\ THE WRECK OF THE FAIRY QUEEN.

BY Junie D. Lawson.

From the Prince Edward Island Magazine, February and March, 1903.

The morning of Friday, October 8, 1853, was dark and lowering. The wind

was high. Dense black clouds filled the westem sky. The weather was ominous of disaster. The storm was apparently

about to break in fury as passengers hurried down the wharf to embark on the Fairy Queen, a side-wheeling boat plying between Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and Pictou, Nova Scotia, for their several des- tinations. The steamer was then at the fore- mentioned port. Amongst the passengers awaitingwere Doctor McKenzie, of the army a very popular gentleman—proceeding to Bermuda to the relief of those stricken with yellow fever there, and the Misses De \Volfe, nieces to the late Judge Young, Surrogate, en route to England, the former being the fiance of one of the latter mentioned young ladies. The steamer which awaited favour- able wind and tide sailed at ten o’clock, the passengers consisting of some thirteen souls . and the crew of a like number.

The next evening the whole town became inordinately excited shortly after the receipt of a telegraphic despatch which stated that the steamer was a total wreck within three .miles of Pictou Island and all the passen- gers were lost. The many premature deaths, especially of the ladies and the gentlemen specified, cast a gloom over the whole place. It was sad intelligence indeed to hear of the loss of these fair and amiable young folk, possessing as they did youth, beauty, hope, wealth, position, humanity and high educa- tion—everything that makes life desirable.

Everything went along well until they were near Gull Rock in the vicinity of Pic- tou Island. It was about half-past five in the afternoon. Here the tiller rope broke. This together with the spring of a leak in some undiscovered place occasioned the dis- aster. Seeing that it was impossible to make any progress the anchor was let go to bring the steamer’s head to the wind but this ex- pedient proved abortive. Bailing was then resorted to until some were almost ex- hausted, but to no good purpose.

At eleven o’clock at night two boats left the wreck with only eight persons in them, when it was fervently believed that all on board might have been easily saved. An in- human wretch cast the large boat adrift leav- ing almost all the passengers to their sad fate. An hour or thereabouts- afterwards, the steamer broke in two when all in one part went to their watery graves. On the other part, containing the upper deck and round-house, nine clinging thereto were saved.

The (lespatches received read as follows: First despatch received at 6:30 p. m., was sent to Mr. R. Faught. It was anything but correct, nevertheless here it is :—

“Steamer Fairy Queen was lost last night between Pictou Island and mainland. Two passengers and eight of the crew, in- cluding master, agent, and all the officers saved. Eleven passengers, including Mr. \Vilkins, H. G. Pineo, Edward Lydiard and two Miss De VVolfes lost, also Mr. McKen- zie of the Army. Remainder lost were Alex-