Item
Death on the Bar
Standard
Dec 13, 1871
We regret to learn that M. J. C. Andrews, Esq., lost a fine young horse on Tuesday last, making the fourth within a year. Some members of his family returning from town to the Island were too early to cross over the bar, which was covered by the tide. The horse, with carriage was fastened to a fence post, and the occupants went into a house to wait until low water. The horse in the meantime broke the fastening and attempted to cross the bar, but the tide was so powerful that he was carried out in the Bay, and being unable to swim with the carriage was drowned.
Beacon
may 17/1894
A young and valuable horse belonging to E. LO. Andrews, Minister’s Island, broke away from miss Bessie Andrews on Thursday last, alongside the island bar, and after upsetting the wagon, plunged into the water to swim to his home. He lost his reckoning, and getting into deep water was drowned. William McQuoid, who is employed at Mr. Van Horne’s place, Minister’s island, lost a horse the same day from lock-jaw.
Beacon
Nov 30/1905
Drowned at Minister’s Island Bar.
While almost everybody else was enjoying the balmy sunshine of Sunday morning last, two young men were battling for life in the remorseless tide which at times sweeping over the Minister’s island. One perished; the other was rescued almost providentially.
The two were George Henderson, Jr. and George Buhot.
Young Henderson, who was employed in team work on Sir William Van Horne’s farm, had driven over from home that morning to look after his horses on the island. Having attended to that duty he was returning home, accompanied by George Buhot, when the disaster happened.
The bar was only partly covered with water, but at two points the rising tide was sweeping over it with more than usual strength. After crossing the first gulley safely, the horse began to work down in the deep water on the upper side of the bar so that when he reached the second and larger gulley he was in no position to stand up against the tide. Fearing the worst, the occupants of the wagon jumped out. They were unable to strike bottom with their feet before the tide had swept them into deep water.
Mr. Southard, Sir William’s hostler, who had noticed the peculiar behaviour of the horse as it started to cross the bar, and who had been watching its progress, saw the accident and summoning Supt. Oastler the two launched a boat and rowed with all haste to the scene. Not more than eight minutes, they say, could have elapsed from the time the men leaped from the wagon until the rescuers were on the spot, but in that time Henderson had sunk from sight. Buhot was found about 100 feet from the bar, floating on the surface with only his forehead out of the water. He was unconscious. The heavy coat he wore had imprisoned the air at the back and it was the presence of this air that was supporting him. He could scarcely have remained afloat for another minute. After landing Buhot on the bar and pumping some of the water out of him, the left him and went out again in search of his companion, but they could not find him. Meanwhile, the horse had emerged from the tide, and reached in the dry portion of the bar started to walk back towards the island. Meeting the tide again the poor brute was carried into deep water once more and after floundering around for a moment was dragged down by the carriage.
While the boatmen were seeking for Henderson, Buhot recovered consciousness and dragged himself up the Bar Road to Mr. Chapman’s and asked them to send for a doctor. Mr. Chapman came into town with the sad tiding and Dr. Gove went out and ministered to Buhot’s wants. He found him chilled, but otherwise uninjured.
When the news of the accident reached town, a search for the body began. Several boats were employed in the search during the afternoon, the efforts of the searchers being watched by a large number of people gathered on the bar. About four o’clock, James Craig and Daniel Craig, of Chamcook observed the body in about four feet of water and lifted it into their boat.
Supt. Oastler, in talking with the Beacon, said that they had often crossed the bar when there was a foot more water on it than there was on it that day. Mr. Southard did not regard the crossing as particularly dangerous at the time. They were inclined to attribute the accident to the horse, which seemed to lose its head the moment it touched the water. Buhot, when questioned, said that they did not think there was any danger at the time; otherwise he would not have started out.
Henderson was 20 years of age and was a quite, industrious young flow. He was insured for $500 in the Canadian Order of Foresters. The horse and wagon were found near the Stickney weir on Tuesday.
