and other papers relating to the establishment, equipment, maintenance and operation of the life boat and life saving station at Seal Cove in the Bay of Fundy; also copy of all instructions issued to Captain Lugar in connection with the inquiry into the wreck of the ss.Hestia,' and of the findings and report on said inquiry. order to point out the right course or as a warning beacon to ward off the ship against the hidden dangers, or dangers of any kind, that may be provided against by a light or such other aid to navigation. The principal aids to navigation are all listed and charted so that all the captains and men responsible for the navigation of vessels may become acquainted with all these lights and aids. When coming into any region they have on their charts a statement of these aids and are able to look for them when they require to do so as their course develops and they go on their path towards their proper haven. If it is necessary, as of course it is, that all these things should be made known and the information placed in the hands of people who ought to have it, the navigators or captains, then surely we will readily understand that it is much more important, that where anything happens to these aids to navigation, when the light goes out, or a buoy goes adrift, that these men who go up and down the great highways of the sea should be made acquainted with all accidents of that nature and with any changes that may be made in the listed lights and buoys around any particular coast. He said: Mr. Speaker, in making the motion which I have just read calling for the papers which the motion calls for it will be necessary for me, to some extent, to call to the minds of the members of this House the unfortunate and disastrous wreck which took place in the Bay of Fundy on the night of the 24th, or early in the morning of the 25th of October last. The wreck of the steamship 'Hestia' is, as far as my memory goes, the most disastrous wreck, in so far as loss of life is concerned, that has ever taken place in the Bay of Fundy. The crew of the steamship numbered 41, and, in addition, there were four passengers, making 45 in all. Of these 45 persons, 39 went down to a watery grave. The facts given simply and shortly, are these: On the evening of Sunday, 24th October, the steamship 'Hestia' rounded into the Bay of Fundy, passing the Lurcher Light about eight o'clock. At half past The course which is generally pursued twelve she sighted the Gannet Rock light when anything goes wrong with these and at ten minutes after one in the morn- lights is, for the Marine Department to ing she rushed on to the rocks known as notify the British Board of Trade which isthe Old Proprietor reef, passing at that sues a monthly bulletin to be placed in the time, in order to get into that position, hands of navigators so that they may be inwithin 30 or 40 feet of what is known as a formed of any changes which take place; gas or whistling buoy erected to guard and not rely on these lights being in their against that very reef and known as Old accustomed places. In the Bay of Fundy Proprietor buoy. We all know that the we have such fixed lights as the Gannett life of a sailor is at all times a dangerous rock light, and there are also these autoone, that he constantly takes his life in matic gas whistling buoys which are not his hands. He is exposed to the danger of fixed on lighthouses but which are equally collision in darkness and fog. He is sub-important to the navigator. Such a light ject to the dangers both of wind and waves, of storms and hurricanes even when he has plenty of sea room on the broad Atlantic or on any other ocean, but as he nears the land and approaches his destination there is no doubt that the anxiety of the navigator increases very greatly, more especially when he approaches the shore at night time or in thick weather. This Sunday evening that I have referred to it was raining, clearing at intervals, with some mist, with a north-easterly wind, bearing to some extent on the starboard bow of the ship and tending to drive her to the westward of her course. The fact that these dangers when approaching the coast are very considerable for the navigator is well known and has long been recognized by all maritime nations. The consequence is that they have and are spending a great deal of money to provide suitable aids to navigation where they are needed in the shape of lighthouses, buoys, fog whistles, whistling buoys, floating buoys and very many other aids that human ingenuity has devised in was placed on what is known as the Old Proprietor reef. Off the southern coast of Grand Manan there is a very dangerous reef mostly covered by water which on the eastward juts out on the course which is taken by vessels going to St. John and other ports on the bay. This sunken reef at its outermost end raises its gnarled and scarred surface above the water and it is called the Old Proprietor rock, and for years there has been a high mast on that rock. Some years ago the St. John Board of Trade petitioned the Marine Department to place a lighthouse on that rock, but the request was refused on the ground that the expense would be too great. However, on account of the great danger of this reef the Department of Marine placed, a mile or so to the southward of the rock, one of those automatic whistling buoys supplied by Messrs. Willson, of Ottawa, and which I think cost $8,000. This buoy was for two or three years in commission and was regularly listed and charted. It was one of the most important