SS Caribou
The SS Caribou was a passenger ferry used by the Newfoundland government's ferry service between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and North Sydney, Nova Scotia.
The Caribou was built in 1925 at Rotterdam, Holland, for the Newfoundland Railway. Launched in 1925, she had a capacity of 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) and was able to reach a speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h) when fully-loaded. She also had steam-heat and electric lights in all of her cabins, which were considered to be a luxury at the time. Also, due to her ice-breaking design, the Caribou also assisted during the seal hunt along the Newfoundland coast each spring.
The Caribou was torpedoed and sunk approximately 20 nmi (37 km) southwest of Port aux Basques and 28 nmi (52 km) northeast of St. Paul Island by the German submarine U-69 during the night of 14-15 October 1942. The Caribou was carrying 46 sailors and 206 civilian and military passengers. 137 of these people perished. Of the deceased, two were rescued at first, but they later died from exposure to the cold water. The bodies of 34 of the victims of the attack were found. Sadly, only one of the eleven children on board the Caribou's last voyage survived.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Paul Island (Nova Scotia)
St. Paul Island is a small uninhabited island located approximately 24 km (15 miles) northeast of Cape North on Cape Breton Island and 71 km (44 miles) southwest of Cape Ray on Newfoundland; it is along the boundary between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Cabot Strait.
An extension of the Appalachian Mountains and the Cape Breton Highlands, the highest point on St. Paul Island is 147 m (485 feet) atop “Croggan Mountain.”
St. Paul Island is formed of granite and is extremely rugged with its shores being completely encircled by rockface cliffs. It is split by a narrow channel that fills with sea water. There are no land animals on the island, although it is inhabited by numerous seabirds. Its ecosystem is considered fragile and due to the danger posed by visiting the island, visits must be cleared beforehand with the Canadian Coast Guard which administers the island on behalf of its owner, the Government of Canada.
The island is nicknamed the “Graveyard of the Gulf” (of St. Lawrence) as it is fog-bound throughout much of the navigation season and posed a significant hazard during the age of sail. Although it may have seen use by the Mi’kmaq Nation, it is believed to have been discovered by John Cabot.
With the light station now automated using solar power, the island sees few visitors, aside from Canadian Coast Guard helicopters on maintenance trips. The island used to host a Marconi wireless station and it still sees occasional amateur radio operators who use the callsign prefix CY9.[1][2] Other visitors include birdwatchers and SCUBA divers.