Capt Ernest Anderson

Capt Ernest Anderson


This story of the seafaring days of Capt Ernest Anderson was put together by his daughter-in-law Deloris (Nickerson) Anderson, June 30th 2003 to share with the people of the area. Please note that some of the information contained herein was taken from the book, "Our Island Reminisces", by Margaret Messenger.
Capt Charles Anderson, father of Capt Ernest Anderson was an immigrant from Sweden (1857), and is buried
in Yarmouth's historic Mountain Cemetery. Please email comments to Deloris.



The Empress on fire

      Information on Ernest Mariner Anderson, born 1888, son of Lizette (Daley) of Clark's Harbour and Capt Charles Anderson who immigrated to Clark's Harbour from Sweden as a young man. They also had a daughter Elizabeth, son Albert (bank clerk), and David and Ralph who were sea Captains.
      Ernest married Elizabeth (Dahlgren), born 1898, of Weymouth, widow of his brother Ralph and they raised a family of nine including a daughter with her marriage to Ralph. They were Lizette, Permilla, Nellie, Charlie, Mary, Ernestine, Mabel, Alan, and Albert. They lived in the house in Clark's Harbour until 1939, now owned by Donald Messenger.
      Over the years Capt Charles Anderson became owner of several vessels, one of these was the Palmento, her Captain was Ernest Anderson. On Nov 4th, 1908, the Palmento was found lying on a ledge of rocks called Sluice Point Reef. The tide flowed through the vessel in about 2 ft. 6 ins. of water, and her cargo was 150 tons of structural iron, of which 100 tons was lying on deck. Due to the weight and list of the vessel it could not be moved and as far as is known is still lying at Sluice Point. It was to be used for a bridge there.
      Capt Ernest was in command of the Empress at the time it was lost. During the trip from Bridgewater to New York, on November 1915, the Empress was lying at anchor in Barrington Passage with a load of lumber. The cook had hung a dishcloth over the stove where there was a hot fire. It is believed the dishcloth fell on the stove and with no one around to do anything about it, the result was the fire that destroyed the schooner.
      Capt Anderson was ill in his bunk from typhoid. He was taken off by a small boat, and brought ashore. The crew had gone ashore earlier and the fire gained such headway before it was discovered that it could not be put out. Men who went out found her lumber floating away from her deck, and it came ashore the next day in Centerville. Some of the older citizens remember the spectacular blaze as it burned to the water level.
      It addition to ships mentioned above, Captain Charles also owned the Flora and Emma D. The 90 ton Alcaea was caught in a gale 24 miles from Cape Sable, while on a voyage from New York to Halifax with a load of hard coal. In the wind she became dismasted and the crew had to abandon her. This was in 1918 and she was captained by Ernest Anderson. His brother Ralph, also on Alcaea, died shortly after with pneumonia, resulting from exposure and the flu epidemic of the time. A local fisherman, Freddie Smith, found the coal in his traps while fishing the area where the Alcaea went down and he gave it to Albert Anderson.


Clemencia awash and Luxury Liner De Grasse


      Captain Ernest had his most eventful voyage and difficult experience in 1932 while he was in command of the Clemencia, owned by Maurice Nickerson of Clark's Harbour. The Clemencia sailed from Weymouth, Monday 28th November 1932, bound for Clark's Harbour, a distance of eighty miles. Under normal conditions it required ten hours of sailing. A terrific storm came up, and a warning from the barometer set the crew to work, lashing everything down and close reefing the sails. The storm was worse than expected, they hove to for the night, and at dawn the next morning, the peak halyards parted and all sails fell to the deck. With no canvas the ship was unmanageable, and it was an impossible task for the crew to keep her headed into the waves. The lashings that held the wood on deck gave way under the mountainous seas pouring over it. This made it extremely dangerous for the crew to come above deck. A wave knocked Captain Ernest down and a piece of firewood struck him on the head causing him to become almost unconscious. While down another wave almost washed him overboard. As he was being carried away he managed to get hold of a line just in time to save himself. Douglas Kenney the cook had not been so fortunate, being washed overboard and not seen again. The anxious crew was not able to do anything to save him.


Clemencia Survivors

      Sixteen year old Burton Nickerson took over duties of cook. By Wednesday the storm was still battling the ship. Burton, on his way to the Captain with a plate of food, was suddenly knocked off his feet with the sudden plunge of the schooner and hurled into the spar. He suffered a cut face and the loss of three teeth. In spite of constant pumping, the vessel kept sinking lower into the water. During the night any dry wood that could be found below deck was brought up and burned on top of the cabin. In hope some ship would see their signal of distress. There was little hope of them being seen that day with overcast skies and poor visibility.


Capt Anderson, Capt of De Grasse, Kenneth Lowe, Barak McGray


      At 1:30 Friday morning, the liner De Grasse sighted them just after the last flare had been lit. Burton was in charge of the flare at that time, he had been told to use his discretion about lighting it. Thinking he saw the light of the vessel he lit the flare, but after it went off there was no vessel to be seen. However he was lucky the De Grasse appeared from another direction. For about two hours the liner cruised the area, hindered by heavy seas from getting close to the Clemencia. About seven AM the lifeboats of the De Grasse were able to get near enough to rescue the crew. The seas were smoothed by oil poured by the De Grasse. At the time of the rescue Captain Ernest Anderson, Mate Kenneth Lowe, Burton Nickerson, and Barak McGray were desperately clinging to the after end of the schooner.


The De Grasse in 1932

      While the crew were on their way safely to New York, the Clemencia was taken in tow first by the cutter Conyngham, then by the Mojave but because of it's waterlogged condition it could not be towed to shore. Mines were placed aboard the doomed vessel, and she was destroyed to prevent her from being a menace to navigation.
      Capt Ernest continued to earn his living from the sea, in 1934, the headline in the paper, "good catch of fish" was followed by this item "Captain Ernest Anderson and crew had 28 halibut one night this week. The crew shared $27.00 each".
      During the years of World War II, Ernest was Captain of a duty boat that carried soldiers and supplies from Halifax to fortify McNabb's Island. When he enlisted he was over the acceptable age, but he was highly recommended and special permission was granted. He received three medals for his years of service including the silver cross.
      During the war the family moved to Little River, Digby Co. The younger children were glad to see their father home on visit, and he always brought his suitcase full of candy and goodies, that he had saved for them. Ernest had the lung condition, emphysema from exposure to being on the water all those years.
      After the war the family moved to Round Bay until 1953, and then moved back to Cape Island. He spent his last years in Newellton, where he lived near the head of the road leading to the Orion wharf. He passed away in 1968 and his wife passed away in 1987. The house they lived in was torn down in 1989.


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