The excursion – Part 1

Privately organized trips across the Bay from Harbourville were always popular, but the groups rarely numbered more than 20 or 30 people at a time. In one of a few exceptions, a large crowd of 200 people boarded the steamer, Brunswick, at Harbourville’s wharf shortly after 10 o’clock in the morning of Saturday, August 16, 1913; and then stopped at Canada Creek to pick up another 50 passengers before heading to its destination, Port Greville.

Boarding may have taken longer than anticipated. Advertising the excursion under the auspices of the Bay View Lodge, the steamer was also supposed to pick up passengers at Hall’s Harbour, but the commander, Captain Moore, decided to bypass that port to ensure that the already advancing tide would allow enough water for the large ship to dock in Port Greville’s harbour. Imagine the disappointment of the people in Hall’s Harbour who waited patiently for the ship that never arrived. As was the case with many passengers who boarded from Harbourville, a good number of these families with their eager children had traveled from miles away, had brought picnic baskets and were perhaps sporting fine new clothing for the very special occasion anticipated – but were instead left standing on the dock with no explanation.

There could not have been a more perfect day for a trip across the Bay, and one of the passengers, a newspaperman, Pete F. Lawson; wrote this description: “There was a fresh breeze from the westward and swift-running flood tide. Ripples grew into crested waves topped with glistening white caps which occasionally came over the weather side in a sprinkling spray. It was such a morning as made one feel that it was good to be alive, provided one had not a sea-sickish disposition.” Enjoying good weather, it is unlikely that the passengers were aware or concerned the Brunswick’s lifeboats only had a capacity for 27 people.

It took a little more than two hours to reach Port Greville, but it was noted Captain Moore did not seem to be overly familiar with the narrow channel, docking the ship quite a way from the common landing. Ascending the ship’s gangplank, the hungry crowd rushed to the only hotel and overwhelmed the proprietor, Joshua Welsh, whose dining room accommodated seating for only 35. About half of the passengers had brought their own provisions and settled along the beach and on the hillside to enjoy their picnic.

There were a variety of amusements enjoyed that afternoon, among which were watching a baseball game on the school grounds, touring two shipyards and taking a drive over to Parrsboro, 12 miles east. Port Greville being a “dry” town, some of the visitors took advantage of enjoying a few drinks in the more liberal Parrsboro, but only six “reached the stage where they might be called full” – and three of them were the ship’s crew. The day ended back in Port Greville, where Joshua Welsh provided another good meal for the visitors at his hotel. Lawson noted the guests had depleted the hotel’s food provisions and, had the proprietor known that the hungry passengers would return for breakfast the following morning, he might have served smaller portions for supper.

But, of course, Welsh could not have known and, had it not been for a few tide miscalculations, the 250 passengers would have been on their return trip to Canada Creek and Harbourville shortly after supper as was originally planned. After consulting the passenger Capt. Bloomfield Morris, Captain Moore decided not to attempt the crossing once the Brunswick was able to float, as it was now nearly midnight and, by the time the ship reached Harbourville, the ebbing tide would not have allowed the steamer enough time to access the wharf. The wind was fairly strong, and transporting such a large number of people to the pier from the ship by boat in total darkness would have been a dangerous risk. Add this to the fact, by this time, the crew were no longer in the “right condition” for any such work. Taking all into consideration, the Brunswick moored for the night at Port Greville’s wharf.

Watch for Part 2 in the May 22 Kings County Register