Happy Home disaster- a historical vignette

It was approximately 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3, 1881, so the story goes, when the barque “Happy Home” met with disaster 14 miles north by west of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Hantsport and Area Historical Society president St. Clair Patterson told the sad tale to the group as his historical vignette. He noted that “in the bygone age of sailing ships, the captain’s wife and children often accompanied him on board when they sailed the wide seas.” Thus it was the “Happy Home” mostly owned by E. Churchill & Sons of Hantsport, with Capt. John Smith, of Barrington, having insured interest, came by the name.

So it was on the aforementioned evening Captain Coalfleet of Hantsport, had brought the barque in ballast from Hamburg, Germany, heading for Saint John, New Brunswick. His wife and eight-year-old daughter were on board. Caught in a snow squall, the barque struck on Trinity Ledges and remained on the ledge two hours – then, half-full of water, floated off. At 10 p.m., the “Happy Home” fell over on her beam-ends. The captain’s wife and daughter and all hands were lashed to the mizzen chains - the sea breaking over them. The cook perished at 12 o’clock -- the captain’s little girl, at 1 a.m., and the mother at 4 a.m. The girl was clasped in her mother’s arms. They remained in this position until their ice-covered, lifeless bodies were taken off the wreck by weeping fishermen who had to carefully cut the ice away. The captain’s feet and the mate’s hands were badly frozen. The second mate and three of the crew received less severe frost bites.

The next morning, after the wreck was seen from shore, boats put out from Sanford and High Head, rescued Capt. Coalfleet and 12 crewmembers and brought them ashore to be cared for. The dead were brought to shore, an inquest held and the “coroner’s verdict returned in accordance with the facts.”

The second mate accompanied the remains of mother and daughter to Hantsport by train. The cook, a Mr. McDonald from Prince Edward Island, was buried in Yarmouth. He is deemed to have perished through “an act of heroism,” attempting to dive and cut the ropes which secured the boat. He took off his coat which was washed away and soon “chilled to death.”

The steamers Alpha and Alida left Yarmouth on Wednesday morning and found the “ Happy Home” but could not move her. The chains evidently dragged on the bottom. The barque had been in this position since Tuesday afternoon, previous to this she had been drifting about with her bows under water. Subsequently, the “ Happy Home” went to pieces. Churchill & Sons had no insurance.

Patterson proudly showed a picture of the bell from the “Happy Home” obtained for him by Rev. David Shaw. As a gesture of thanks to the men of Port Maitland, Yarmouth County, Capt. Coalfleet gave the barque’s bell to the community. It was placed in the schoolhouse to be used as the school bell. Many of Port Maitland’s citizens were called to classes, recess and afternoon hour by the bell. A long rope, attached to the bell was pulled to make it ring. After a new consolidated school was built the bell was put in a place of honor in the library.