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"The Underwriters, Forwarders, Shipmasters, and others interested in the navigation of Lake Ontario are about to petition the Government for the construction of a Harbour at Weller's Bay, in the County of Prince Edward. An opening one hundred rods wide, with a channel one hundred and fifty feet wide and fourteen feet deep, has within a few years past, been made through the beach from the Lake to Weller's Bay, which is said to be capable of sheltering all the vessels which navigate Ontario. The entrance to the harbour of Presqu' Isle is difficult and frequently attended with casualties, and it is justly considered necessary to construct a harbour at the place mentioned, which the mariner can safely enter in a storm. Several vessels, as our readers know, were driven ashore within a few miles of Weller's Bay, or, rather the opening leading into it, which might have been saved, had the entrance been known to the masters. There can be no doubt that the Government will entertain the prayer of the petitioners, and immediately take proper steps to erect a Harbour of Refuge to our fresh water seamen, that will serve to encourage them in their arduous and dangerous calling. In fact, "it is the duty of Government to render every aid in facilitating and advancing the interests of marine investments, which contribute so largely to the revenue of the Province and the convenience of the people; and we feel confident the object will be acceded to without any circumlocution or useless delays."-Kingston News, Jan. 7, 1857. If the entrance to Weller's Bay was not rendered more dangerous than the entrance to Presqu' Isle Harbour, by the existence of the two shoals to which I have above alluded, the prayer of the petitioners would, in all probability, have the favourable consideration of the Government; but the existence of these two formidable shoals at the very entrance of the bay, exposed as they also are to the full sweep of the Lake, during a south or south-west wind, (the very winds which would render it necessary for vessels to run into Weller's Bay for shelter,) would, I conceive, be an insuperable objection to the expenditure of so large a sum of public money as it would require to make this bay an efficient harbour of refuge during a dark and stormy night. Far better would it be to petition the Government to expend one fourth of the sum in improving the entrance into Presq' Isle, and which is already well lighted. The shoals, bad as they are, are so land-locked and protected from the heavy surge of the sea, as hardly to endanger any vessel which might be so unfortunate as to get aground on them. The shoals opposite the entrance to Weller's Bay are rocky, and have only from 3 to 5 feet water on them: they are also so exposed, that any vessel running ashore on them during a gale, must soon go to pieces.
Previous Next Return to Home Port electronic edition is based on the original in the collection of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston. |