 

Beacons of Light ~ Part One

One of our favorite things to see & do is visit lighthouses no matter where we visit.  So with over 63 lighthouses and buildings you can only imagine our excitement ~ did we get to see them all ~ no but we did see a lot of them.  Out of the 63  there are still over 40 still active.  Prince Edward Island, one of Canada's four Atlantic Provinces, is the smallest of the ten provinces in both size and population. The island is crescent shaped, measures 139 miles from tip to tip, is 4 to 40 miles wide and it's total area is 2,185 square miles. It is situated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is separated from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick by the Northumberland Strait.  The province has numerous lakes and rivers, most of which are quite small, and is known for its red soil, sand dunes and 500 miles of beaches. The highest point is 499 feet above sea level at Springton, Queen's County.

For centuries, lighthouses have been symbols of hope, safety and refuge. Nowhere is their presence more valued than on Prince Edward Island. Although it is only 139 miles long from North Cape to East Point, the undulating coastline stretches for 500 miles. Strategically located along the sandy beaches, or standing sentinel atop high red cliffs, there are approximately forty-five beacons/lighthouses still guiding mariners away from dangerous reefs and into safe harbours.
During the 19th Century, the Island's waters were very busy. Thousands of immigrants arrived by ship and farm produce & lumber were exported. Shipbuilding became a booming industry with hundreds of sailing vessels being launched from PEI, destined for all parts of the world. Fishing vessels from Europe and the United States fished the rich waters surrounding the Island. With all the activity, it was inevitable that numerous shipwrecks occurred with loss of lives and cargoes.  At present there are seven lighthouses on Prince Edward Island open to the public. Visitors can climb right into their Lantern Rooms to view the working light. Four are museums having collections of lighthouse-related artifacts.

Point Prim Lighthouse
The first lighthouse built on Prince Edward Island in 1845. Architect Isaac Smith designed the 60 foot round brick lighthouse that is one of the last of its kind in Canada.

Point Prim Lighthouse

Leard's Front & Back Range Light
Victoria Harbor was one of the Island’s busiest seaports in the days of sail. It is now mainly a tourism destination.  The Front range light was built in 1879 and the back range light was built in 1901 but closed in around 1913.  The back light sits on private property now and the front light is maintained by the city of Victoria by the Sea. 
 

Leard's Front Range Light ~ Steps to top light ~ Going into top ~ Leard's Back Range Light

Cape Bear Lighthouse
Cape Bear is located on the southeastern tip of Prince Edward Island. The coast consists of generally rugged red sandstone cliffs and small secluded beaches. Its high banks offer a good location for viewing seals.

Cape Bear Lighthouse ~ first to hear SOS from Titanic ~ See Ralph in Light

The first Canadian land station to hear the SOS of the Titanic as she sank in 1912 was the Marconi station at Cape Bear. The station is no longer there, but the Cape Bear Lighthouse is still there and has been in existence since 1881. The lighthouse is a square three story tower with a warning beacon on top. It has gabled windows at each level, on three sides of the structure. The light is 23 metres above the water, while the tower itself stands at 12 metres. During the Second World War, the lighthouse proved useful for spotting German U-boats that neared the coast. Several were seen along the shore, but disappeared while being tracked. They probably vanished into the deep trench which runs between the Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island.

Port Borden Pier Light

The hexagonal pyramidal wooden tower has a square lantern and a hexagonal gallery. It is shingled and painted white with red trim. The gallery is supported by wooden brackets. The windows and door have pedimented caps. Built in 1919 same year as the two range lights.  It is on the end of the former ferry pier and for many years guided the car ferries into the harbor. The pier has been purchased by a fish packing company that has built a factory there so access to the lighthouse is restricted.

The two range lights were decommissioned in June, 1997, when the Confederation Bridge was opened, but the pier lighthouse has remained an active light, providing guidance for the fishing boats and other marine traffic. 

Port Borden Pier Lighthouse ~ Port Borden Front Range Light ~ Port Borden Rear Range Light

North Rustico Lighthouse
Built in 1876 the tower is a simple, well-proportioned structure with an attached dwelling. Unlike most lighthouses on PEI, which are shingled, it is covered with metal siding. The lantern has a wooden balustrade and is supported by wooden brackets. The lighthouse was designed by the Department of Marine. The builder is unknown. The design of the building was carefully planned as can be seen by the placement of the windows. The dwelling has two windows on each of the long facades and one on the tower end. The tower windows on the long façade align vertically with the corresponding dwelling windows.

Town of North Rustico ~ North Rustico Lighthouse ~ Lighthouse Beacon ~ Dirt road from Lighthouse

Covehead Lighthouse
Built in 1967 ~ The first Covehead Lighthouse was located at Red Point. It was a three-sided structure. The experimental form always looked crooked. In 1975 the site was moved due to erosion, and a new square tapered lighthouse was built. It has always been fully automated and is considered a landfall light. The lighthouse was renovated in 1994 due to rotting and is now covered with pressure treated cedar siding.  There is a plaque on the side of the lighthouse describing the Yankee Gale, remembering the eighty ships and 161 men who perished in the savage 1851 storm.

Covehead Lighthouse

We could not have seen all the Lighthouse/Range lights but we sure saw a lot of them ~ Tomorrow I will show you the reat of them.  Some of them we couldn't climb up to the top but we did get to enjoy seeing them.  If you love Lighthouses this is a great place to see them.

Have Fun & Travel Safe