Nova Scotia Archives
'An East Coast Port': Halifax in Wartime, 1939-1945
Dartmouth ferry Cornwallis burns in the Harbour
The ferry Governor Cornwallis was crowded with passengers returning to Dartmouth from Christmas shopping on 22 December 1944; they occupied the Ladies and Gents cabins below deck and the upper deck enclosed cabin. Halfway across the harbour, Fred Horobin, oiler, discovered the fire close to the electrically operated furnace or combustion chamber. The fire broke out suddenly and was impossible to contain even by using fire extinguishers. Nevertheless, the engineer and the oiler fought the fire until the ferry docked and its 400 passengers disembarked. Then they made a rush for the upper deck leaving their street clothes behind. Soon the fire spread to every part of the engine room.
Date: 22 December 1944
Reference: John F. Rogers Nova Scotia Archives 1995-370 number 26