Beacon
Oct 10/1907
Snatched from the Jaws of Death
Miss Beatrice Andrews Almost Loses Life on Island Bar
A close call from death was that experienced by Miss Beatrice daughter of Mr. Edward L. Andrews, minister’s Island, on Thursday forenoon last. there being a crew of men on the farm engaged in threshing,, Miss Andrews harnessed one of her father’s colts and started for the mainland to get some needed supplies for the harvesters. The tide was ebbing but the bar had not bared, there being a foot or more of were at the highest point. The young lady was plucky and thought she could cross over, as she had crossed many a time before. But getting a little too far down on the lower side her horses stepped into a hole from which sand had been removed and he fell. He plunged around among the rocks and seemed unable to extricate himself. Fearing that he might drag the carriage out into deep water, she leaped out into the tide, and proceeded to unloose him from the vehicle, intending to get on his back and rive shoreward until a later stage in the tide. She had barely freed the traces when the horse leaped away and left her struggling in the tide, which was sweeping seaward with great strength. In her helpless state she screamed for help. Her younger sister Dolly, who was on the lookout from an upper window in their home, heard her screams and hastened after her father. The two made all hast to the beach but could see only the point of the whip sticking out of the water when they got to the shore. Both horse and rive had disappeared. Glancing seaward, a hundred yards distant, they descried the floating girl, who was still able to raise her voice feebly. They got a boat launched as quickly as possible and started rowing for her when about thirty yards from her one of the thole pins broke and Mr. Andrews fell backward in the boat, losing one of the oars as he fell. When he got up the girl was out of sight. The boat had kept on a straight course, however, and when over the spot where she had gone down, Miss Andrews saw her sister’s body under the water. She plunged her arm down and succeeded in grasping her. With the help of her father the unconscious form was dragged into the boat. There were evidences of life in the body and after she had been taken home restoratives were applied and medical help summoned from town. Within thirty minutes, Dr. Gove was at her side. He succeeded in restoring the heart’s action, and she gradually regained consciousness. She had been quite ill since, but is now better and little the worse for her terrible experience.
That she was not drowned was largely due to the alertness of her sister who feared that she was running too great a risk in crossing the bar and who was keeping a sharp lookout. The horse waded ashore and walked home, by a different route fro that taken by her owner.
Young Lady in Peril
It was a rather a remarkable coincidence that upon the same day on which Miss Andrews, of Minister’s Island, had such a narrow escape from drowning, Miss Van Horne, daughter of Sir William Van Horne, the only other land owner on the island should also have had somewhat alarming experience, in the water. With some friends she was returning from a short cruise in her yacht Covenhoven, and was about to be rowed ashore from he yachts mooring off the island when her foot slipped and she fell overboard. A Scotch lad who was employed on the yacht was carried over at the same time. To make matter worse the dingy was half filled with water by the two people tipping it up. The youth succeeded in getting into the boat, but with the burden of water in it it was deemed unsafe for you young lady to attempt to get in. Though the situation aw alarming she bore it good humouredly and assured her friends that there was no cause for anxiety. With one of the yacht’s crew, Herbert Snell, supporting her, and another one rowing he boat, she succeeded in getting shore. The young lady suffered no ill effects from her dunking.
Beacon
Oct 24/1907
Two lives in peril on Minister’s Island Bar.
They are saved in the nick of time, but their Horse perishes. A foolhardy attempt which two young men made to cross Minister’s Island bar on Sunday morning last, almost led to the loss of two human lives. As it was, it caused the drowning of a valuable horse.
On Saturday night, it was arranged between Frank Miller, James Henderson and Eugene Worrell that the latter, who is employed at the Hartt Coakley stable, should drive over to the western side of the bar and take them from there to Bartlett’s. Worrell started out for the bar a little before eight o’clock on Sunday morning. Finding that neither of the young men were at the appointed rendezvous he crossed over to the island to get them. It was flood tide at the time and the water was rising rapidly on the bar. Miller was found after a few minutes’ wait, but Henderson was at another part of the island, and was about seeing out in a boat to cross over.
As the carriage with Worrell and Miller drove down to the bar, Henderson shouted to them to go back, that it was dangerous to cross. they pushed on, however, and Henderson, who knew something of the perilous condition of the bar at that time of tide—having lost a brother at the place two years ago—rowed with all his might toward them.
In the meantime the horse had lost his footing, and Miller was thrown out of the carriage. He went down once or twice, and then succeeded in grasping the horse. Worrell fell out a moment afterwards and after a desperate attempt to stem the current, got hold of the wagon and clung to it.
The two youths were well nigh exhausted when Henderson reached them with the boat. Exercising the greatest caution to prevent them from upsetting the craft and imperilling his life, he managed to get both of the young men in the boat. By this time the horse had ceased struggling, having been drowned by the waves which broke over him, and being unable to swim owing to the weight of the wagon on him.
