NORTHERN LIGHT ferry-icebreaker

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a wooden hulled ferry-icebreaker byE.W.Sewell at Lévis, Quebec, Canada for the Dominion Government.
06 Sept. 1876 launched under the name NORTHERN LIGHT.
Tonnage ?, Dim. 133 x 25 x 15ft.
Powered by a compound engine, manufactured by Carrier Laine & Co. at Sorel, 700 hp.
When built had 22 staterooms for passengers.

Built for the ferry service between Georgetown and Pictou on the Northumberland Strait. When Prince Edwards Island was brought in to Canada, the terms or agreement implied a year round ferry service.

Built of wood it was thought that ice would not puncture the wood, also the hull was very rounded, and the weight of the vessel would break the ice. She was a odd looking craft. With a roman nose rather than a ram.
07 Dec. 1876 first voyage in this service.
Her wooden hull was strong, but an icebreaker must do more than resist pressure of the ice, she has to move forewarts, and the small engine was not powerful enoch to press her through the ice. The shaft from the engine room to the propeller was long, and got broken, and a other handicap she carried a hand steering gear.
She had a much trouble career, underpowered and as the first government icebreaker, she had many design faults. In her first season her steering gear broke down, in the second season her propeller broke. And for breaking the ice, she could better use her stern then her bow, was found out after a few seasons.
Her coal consumption was very high and became the subject of political controversy and public ridicule.
Often the islanders were forced back on their traditional iceboat service.

She was laid up a average of 64 days each season, and sometimes icebound for 10 to 24 days.

During the winter season of 1881 she again got stuck in the ice at Guernsey Cove, normally the passengers could then walk over the ice to the shore, but in this case it was dangerous because of extreme ice and slush conditions. Not stored with sufficient food for a long stay on board, the passengers were rescued by three rescue attempts, on 27 Jan. 16 passengers arrived in boats from the vessel in Cape Bear.
The second rescue was when on Saturday 29 January 13 passengers and 8 crew left the vessel, and getting within a mile of land by nightfall. Pushed there boat on thick ice and stayed that night under the upturned boat, and the next morning when daylight came, she walked to shore. The last group of passengers left the vessel on the 6th of February when she walked to the shore by laying thick wide wooden planks on the ice, side by side and butted up against one another, it must have been a frightening experience, carrying one plank ahead and walking on the one that was just placed. But everyone safely reached the shore.


1888 The NORTHERN LIGHT was replaced by the much stronger STANLEY.

In the Pictou Mail of 05 June 1893 was published that the old steamer NORTHERN LIGHT which is being burned on the beach at Carleton was again set on fire yesterday, and is now almost destroyed. Her purchasers Messrs E. Lantaluin & Co are getting a large quantity of iron from her.

Canada 1978 14c sg933, scott?
Canada 1997 45c sg?, scott1646a (she is the ship in the middle in the margin of the stamp, the ship on the right is the MINTO.)

Source: Mills ships database. Ships of Canada by Thomas Appleton. http://www.explorenorth.com/library/wee ... 52600a.htm
http://www.islandregister.com/ship_data5.html
http://www.islandregister.com/machonwatch.html




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