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REV. FATHEMORRIS’S OPINION OF IT.According to promise in yesterday's paper, one of our staff interviewed the Rev. M. P. Morris on the subject of the pressed harbor at Long Pond. The Rev. gentleman received our representative cordially and invited him to be seated, after which the following conversation ensued : —UF.roRTr.R- Within the last few weeks several communications have been sent to the Coi.cIsist and other papers anent the adviiabilifcy and feas ability of deepening the gut or constructing a harbor at Long Pond, on the South Shore of Conception Bay. As you must be familiar with 4he place and the proposed work, perhaps you would be good enough to give us your views on the question?Fn. Morris—I think the conatnfction of such a harbor would be of incalculable value and ad Tantage to the^people along the South Shore of Conception Bay ; indeed it would be also of practical value to the people of the North Shore, and for many reason^-First—It would enable them to keep fishing craft. Many years ago crafts of a large tonnage were built in and about Long Pond and sailed in and outj but owing to neglect of building breakwaters, or other causes, the gut became very shoal and* afforded a passage only after the spring floods.RKroiiTr.R—From an engineering point of view do you think there would be much difficulty in the construction of the harbor ?F’r. Morris—Quite the contrary. Some thirty years ago Cammander Olabar and other competent engineers made exhaustive surveys for a new harbor, came to the conclusion that such a work would present no physical difficulties even with the appliances then in use for doing such work ; and, further, that it would not cost a large sum of money. The engineers slao decided that it would be best to abahdon the old gut and have a new passage cut through the beach at its narrowest point and where there would be no danger of shifting shingle.Retorter—Was anything done beyo'nd having surveys made ?Fa. Morris—Yes; in tba Journals of the House of Assembly for 18G0, you can see Mr. Byrne’s report to the Surveyor General, giving estimates of the probable expense. The next year, I think, work was commenced. Two rows of piles were driven through the beach, allowing for a gut or entrance to the hatber cigjrty feet wide. Some wharves were built in the pond considerable quantity of the beach was removed, and then the work fell through.Retorter —Why was the work abandoned?Fr. Morris—Well, I am half inclined to think that there was a good deal of political job bery about the matter, and aft^r the troublesome election of, I think, '61, the work languished or; as old friends of mine at Long Fond expressed it. “ the money gev out and they couldn’t get narra fellar to work.Retorter—It is hardly likely that people would refuse to work if paid ?Fr, Morris —Just so. But here is ho Skipper Noseworthy explained it:—“It warn’t in human natur to work for two ahellena a day and take it up In yallar male. Of course I wont vouch for the complete accuracy of this statement. However, I have made a good deal of enquiiies about the matter the last couple of years, and have had the opinions of experienced people, and I am convinced, at least on two points : First-That no unexpected physical difficulties presented themselves; secondly, the coat of the work, if completed, would not have exceeded the first estimate.Reporter—Have you seen the aurveys you speak of ?Fr. Morris—Yes ; they can be seen and ex amined any day in the office of the Surveyor General, with plans and drawings of the proposed harbor ; also, the soundings giving depth of water, c. Through the kindness of the gentleqcen in the Surveyed General’s office, I am in possession of copies of these surveys, and will ba lery glad to let you see th_em, or any other person interested in the work. 1Reporter-XHow wide is the strip of ‘beach where the proposed cut would be made throughFr. Morris—Well, I coqld not exactly say, and it would depend on whether the measure merit was made at high water or low water mark; but I think one hundred feet would be the maxi mum measurement. With the dredgiif^ appliances, such as was used in building the Simpson dock many days would not elapse before a steamer would effect an entrance into the lake.Reporter—Are there any shoals, or rocks, or sand-banks near the proposed harbor?Fr. Morris—No ! the water in the bay deep-ens very quickly, and there is no sign o£ any shifting beach after you go out a few feet. Indeed, one of the reasons I give to Bhow there is no shifting shingle is that of the large quantity of beach removed nearly thirty years ago. Np of it, or next to none of it, haa been thrown back during the storms of all these years. The gap cut in the beach is there today, and you can easily trace the piles, though through vandalism or a demand for firewood, they have been cut down to low water mark.Reporter—You said that the opening of this batbor would be of great practical advantage. Would you explain what you niean in detail ?Fr. Morris—Well, first, Long Pond is a magnificent shee^ of water where, if once the gut was opened and the harbor constructed, the banking fleet of Newfoundland could find there anchorage Mid sheltefT'Se^ond—For nearly forty miles of an inhibited stretch of coast line, extending from Cape St. Francis right up^the South Shore, there is not a single harbor of refuge for fishing craft. Whenever crafts are caught in a northeast gate, coming home from Labrador or other fishing stations, they have only one chance, if they can anchor under the lee side of Little Belle Isle they may escape, and even there they have no protection when the\*ind veers. Owing to want of a harbor it is only during the summer months that fishing craft anchor along the Sonth Shoret Should a gale of wind spring up suddenly they are stranded on some part of the shore, from Topsail to Holyiood. A safe harbor at Long Po»d and all trouble and danger would be obviated. Third—All along the South Shore there is a fruitful baiting ground. A writer in the Colorist last week said z “ If thii harbor was opened it Would become a basin for bait.'’ I do not think that is an exaggeration. Last summer; during the caplin schdpl, great quantities of caplin were hauled in Long Pond, and that at a time when you could not, from the rough sea beating on the outside beach, ahool a seine anywhere on the shore. If the harbor were opened herring and squid and other bait fishes might be alwaysReporter—Have you any expectation that the government will undertake this work the coming summer?Fr. Morris—No. In the petitions presented we only ask for a survey that will determine what the cost will be to construct the harbor, as with the modern dredging appliances the work may be done much cheaper than according to Mr. Byrne’s estimate ; but we hope next year to see the work commenced in earnest.Reporter—May I ask you how you are pro. greasing with the farm on Little Belle Isle ?Fr. Morris—I think that is loo important a question to tackle at the end of an interview, some other lime I may be able to give you a description of our work there, or better come out is, say a month’s time, when things will be looking brighter and I will take*y°u over to the Island end show you what we are doing there..Here closed the interview with the Rev. Guardian of Villa Nova, and the reporter thanked him for the information accorded.found there.Reporter—Would thia proposed harbor be available to many people living on the South Shore ?Fr. Morris—Yes, undoubtedly. If you look at the map you will find that Long Pond is right in the centre of many settlements. The people of Portugalcove, Broadcove, Horsecove, Topsail, Chamberlain and Manuels on one side, and the people of Fox Trap, Kelligrews, Lancecove and right up to Indian Pond on the other, could use the proposed harbor at Long Pond as a place of refuge, and a very convenient harbor to keep their fishing craft iu during the late fall and winter months. This harbor would be of especial advantage to the large and growing settlements on Belle Isle.Reporter—If you can show that, you will have the advocacy of all the St. John’s members, as they are interested in anything to the advantage of these settlements.Fr. Morris—Well, I think they are already alive to the advantages that would accrue. A writer in the “ Telegram,” signed a “ Belle Isle Man,” put the case as strongly as I could do it; he explained that at present any person on Belle Isle owning or sailing a fishing craft had to anchor her jn Harbor Grace or some such place in the fall and winter months. The new harbor kt Long Pond would be at his door. The need of a steam launch to ply, as ferry boat, between Belle Isle and the South Shore is urgent and instant; if government granted one tomorrow there is no harbor where she could anchor. The harbor at Long Pond and the steam launch could connect Bell Isle and Portugalcove and Lancecove with other points and bring the farmers of Belle Isle into easy reach of St. John’s markets. The railway train runs close by the proposed harbor and all seasons of the year when boats cannot land at Portugalcove wharf, or horses travel by snow-blocked roads, the farmer could send his produce to market in the steam launch to Long Pond and thence in the daily train to St. John's. At present there is so much traffic between Belle Isle and the main land that a nominal freight and passage money charged would pay the expenses of a Bteam launch. But there can he no steam launch until there is a harbor at Long Pond.Retorter—Did I understand you to say that the construction of a harbor at Long Pond would be of benefit to the settlements on the North Shore?Fr«.Morr!s—Yes, there are many towns on the north shore of Conception Bay unconnected by railway with the capital, and likely to remain so. Such as Brigus, Ray Roberts, Port de Grave, Cupid’s, Beacon’s Cove and vnany others, and yet they are only separated by a few miles of water from the railway station at Long Pond. A steamer on the bay connecting with the railway at Long Pond, with arrangements for a through ticket for freight and passengers, and you would be bringing all these towns within easy distance of St, John’* and affording them railway facilities. It now takes two days to go by railway from St. John’# to Harbor Qrace and return ; a harbor at Long Pond and a steamer on the bay and the journey could be easily performed in one day giving time for business. Indeed in the summer months, with the usual railway facilities and work for the bay steamer, a business man could make the journey from Harbor Grace to St. John’s and return twice over the one day.Retorter—Have you any idea of what would be Jhe cost of opening this harbor at Long Pond?Fr. Morris—That is a question I am not in a position to answer. I think the estimate made by Mr. Byrne, in I860, was that the harbor could be constructed for two thousand pounds. Surely a small sum /or the undoubted advantages and the number of people likely to be bene-fitted by it.
Newspaper Details
Saint Johns Colonist
Saint Johns, Newfoundland, CA
Tue, May 01, 1888
Page 4
Full Page
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Anonymous
CA 15 Nov 2023
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