The half-drowned men were rowed quickly to the island and a telephone message was sent into town for Dr. Wade. He drove out to the bar, was boated across and rendered whatever assistance was necessary. The young men speedily recovered from the effects of their experience. Miller was in the worst shape, having been kicked in the breast and head by the horse while endeavouring to get him loose from the wagon.
The dead body of the horse was afterwards towed ashore and relieved of harness and wagon.
Recent experiences in cross this bar when the tide is upon it should dissuade others from needlessly exposing their lives. It is risky enough when the tide is ebbing but when the tide is on the flood it is but courting death to attempt to cross.
Beacon
Nov 14/1907
Gallant Attempt at Rescue
Minister’s Island to the Fore Once Again
Minister’s Island has been fruitful in aquatic sensations this season.
On Saturday there was another, but, fortunately, not of a very alarming nature. Capt John O’Halloran and Mr. J. T. Ross had gone off to bring the Van Horne launch from her moorings into winter quarters. Mr. Ross had occasion to walk forward on the boat and seized the hand rail to steady himself. His weight proved too much for the rail and it came off, causing him to fall overboard.
O’Halloran hearing the splash, and not knowing whether Ross could swim or not, leaped overboard and swam around to the assistance of his comrade. When he reached Ross he found that he could handle himself as well in the water as a water spaniel. Then the men tried to clamber on board the launch, again, but the sides afforded no hand-hold, and though they tried most persistently they had to give it up. Fortunately, Mr. R. D. Rigby was nearby with a boat and he at once went to their assistance, pulling them ashore without any further injury than a wet jacket a piece. Capt O’Halloran is to be commended for his pluck and promptitude on behalf of his companion.
Beacon
Aug 4/1910
Drowned Off Minister’s Island—Arthur Irwin Falls Overboard from Sir William Van Horne’s Yacht. The Body Recovered. Details.
About noon on Tuesday, while Sir William Van Horne’s yacht Covenhoven, with Mrs. R. B. Van Horne and her young son, on boards, was approaching her mooring at the island, Arthur Irwin, one of the crew, who was standing forward ready to pick up the mooring rope, fell overboard. He made no noise, and it was only when Mrs. Van Horne saw him floating astern that the accident became known. Capt. O’Halloran, who was in the engine room at the time the accident occurred, pushed off in the small boat as quickly as possible but before he could reach the drowning lad he went down, crying out “Save me” as he disappeared beneath the water.
The young man’s brother, Daniel, who is employed on Mr. R. B. Van Horne’s yacht Uvira, saw his brother floating on the water and tried to reach him with the yachts’ boat, but he also failed.
Grappling parties sought for the body all Tuesday afternoon. About 5 o’clock it was found by Theodore Holmes and Wheeler Mallock not far from the mooring. The body was brought into town and taken to Rigby’s undertaking establishment. There were no marks of injury upon it.
Irwin was the youngest son on Mr. and Mrs. Edward Irwin, Bayside, and was a bright young fellow about 23 years old. He was a prime favorite with Sir William’s family and his tragic death has cast a gloom over the community. Great sympathy is expressed for his family.
Beacon
Sept 1/1910
Close Call at Bar. Andrew Reed Almost Drowned while Crossing. (Reed coachman for Van Horne. Details)
The Bar leading to Minister’s Island, came very near being the scene of another tragedy on Thursday last. Andrew Reed, second coachman for Sir William Van Horne, was delayed in getting his mail and did not reach the Bar at noon until the tide had begun to sweep over it. He tried to drive across but got into deep water, the horse losing his footing. The animal broke the whiffle tree and broke clear from the wagon, dragging Reed with him. The horse was able to swim ashore, but the man was not so fortunate. He succeeded, however, in grasping a tide pole that was standing in the water and to this he desperately clung with the tide gradually sweeping over him until Messrs. Edward Odell and Frank Pye, who had seen his predicament, succeeded in dragging a boat, down the beach and rowing off to him. The water was up to his shoulders when the rescue was effected.
