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. Owned by the Reid Newfoundland Company whose family were also from Scotland. These ships provided cargo and ferry services for Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Meigle was built as the SS Solway at Whiteinch, Glasgow, Scotland in 1881 by Barclay, Curle & Co. with the official number 85860. In 1913, the ship was purchased and registered at St. John’s, Newfoundland #5 under the name Meigle.
On Voyage from Halifax to St. John’s via Charlottetown and St. Pierre, The SS Meigle ran aground near Marines Cove, St. Shott’s on 19 July 1947.
From the Evening Telegram, 21 July 1947 page 3.
S.S. Meigle Runs Ashore at St. Shott’s and is a Total Loss
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Most of the Cattle Were Drowned While Some Of the Hens Flew Ashore When Crates Broken Open
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In dense fog on a smooth sea the 66-year old S.S. Meigle, one-time floating prison for Newfoundland convicts, went ashore in Marine Cove, St. Shott’s at 10:20 Saturday night to become a total loss.
Interviewed by the Telegram today, Captain William Moss of the ill-fated cargo boat blamed the treacherous current which surges into St. Mary’s Bay for the loss of his craft in the “graveyard” of the Atlantic.
“I could lose a ship anywhere else in the world but there,” Captain Moss said. “O was so well aware of the dangerous current.”
On her regular Shaw Steamships’ service, the Meigle was on her way to St. John’s from Halifax and Charlettetown, via St. Pierre, with a cargo including 155 head of cattle, 4000 hens, some pigs and general cargo. She left St. Pierre inward bound at 10 o’clock Saturday morning.
“Normally we would steer a south by east course,” said Captain Moss, “but in the thick fog the course was set south east by south as added precaution. On that course we should have passed 25 miles off Cape Pine.
“The water was smooth when the ship grounded forward and the crew stayed aboard until daylight when some left in the lifeboats and others over the bow which was high and dry when the tide fell.”
“The rugged rocks broke holes in both the after holds but up till the time we left there was no water in Nos. 1 and 2.”
“We got our last view of the Meigle shortly after noon yesterday. With the tide rising her stern was submerged and the water was rising to the deckhouse. The first northeast gale will destroy her.”
SCHOONER TO AID
The Schooner Eric & Keith, which was at St. Mary’s at the time, assisted the crew in reaching that port and gave the others timely aid. It was the worse current that the Captain Albert Warren of the schooner had ever seen in that place in his experience. Captain Moss said.
Of the Meigle’s livestock cargo some of the hens which were in crates on the deck flew from the freighter and reached shore after the boxes were broken open, while some pigs also swam ashore after being freed from their crates in the same manner. All the cattle in No. 3 hold were drowned, but some in No. 2 were saved by nearby residents.
WAS KNOWN AS PRISON SHIP
One of the most interesting craft ever to sail the seas, the Meigle had a varied log in her sixty-six years afloat. She is known as the prison ship which used to be anchored in St. John’s and of that event in her career a song was written which oldsters will recall, “Out on the Meigle for twenty-one years.”
She was a passenger and freight boat with the Reid Newfoundland Co. and afterwards the Newfoundland Railway, and was also used by the Labrador Development Company as a floating warehouse and men’s barracks during the beginning of operations at Port Hope Simpson. Since her purchase by Shaw Steamships Ltd., she has been kept busy carrying on a valuable freighting service between St. John’s and the Maritimes.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF SHIP’S CAREER
Chief Engineer Walter R. Hollett, who has been on the Meigle since 1941, gave the Telegram a few previously unpublished highlights this morning.
On August 16, 1943, after leaving St. Lawrence with a cargo of fluorspar, the Meigle ran into a terrific storm which caused the cargo to shift, resulting in the steamer developing a 39 degree list. She put into St. Pierre to have her cargo adjusted.
In October of the same year she was in a convoy of which two ships were sunk by U-boats off Petty Harbour motion. The Meigle sped for Bay Bulls on that occasion.
On November 9, again the same year, the Meigle coming out of Sydney ran into another heavy storm which blew down her smokestack. That time she had to put back to port to have repairs effected.
