One of the Alphabet Fleet, which were Scottish built ships aptly named from the initial letters of the ship names and associated with places in Scotland and owned by the Reid Newfoundland Company whose family were also from Scotland. These ships provided cargo and ferry services for coastal Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Fife was built by Inglis A. & J. Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland at a cost of $108,000 to the Reid Newfoundland Co. and launched on 14 August 1900 from Pointhouse Shipyard. Her sister ships were the Argyll, Clyde, Dundee and Ethie, all from the same builder.
On her maiden voyage the SS Fife ran aground at Twin Islands, St. John Bay on 17 November 1900 at 11 a.m. from St. Barbe back to Bonne Bay
Evening Telegram, 22 November 1900, page 4.
LOSS OF THE S.S. “FIFE.”
FOR the past day or two much anxiety has been felt for the safety of Reid's steamer Fife, Captain Major, which was due at Bonne Bay on Saturday last from Battle Harbor and had not arrived there. Yesterday afternoon Chief Officer Joseph Keen arrived at Bonne Bay on the S.S. Walrus and wired to the Messrs. Reid here that the steamer went ashore on the Twin Rocks, St. John's Bay, on Saturday morning last at 11 o'clock. She was returning from Battle Harbor when she ran ashore. The second officer was in charge, and it appears that he went below for a short while, and whilst away from the bridge the steamerStruck the Rocks.
The weather was perfectly clear, and the cause of the accident is not known, tho’ it looks like carelessness on the part of someone. The place where the steamer is ashore is a dangerous locality, and it is believed that the Fife, by this time, is a total wreck, for when the wind blows there a heavy sea quickly rises. One of the ship’s sides is broken in, and the chances of getting her off are poor. The Fife was built by R. G. Reid at a cost of $108,000, and there is not a penny of insurance upon her. None of the other steamers carry any insurance, as the premium to be paid yearly would very soon amount to the cost of a new ship. The S.S. Glencoe sailed from here this morning to the scene of the wreck. The ship’s crew are all safe.
Western Star, 23 November 1900, page 4.
THE ‘FIFE’ LOST.
The beautiful little steamship Fife owned by Messrs. Reid and used as a railway-connecting ship on the Bay of Islands to Battle Harbor route, lies a total wreck at Western Twin, Bay St. John. The Fife, Capt. Major, left here on 15th Nov. for Blance Sablon, which port she reached on Friday 16th, she left again the same day to return south and was due here on Sunday last. Day after day past and no news of her whereabouts reached us, and fears for her safety were entertained as the weather during the time had been very stormy. When the Walrus arrived at Bonne Bay on Wednesday the news of the wreck was first brought to that place and the destruction of the pretty little ship first made known to the public. These are the facts so far as we can ascertain: The s.s. Fife left Bonne Bay 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, for Blance Sablon, reached there Friday at noon and left again 12.30 for Flowers Cove; it was blowing too hard to call there and made harbor at St. Barbe; left there Saturday 7.30 a.m. and at 11.07 went ashore at Western Twin, Bay St. John. The ship is a total wreck. The mate and 5 of the crew left in the life boat for the mainland and reached Port au Choix Tuesday morning, and went from there to Port Saunders; met the s.s. Walrus there returning from the wreck with 13 of the crew, 4 passengers and the mails; they joined the Walrus and arrived at Bonne Bay Wednesday 5 p.m. Capt. Major and the balance of the crew remaining on the wreck. Had it not been for the huts left on the island by lobster fishermen, the crew and passengers would have suffered severely. The profoundest regrets are expressed by the public for the Messrs. Reid, to whom the loss of the ship is a great blow. There was not a cent of insurance on the vessel. The Fife is a sister ship to the Clyde, Argyll, Dundee and Ethie, now doing service on the several bays. Launched Aug. 14 from Pointhouse Shipyard Glasgow. Her dimensions are as follows:—Length over all, 167 feet; breath, 25 ft.; depth, 15 ft.; gross tonnage, 441 tons ; net tonnage, – 202 tons. What with the destruction of rolling stock by fire and wind between Little River and Port au Basques; the demolition of the Exploits bridge by ice, and now the loss of the s. s. Fife, a conservative estimate of Messrs. Reid’s losses this year places the figures at nearly three-quarters of a million of dollars.
LATER.
(Special to Western Star.)
St. John’s, Yesterday.
The Fife was lost at Twin Island, Bay St. John, eleven Saturday morning, the whole of the bottom has been torn to pieces and the ship is full of water; Capt. Major and four men remaining on wreck; Glencoe left St. John’s yesterday for wreck, will call at Bay of Islands for wrecking machinery and make attempt to raise the Fife. It is believed the vessel to be a total wreck.