THE REGISTER
April 13, 1972
A LONG LIST OF
Harbourville’s Sea Heroes
Following is a continuation of a story published recently in The Register, concerning Harbourville’s men of the sea. Taken from the Morning Chronicle of 50 years ago, our thanks are again extended to Randolph Clem, Weston, for contributing the clipping.
It may safely be said that the article published by The Morning Chronicle of Thursday last, under the caption of "Harbourville Deep Sea Captains and Men," who went down to the sea in ships and never came back, attracted a vast deal of attention not only along the coast of Nova Scotia, but miles away from the sea. Even at that, the story told by your correspondent, was only a teeny mite of what can be told, even of such a quiet retreat as Harbourville, and doubtless other coast towns and hamlets will have others to tell when they wake up and realize that stories of the sea will also command the attention of red blooded men and women, no matter whether they live near the sea or on the western prairies.
Harbourville has had deep sea Captains and men, some of whom are still with us, who have been honored not only by our own, but foreign Governments, for exceptional bravery at sea, in the saving of shipwrecked crews and passengers. She has lost men, who died a peaceful death at home after fifty or sixty years of strenuous life rounding Cape Horn, who, when the war was on, and men of known bravery and experience were sorely needed, left their retirement and at full three score years and then took ships from Nova Scotia to England and France through the danger zone, so that the fighting armies of the Allies should have food. Thanks be to the Lord, she has some of them still living, ready at the call of duty, to repeat the performance of those "who have gone before." Take, for instance, the case of Captain John Cook, deceased a couple of years or so ago. Captain John Cook had the distinguished honor of receiving from the President of the United States a few years ago, a valuable gold watch and chain, together with the thanks of the United States Government for his heroism at sea in saving the lives of the shipwrecked crew of the American ship "Raven’s Wing."
While the war was on and men were badly needed to command ships, Captain John Cook, then way above his seventieth year, volunteered for service, and took the four masted schooner Ade Tower on her maiden trip across the Atlantic, safely escaping subs and mines. He brought a return cargo to New York and then returned to his home at Harbourville, a nervous wreck, due to that trip. He died a couple of years later, leaving a son, who was at one time Captain of the Dominion Coal Co. barge Grandee, and now a dentist residing at Berwick.
Then, it’s only a few years ago, during one of the worst blizzards this port of Harbourville ever saw, in the early spring, the alarm came from Black Rock that Henry Dickey and his son had been carried to sea in an open dory, and asking help as there wasn’t a single boat afloat at Black Rock. Word was immediately passed from the hotel at Harbourville to the gallant mariners of Harbourville, but the only boat afloat was a small schooner owned and commanded by Captain Ed. Curry, who, by the way, is another nephew of Senator Curry’s, and she had a hole stove through her bottom big enough for a man to crawl through. However, they were not welchers. They went to work and covered the hole with canvas, called for volunteers and got off just before the tide left her. This was on a Saturday and the storm was so desperate that the little schooner could not be seen from the shore less than 500 feet away, when she passed out at the end of the wharf.
During occasional rifts in the storm their passage was followed with a marine glass from the balcony of the hotel, and they were making bad weather of it but they were sailors, out to rescue lives, and they hung diamond. Finally away over towards Spencers Island they were observed picking up their men. They got them just in time, for as they reached them and grabbed them their boat sank. It took them all Saturday night to beat back to Harbourville, and on Sunday morning about 4 o’clock they anchored off Harbourville and signaled they had the men safe and sound. And word was immediately telephoned to their families. However that story was exclusively published in The Morning Chronicle, and through that story the Dominion Government presented Capt. Curry with a handsome and valuable gold watch, suitably engraved and a silver watch to the volunteers who went with him.
Harbourville has good reasons for being in the lime light. The wreck of the New Bedford schooner, from New Bedford, bound for Cape De Verde Islands, with passengers and crew numbering 38 precious souls, was wrecked and sunk off Harbourville a few hundred feet from shore, and every life lost and no bodies ever found.
That story, through your correspondent, was also first given to the world through The Morning Chronicle. Up to the time of the discovery of the mishap the schooner had not even been missed and it was through the publicity so promptly given by The Morning Chronicle that before noon of the day on which it appeared the home port of the schooner was located at New Bedford, Mass., and full particulars received as to her passenger list and crew, etc.
Harbourville is again noted at the time of the wreck of the Atlanta, off Halifax, when it was a Harbourville Captain who removed the cargo from that ship and took it to New York.
Among the other prominent deep sea captains, Harbourville men, who have peacefully passed away during the past few years, was Captain Sam McBride, truly a Viking of the Sea, physically as well as every other way. He was a six footer, built in proportion and in his prime was some man. Although he had no particularly startling experiences at sea, he has left behind him some worth while sea captains in the shape of his sons, Captain Will McBride, now of Kentville. Captain Charlie McBride, now residing in Waterville, and Captain George McBride, sailing from southern waters.
The McBride family, of Harbourville, certainly carries the banner for furnishing deep sea captains, even the third generation being represented on the high seas, in the person of Captain Perley McBride, a son of Captain Charlie McBride, and a grandson of Captain Sam McBride.
Captain Sam also had two brothers, namely Henry and Bert, who ploughed the seas of the world for years, and left honorable records.
Then there was another veteran of the seas in the person of the late Captain Isaac Cook, who after years of a seafaring life passed peacefully to his rest, but he also has a son following in his footsteps, Captain Melbourne Cook, sailing out of southern ports.
And so the story might be continued indefinitely, and yet not half told, but it is written with the hope that some of our other coast hamlets may come out with their stories of the sea and so remind the present generation of the glories of this old Province by the Sea, and encourage them in seeing to it that these glories do not fade.