4. .6 whammy m-

In 1932, Mr. George Morrison established a drug store in the old post office, located in the home of Mrs. Hamilton Coffin. A graduate of St. Dunstan’s University, Mr. Morrison had also studied in Toronto and Boston. In 1935, much to the regret of the villagers, he removed to Tignish where he took over the drug business of the late R, A. MacDonald.

Fire Protection Service

Of all the disastrous conflagrations with which the fiend fire has visited Mount Stewart over the years, none was more destructive than that which consumed 17 stores, residences and other buildings in the early morning of December 8, 1894. Its ravages began in J. M. Egan’s store and destroyed that and another store belonging to the Messrs. Egan. Also destroyed were the stores of S. C. Clarke, J. McCarthy, James Ross, Gordon Douglas and Hamilton Coffin, along with the residences of James Ross, James Gorman, Angus MacEachern, James Coffin and Hugh Currie. Four days later, the Examiner expressed confidence that “as Kensington has risen from its ashes, so will the town of Mount Stewart.” The editor had no doubt that the energy and the enterprise of the businessmen would impel them to repair, in great part, the heavy loss that had been sustained, even though the insurance coverage had been minimal. Concern, however, was expressed for the welfare of those who had lost their homes. A local committee, organized at a meeting held in Mr. J. Pushie’s store on the evening of December 10th, began seeking and receiving aid in this regard, and its successes were augmented by the work done by committees set up in each of the surrounding districts and the results of an appeal made to the Island at large. With this help, a new village was speedily erected upon the ruins of the old.

It is believed that a tank, equipped with a pump and leather hose and located on the site of the steam mill once operated by Mr. Wallace Clark, was used, briefly, for fire-fighting purposes. Apart from that, up until the late thirties, the village relied on the volunteer services of the Bucket Brigade. By prior arrangement each member knew what he was to do when an outbreak occurred. Half-filled buckets of water were drawn from the river or the village wells and handed from one man to another. The last member of the human chain threw the water on the fire. If the blaze was some distance away, the water was dipped out of the river by bucket and rope and transported by horse and waggon or horse and sled, depending on the season.

Late in 1937 two fires in rapid succession destroyed Ira Clark’s mill and the residence of Roy Leard. The heavy losses incurred prompted a public meeting at which $1,800. was subscribed toward the purchase of a fire engine. A small motor—pumper was secured for approximately $3,000., and a great lobster carnival was held at Savage Harbour on July 1, 1938 for the purpose of raising funds to retire the debt. Energetically promo- ted by community leaders such as Harold Shaw and R. C. Clark, the fes- tival, complete with dancing and boat races, was an unqualified success.

Never very reliable, the pumper’s efforts were supplemented by those of a machine left in the village by the ARP (Air Raid Protection) group during World War II. This was a good piece of equipment; however, with the cessation of hostilities, it was withdrawn. A two-ton truck fitted with a 1,000 gallon tank was purchased in 1955 and a re-conditioned oil truck in 1964. The first of these, together with the original pumper, was sold in 1967 when the Department acquired a King-Seagrave tanker truck.

._55_