Beacon
Aug 22/1912
Duke of Connaught--son of Victoria, uncle of current King George V, Gov. Gen. of Canada, brother of late King Edward VII. [to visit SA—programme of events described]
Horse Drowned
A valuable horse belonging to Acheson Hartford, which was tied alongside one of the barns at Minister’s Island, on Tuesday night of last week, broke his halter and started for home unguided. The tide covered the bar, but this did not deter him from plunging in and starting to swim across. He had not gone very far when the heavy carriage dragged the animal down and he was drowned.
Beacon
August 4/1917
Shocking drowning accident at Bar Road. Details.
A fatal drowning accident occurred on the Minister’s Island Bar on Thursday evening. The news of the disaster to Hugh McQuoid and Miss Annie Murphy did not reach the town till early on Friday morning, when it was received with horror and dismay. Hugh McQuoid, who has been employed as gardener on the Van Horne estate for several years, had driven over to the island on Thursday evening, and was returning accompanied by Annie Murphy, a housemaid at Covenhoven, between the hours of 8 and 9 pm, when the disastrous accident occurred. the night was foggy in the extreme, and the tide was so far advanced on the Bar that before they started they were seriously warned of their danger by the people on the island; they, however refused to listen, with fatal results. Jut how they met their fate, whether they wandered out of their course in the fog,, or were drowned by the onrushing tide, will probably never be discovered. No cried were heart either on the mainland or on the island; but on Friday morning when William Mitchell, cousin of McQuoid, was tending his weir he noticed something unusually standing out of the water and on going out to examine it discovered it to be the shafts of McQuoid wagon with the horse still fastened between them, but so tangled in the harness as to be completely reversed and facing the wagon. The horse was easily recognized, as it was a particularly fine one and well known on the streets of St. Andrews. A further search discovered McQuoid’s body in Maxwell ‘s Cove with part of the harness from the horse’s head clenched firmly in his hand. It is surmised that he got out of the wagon to lead the horse and walked into the deeper water and was drowned, while his companion was swept out of the wagon by the current and washed out to sea on the ebb tide. Throughout Friday continuous efforts to find Miss Murphy’s body were made; every boat and man available were pressed into service. The day was particularly unfavorable; the fog was never entirely absent; and at time was very dense; while rain fell fitfully, and the water had no transparency. All efforts ended in failure.
Miss Murphy was a stranger in the town, and her place of residence is unknown,. Hugh H. McQuoid was s St. Andrews man, 35 years of age, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McQuoid, and resided with his parent and sisters at their home on King Street.
St. Croix Courier
Aug 9/1917
The funeral of the late Hugh McQuoid, Jr., who was accidentally drowned in crossing Minister’s Island Bar on Thursday evening of last week, took place on Sunday. Rev. Mr. Hicks conducting the services at the Methodist church and the grave. In company with Hugh McQuoid was a maid at “Covenhoven” who was also drowned, her name was Miss Annie Murphy, and up to this time, Monday, her body has not been found. it is needless to say that the whole community was sadly shocked when the facts became known on Friday morning, and the sincere sympathy of all goes out to the bereaved ones.
St. Croix Courier
July 8/1954
2 Men Drown at Bar Road near SA
A gravel bar used as a roadway during ebb tide in SA, and possibly not known too well by visitors, was the scene of a double drowning early Tuesday morning. The road, sometimes covered total by tide water, is known as the Bar Road, leading to Minister’s island.
The victims are Daryl W. Morton, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Morton, Sussex, and Albert Francis Boutilier, 30, of Glace Bay, a gunner with the 4th Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Regiment stationed at Camp Utopia. Morton, a lineman for the NB Telephone Company out of Bathurst, was on the second day of his vacation when the mishap occurred. He had visited a few days with his brother Arnold in St. George.
It is thought that after the car in which the men were driving became caught in the tide, they attempted to swim or wade ashore. Hiram Libby, Chamcook, noticed the car first and went by boat to find the vehicle abandoned. This was about 2:15 am. The bodies were recovered mid-morning about eight hours after their car became stalled and submerged. They were found some 300 feet from the car in a shoreward direction after the tide had receded on the flats.
Coroner Dr. E. A. Stewart, SG, ruled that no inquest would be necessary, St. Andrews detachment RCMP investigated.
Besides his brother Arnold, SG, who is employed on Deer Island, Mr. Morton is survived by his parents, brother Roy and Robert, Sussex, a sister Joan; his wife and young daughter Deborah.
The bodies were brought from St. Andrews to Macdonald’s funeral home Marks St. SS, and later sent to their respective homes.