lights in the Bay of Fundy 293 NOVEMBER 22, 1909 and had it been in working order on the night of October 24, or the morning of October 25, there would not have occurred that disaster by which thirty-nine persons found a watery grave, and among them two little Scotch lads who were coming out to settle in this country. It was most pathetic to read in the account of that wreck that when these two little lads were overturned in the boat the voice of one of the little ones in his Scotch accent was heard to Oh, mother, cry out over the waters: But mother, save me, I am drowning. these two little boys, together with two other passengers and the thirty-five hardy sailors, including the captain and all of the deck officers, except one, were drawn down in that waste of waters on that night. I say, Sir, and I say it calmly and coolly, that in their death they were or the victims of either the inaction the indifference or the incapacity of the responsible officers of the Marine Department. Had the defect in that buoy been remedied, it would not be in my power nor in the power of any one to point an accusing finger at the Department of Marine. But, Sir, the agent of that department knew as long ago as January the 22nd last, ten months ago, that the light was out or that the buoy was adrift. Now, what action was taken? They put an advertisement in three of the St. John papers and they inserted that advertisement three times and it read: The Old Proprietor gas and whistling buy has been reported as being either adrift or the light out. It will be attended to as soon as possible. Jan. 26, 1909. Signed J. E. LEGERE, were Why was not the Lansdowne' sent to at- was. I would like to call his attention to The neighbourhood of the Grand Manan has dangerous locality in the whole bay. always been acknowledged to be the most There is the statement of a practical navigator; and yet the minister says that he spent nearly the whole year in looking after more important business while this steamer was lying in the harbour of St. John. To give you some idea of the importance of these aids to navigation in the Rav of Fundy, and the necessity of having them kept in the best possible condition, let me remind the House that in the year 1908-9 there was exported from the city and $24,564,840 worth of port of St. John alone for transatlantic was the only So far as I know that notice given in printed form, but I understand that the agent of the Donaldson line in St. John was verbally notified that there was something wrong with the buoy. Now, was that buoy attended to as soon as possible as stated in the advertisement? Is it necessary to take ten months to put right one of these gas buoys? I put a question to the Minister of Marine on the point and the minister allowed himself to be made the mouthpiece of an answer which stated that the weather conditions and press of more important affairs would not allow of that buoy being attended to. But, Sir, only a week after the wreck took place that buoy which for ten months lay there neglected, All sumwas towed into St. John harbour and test-ports no less than ed opposite Partridge Island. mer long, for ten months, the weather conditions would not allow the department to put this buoy right, but in the stormy month of November, in less than a week after the wreck they could go out there and tow it into harbour and set it in order. 101 goods. I would also like to give the House an idea of the number of vessels trading up and down the bay. I will read from the annual report of the St. John Board of Trade the figures for the last three years 1906, 1907 and 1908, of the arrivals and clearances of the port of St. John: Besides the tonnage entering and leaving the port of St. John, there is the shipping business of all the bay ports on both the Nova Scotia side and the New Brunswick side. Not that all the vessels take the easterly side of the Grand Manan in going inwards and outwards, but all the large steamers do, and pass this Old Proprietor ledge. This buoy was known for ten months to be defective, and that fact is entirely responsible for the wreck of the 'Hestia.' In this connection I wish to read letter of the only deck officer whose life was saved after the wreck, that is, the third officer, S. A. Stewart. On the 2nd of November this letter was published in the St. John 'Globe'. It is headed: Aids to Navigation in Bay of Fundy-Strong Statement by Third Officer of ss. Hestia:' Seal Cove, Grand Manan, Oct. 31. To the Editor of the 'Globe': Sir, I inclose herewith a letter from the third officer of the stranded steamer 'Hestia,' setting forth his views and expressing his feelings in this matter. We would ask you to publish the letter in your paper as early as convenient to you, as we think it would be of interest to the general public and possibly remedy a great evil. Unless something is done the insurance rates will certainly increase on Bay of Fundy trade, which will act against St. John, New Brunswick. WILLIAM H. LOGAN, Salvage Officer, Salvage Association, London. bay, and our frequent soundings of over a hundred fathoms were satisfactory. About half an hour after midnight on Sunday, October 24, Gannet Rock light was sighted, but owing to weather conditions accurate distance off could not possibly be established. The captain kept the ship on her course, eviAt 1.10 on 25-10-'09, the ship struck on the dently looking for the Old Proprietor buoy. outer part of the latter named ledge, where when the tide rose she fell over on her side and was completely submerged