Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-12
4 GRAVEYARD OF THE SEA.
Lonely Sable Island and the Peril. il Present.

az .sie North Atlantic ocean. about "a
| S OIL the southern COAST Of Nova
,.,s a' hes low, crescent shaned
1S,anu oi sand. known as Sable islan;
nou. us shores the great waves of the
l :. beat in ceaseless thunder and
-, name is fraught with terror to
sailors. Graveyard of the North A.
iahtic they have named +his lona
island, and the term is an ant ono for
IN truth no man can tel, the p,,,,,t,o,. ~
IT,. .,ips that have beaten out their
~ mere or been swallowed up by
~. .eacherous. shifting sands. When
-, pniaster feels the keel of his YES
s,a.ihg on the sand bars of Sable
la.u ne realizes that hope is vain.
Inns dangerous island lies almost on
.ne track OF ships bound to and from
u'ope and the northern part of
t,nelca' 1t is apparent how, with the
uenSe logs that prevail here and the
| esei varying currents of the ocean
,hat play amid the sands, Sable island
mas become thing of terror to the
mariner
IN the year 1918 Baron deLery, while
on voyage of colonization in the in
tefest OF the Crown of France. left a
NUMBER OF cattle, horses and hogs on
0auie island. Though the other ami
iiafs nave long been extinct, the horses
nave survived and multiplied, and to-
uay hundreds of small shaggy ponies
roam over the island and feed on the
coarse. rank grass which it produces.
Inc first wreck of which there is
record was that of the ship Squirrel,
commanded by Sir Humphrey Gilbert,
na1-prother of Sir Walter Raleigh. In
1888 this vessel was lost on Sable island
ana every soul on board persisted, 100
IN all. In 1893 the Marquis de la Roche
landed Az French convicts here, the
island having been absurdly repre-
scented as suitable place for a con-
Wet settlement. The poor outcasts
abandoned there managed to sustain
life for some time, but their number
gradually decreased. Many died anu
We're Inferred in the sand by their COM
panions, and at the expiration of seven
years the IL survivors Were pardoned
and taken back to France. They are
said to have presented a grotesque APP
pearanee, wearing long boards and be-
ing clothed in sheepskins. They We're
|
and received a gratuity of so crowns
each. Another notable wreck which
occurred at this place was that of the
Princess Amelia in 1896. This was a
transport ship bound to Halifax from
England. She was bringing out a
number of officers and recruits, with
their families and servants, and also
had ON board the furniture of the Duke
of fa+ %
was at that time commander of the
forces in British North America. All
passengers and crew. in all more than
200, met a watery grave.
At that time there was no govern
ment station at Sable island, it being
uninhabited save by wreckers from the
mainland. who frequented the place in
the summer season. The legends of
the island relate that some of the I'M
fortunates from the wreck of the
Princess Amelia reached the shores
but We're murdered by the piratical
wreckers in order to secure their
jewelry or any valuables they had
about them. Owing the these reports
the gunboat Harriet was despatched
to the scene from Halifax in charge If
Captain Torrens of the garrison, who
had instructions to investigate. But
this ship met similar fate on the
shores of the inhospitable island,
though the captain and some of the
crew managed to save their lives by
reaching shore through the surf.
Impelled by such loss of life and thu
reports of cruel deeds by wreckers, in
1902 the government esta blished a life
saving station, which has been main
tanned with ever-increasing efficiency
to the present time. The imperial
government contributes G400 year
toward the expenses of maintaining
this humane establishment, and the
balance is borne by the government 81
the Dominion of Canada. A small
revenue is derived each year from the
sale of wild horses, which are captured
taken to the mainland and there sole
at auction to the highest bidders
Cranberries also grow abundantly ir
the sandy soil, and are packed in bar
rels and shipped to market. Occasion
ally a lot of wrecked material is saved
and taken to Halifax on the govern
ment steamer and there disposed OF.
At the present time there are abou
. 60 persons on the island. They consls
: of the superintendent and his family
the lighthouse keepers, the lifeboat and
% patrol men and their families. Every
thing on the island is government
| property. Surfboats for landing II
rough weather are provided. Eff1cien
lfeboats with crews ready to RESPOND
0 in case of wrecks are ever on han1
They have also life-savipg appliance
| of the most improved pattern, IN oroe
to rescue persons through the surf. A!
. night falls two lighthouses are con
/ stantly throwing their cheering beams
out over the water to warn snips 0
their approach to this dangerous 10
cality. Six life-saving stations nav
been established at different points Oh
the island. Two houses of refuge nav
n been erected at places remote from TN
inhabited buildings, in case snip
wrecked crew should effect landlns
:. in their vicinity. These are supplie'
> with water. provisions and materiaf
q for making fire, and thus if any ship
d wrecked persons should reach tn
Y shore at these points they have mean
of relief at their disposal. In fogg.
weather an unceasing patrol OF IN
island is kept up by night and day