WB1T FEEp¶Ess, WEDNESDAY, FEBItUARY G, 1991, PAGE 21 Remembering the S. SePET ByFraukW. Lockhar Area papers givo full covre of the aga of tho S.S. Pirce Edward Iland now resting lu the >mud of Whitby Harbour. B ut bew strauige that lu ail this ne one seems te have askod about the history cf this sad, old dorelict. This article ia an "attempt te righta wrong for afineeoldship tbatplayedaà key rle for somany of us 'who cail Prince Edward Island homo. .Until well inte, thia century, transportation from Prince Edward Isand te, the mainland was incroasingly iritelerabie. Apart from casual commerce saogh'ilin é hipaand amal eteaobi;r, oieon9y regular- crossing was from Sbediac, NB. te Summerside, wberiée the. narrow gauge railroad provided tranaport througb the conter of the Isand A long and infrequent trip from spring te, fail, thia Shediac- Summorside route was impossible lu winter. The small icebreakors used couid not cope witb the. heavy ice, especiaily that carried down in late spririg from farther north lu the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The oniy contact iu tho winter montha was, therefore, by smal boata whlcb were either rewed or hauied by teama of mon through or over the ice. They carried mail and a few daring passengors on a treacheous passage across the constantly movmng ice at the narroeot point in Nortbumbor- land Strait. Sorntimes, caught lu a -storm, pMssogare and crew survived by huddlinon the ice under an overturned boat with heat fronu burning malbage. The auccesaful olution adopted. by the fedoral govrrimont involvod the creation of two new -barbours wbero ýthecrossing was tho norrowest '-- now Borden,, P.E.L and Cape Tormnentine, N.B., the atandardization of the P.EL Ralway, and the construction of brarich railroad linos on botb, aides eof the atraita te conrioct the P.E.I. Railrod via tbe!,proposed ferry service te the restof the -Caiadisu rail: net*ork. The contrepiecé of this acheme bad'té e heti-.new ferry boat. Doaigng anid building this ship muet have beon a groat challenge. It would noed the capaclty te, carry a whoie railroad train and hundroda of passngora. It would nood the ypower for breaking ico, semetimos Kfv. or mmr etfootthlck, and 'the manoeuvrablity roquiredeof such a largoeship for thefr-equont and difficuit dockîng deminded for rail ferries in close quartersansd herWlt was the SS. Prince Edward Ialand, built .lu Newcaatle-on-Tyne lu England around 1917. She could carry on her main doc above the water lino 18 railroad car on two tracks. On ber upper dock abs bad a fine restaurant aud lunch ceuriter forward, -washrooms, steam oigine. When bùlt no one could have guessed how long she would serve. During World War II ber auccessor, the S.S. Charl"otttwn, struck a uncharted rock near FRANK LOCKRART Liverpool, N.S. while bugging the coastino te evade German submarmnes on the way te ber annual drydocklng lu Saint John, N.B. Thus thre aid P.EL was alris again. on ber run, thia time carrying the thousari of ailied airmen lu training on P.E.I. during World War IL. When ber next auccessor, the M.V. Abegweit, arrived after the War, the P.E.I. still worked throug the late spring sud summer months. It seemed that'ne matter bow manyfine abipa were gradualiy added te tbat route, the P.E.I. had some use every summer until 1967. At tbat time, ah. was taken te Halifax, ber superstructure iargeiy removed, ber boilers sud ojfrignstakoen out sud large disel-olectlc gonerators sud 'transformera instâIled te make ber a floating powerbopse for drodgirig operations. It was after thia part cf ber career that she was brought te, Whltby. When built, abs was surely a breathrougb lu ship design sud oneocf the moat powerflul ice- breakers lu tho world. Hor use- fuinoa over almoet haif a century testifies te the quallty of' designi sud workmanship tht went into ber. I personaily remember tripa on drayammer days, but aise ruhfail crossinga. I remember wintertime when stopped by boavy ice ridges, she would back rip sud ram ber way througb, time sud again. I remember being eut on ber dock.at, nigbt during Worid*War Il wber not- even the light of a cigarette was allowed for fear et' detectiori by a U-boat. I- remember watching ber engine-roonu staff oiing the great reciprocatiig origines, silently, turning ber propeiler shafts, an oier hanging eut over the. cburnirig crankshaft, tin is M movea with those of huge conriecting rods. A more faithful old ship rarely ,existed. Little wonder that arouridChristmas time asetired of ber treatment by the human family, aevered bher connection with the Whitby wharf and sat lu the mud. Wouldn't you do the same. Some of us remomber you, P.E.L with affection and gratitude. Frank Lockhart ia miniater ait Tiinity United Church, Bowmanuille. Crime Stoppera and Durham Rogional Police are asking for the publicla help in solving an armed robbery which occurred in east Oshawa on Dec. 2 last year. At about 10:-40 p.m., a man entered Checker'a Variety at 646 King St. E. Re waiked up te the counter and throw' down a white bag, telling the employoe to I it with money. At firet the empioyoe didn't believe hlm. TMS bandit thon walked béhind the couniter and triod te open the cash rogister but was unauccesaful. Another omployeo came te the counter and the suspect thon produced a amail handgun and pushed both of thom behind the counter and te the safe. Ho yeiled at them te open the safe but eventualy he opened it huneif snd took a bag containing cash. He thon loft the store. (Actual film of this robbery will bo shown.) The suspect la described as being a white mani, about age 25, approximatoly 5-ft. 6-lu., medium build. He was woaring a grey, hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, a red plaid jacket, and a red bandana acrose bis face. He waa carrying a mail black handgun. A ro-enactment of this robbery wiil b. shown on CITY-TV on Thursday,,Feb. 7 during the, 6 and 10 p.m. newa. It will aiso ho shown on CHEX-TV and CKVR-TV on Friday, Feb. 8, again during the 6 and 10 p.m. news. .. Police are looking for any information on the identity of this porson. Callera will nover have te givo thefr namoes or appear in court. A cash reward of up te $1,000 is being offered, for information ieading te an arroat. The Crime Stoppera' office is open 24 heurs per day and the phono number is -436-8477 (thatls 436-TIPS). Long distance cali PolicerviYouce numbecar s u sk or loaDuhmRgnl coliclevc e u ra ail or rimeRegopoera A citizen board administers the Crinu. Stopersga ma of wbich there, are now, over 850 lu North Amr. The roward monoy la raisod through tax deductible donations whicb, may ho sont te Durham Regional Crime Stoppera, P.O. BS~ 54, Oshawa, Ontario LIR 7K(8. Y you'II save with SUBARU-, If you think albout ite, you'II own one C& c. MOTORS, f The Whitby Free. Pres s would like to wish Happy Birthday to ail its carriers withF EBRUARY birthdays, Tim Armstrong Cindy Blanchfield Ryan Bowen Doug Chard Stephen Forbes Nadine Parker Shawn Ramdeo Clint Reitsma Ca ndice Sheppard Amanda Wheelans Think about the MONI SUBA.RU®., $ A GREAT- INVESýTMENT $ RELIABLE, $ DURABLE $ DEPENDABLE c r--- I. oor J i W r R ' O.7e 4,;ýeowvý \it