at high water. Myself, the second engineer and four seamen are all that remain alive out of a crew of 41 men. I find since being brought ashore here that the light keepers in Gannet Rock lighthouse saw the ship passing, also that there is a large whistle and lighted buoy between the Gannet Rock and Old Proprietor shoals. All seamen entering the Bay of Fundy are compelled to depend upon these aids to navigation and if they were not there would not enter the bay under such weather conditions as existed on the night in question. officers and the many men who have lost their I feel, on behalf of myself and my brother lives, also in the general interests of shipping trading to Bay of Fundy ports, that a strong protest to the department responsible for the lighthouse and buoyage system should be made through the public press, against the existing conditions of the aids to navigation on this dangerous coast. My direct complaint is that the Old Proprietor Ledge buoy has neither light nor fog signal, whereas it is listed as having both. It is also well known locally that this buoy has been in this condition for months; while it is known that the Hestia' must have passed within a few feet of this buoy it will readily be conceded that had it been lit or its whistle sounding the ship would have been warned and cleared easily the ledges upon which she was wrecked. Doubtless the captain, after seeing the Gannet, was looking for this buoy. Can any one imagine a worse trap laid for any man than a buoy listed as marking dangerous ledges, and having a light working signal, whilst neither whistle nor light exist? at stated intervals, also an automatic whistle thought of by even the old time wreckers that It is simply a trap worse than any ever are now but a winter's tale. It is impossible to describe one's feelings when he finds that has proved his ruin. what he thought was his great factor of safety In the bitterness with which one looks upon the dreadful loss of life that certainly would not have been if those responsible for the conditions of the Old Proprietor Ledge buoy had attended to their ordinary everyday duties; for there is not a shadow of a doubt the loss of the Hestia is due to the long neglected conditions of this buoy. Again, the keeper of the Gannet admits he did not fire a warning gun because he was afraid he might awake the doctor. Can anyone imagine a man, keeper of an outlying lighthouse, seeing a vessel standing into a probable danger, and not warning her because he thought the doctor might mistake the signal as being intended for him. A few explosive signals from the lighthouse would have been quite sufficient to warn this ship and save her from destruction; still they were not given, although the keeper admits seeing the vessel and thinking her too close in, because they might call the doctor; and the vessel was allowed to go to her end. Is there any way of describing such stupidity or incompetence? Will the Canadian people allow such things to be? Let them try to think what it would mean if this accident had happened to one of the large passenger vessels plying to St. John, particularly when it is known that there is no life-saving station in the neighbourhood. There is supposed to be one, but it now consists of a boat unfit for use and without a crew. We were from 1.10 a.m. on Monday until noon Tuesday in a helpless and perilous position before any one came near the ship. Notwith standing our being but four miles from the Gannet Rock lighthouse and making distress signals night and day; especially Monday night, which was clear and fine with all shore lights plainly visible, and during which_bonfires were burnt on board the wreck almost continuously. I would pray that the people of Canada may insist that those who are responsible for the coast lighting and buoyage system will keep that system in order or not put buoys out at all, so that there may not be traps added to a profession which already bristles with difficulty and much danger. S. G. STEWART, Third Officer ss. Hestia.' That he had seen the Old Proprietor buoy from the ship as she lay on the rocks on Monday morning, but heard no whistle from the buoy nor was any light visible there Monday night. Then there is the evidence of Captain Gillies with regard to the neighbourhood of Grand Manan being the most dangerous in the whole locality. There is no need of citing more evidence of that nature; it is all of the same kind and it must be of the same kind because it cannot be denied. One would suppose that under these circumstances, when it was shown that this buoy had not been lit or its whistle sounding, and that this had been known for almost a year, a strict investigation would be held into the matter. You would also suppose that there would be some investigation into the cause of a wreck in which 39 lives were lost and an attempt made to ascertain whether all was done that should have been done to put that buoy and keep that buoy in its proper position and every possible effort made to succour the survivors. But what was the result? We have had a so-called investigation but, an investigation that was incomSir, plete and literally farcical in its denouement. From all that I can learn Captain Lugar, who was chairman of the commission, stated on the streets of St. John before he had taken a particle of evidence that the cause of this vessel going on the rocks was because the compasses were deviating on account of her cargo of iron. Ac The next witness was Andrew West Mor-cording to the press, orders were given that gan, second engineer of the wrecked vessel, who was saved. He said: During both Monday and Tuesday the buoy on the Old Proprietor reef was plainly visible during the daytime about a mile away, but he heard no whistle from it, nor was there any light upon it at night. The next evidence I will give is that of the gentleman whose letter I have just read, the third officer : The witness was of the opinion that the captain expected and hoped to take up the Old Proprietor buoy. Had the light on the buoy been burning, the accident could not have happened, since they must have passei within a few feet of the buoy. That is the evidence of the third officer. Mr. Holden, continuing the examination of Stewart, asked him whether, in his opinion as there should be held a secret inquiry into this most disastrous wreck. I believe there was some secret inquiry but that did not by any means commend itself to the common sense or the ordinary judgment of the people down there and there was an immediate agitation for a public inquiry. Then it was stated there would be a public inquiry. It would be expected that the public inquiry would be held in the port of St. John where every available witness was at hand to be subpoenaed. But what was done? Suddenly we were told that the inquiry was to be removed to Montreal. Why? It was stated that the survivors were there. As a matter of fact the survivors were not there. The survivors were taken there after it was given out that the inquiry was to be held there. Then it was more central. stated that Montreal was gow after her cargo had been placed on board and her compasses were found true. That is enough to show that the finding was not warranted by the evidence or by the facts. I want to say this: Supposing the compasses were out of order, there is no doubt the vesesel was off her course. Is that any excuse why the light and the whistle of the Old Proprietor buoy should be out of order after having been ten months in that condition? What is the need of a buoy on the Old Proprietor, or anywhere else, if a vessel is in her course and everything is going well and right? These aids to navigation are wanted when things go wrong, and not when they go right. I have called attention to the fact that this board has stated that the compasses were wrong. Secondly, it says: More central to what? To the centre of The court is of the opinion that the cause which led to the foundering of the steamship 'Hestia' on the Old Proprietor ledge were:An error in the compass, due probably to what is known as Gauss's error, aided probably by the fact that the vessel carried a cargo of 800 tons of iron. The statement he made before he held any investigation at all, whereas the evidence in that investigation did not give Captain Lugar the slightest reason for saying that there was any error in the compass of that ship. All the evidence I have seen, and of course I have only seen the evidence reported in the newspapers, is to the effect that the compasses were all right and that before that ship left Glasgow she was swung, the compass was tested and the deviation was found to be extremely slight. What other evidence have we that the compasses were true? Why Sir, the very fact that that ship sailed from Glasgow to the mouth of the Bay of Fundy on her direct course, without any going to the right or left. If her compasses had been wrong, would the ship have made the mouth of the Bay of Fundy just as she expected to do and at the time she expected to get there? That fact of itself is enough to show that the compasses were in proper order and it is supported by the evidence of the surviving officer that the ship was swung in Glas when in sight of the Gannet rock. 3. Allowance was not made for the tides and the set of the wind. 4. An error of judgment on the part of the master in allowing his ship to get the bearing of the Gannet Rock light to southwest of west nagnetic. It must be borne in mind that the ship was only five and a half miles from Gannet rock when she struck. Now, Sir, there are the facts as I have learned them from the finding, and I think have shown the common sense and judgment of this House that that finding was not borne out either by the evidence or by the facts. The other point I wish to bring before the House is that in that finding no mention whatever is made of the fact that the Old Proprietor buoy light was out, and that the whistle was not sounding. Now, what sort of an investigation is that? Here you set out to find the cause of the wreck, and the actual and veritable cause of the wreck is not mentioned at all. It was utterly impossible for that vessel to have gone on the Old Proprietor rock if that buoy had been lighted or the whistle sounding. It is idle to say that the ship's compasses were out, or that the master had not been making his soundings as he ought to have done, or that other things had happened, when, if the one requisite thing had been done, the wreck would never have taken place. If the man, or men, or officials, responsible for the proper condition of that light had attended to their duty, these 39 people, little boys and grown up men, would now be enjoying life with the rest of us, instead of being buried under the waters of the Bay of Fundy. That is the charge which this wreck, this unnecessary wreck, brings against the Department of Marine and Fisheries. Another point I wish to bring out is that the commissioners state that these other things would be the subject of a later inquiry, that is, with regard to the buoy, and |