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The Evening Telegram, St. John's, Newfoundland: November 23, 1929

Full Details of the Tidal wave Disaster on South West Coast

Twenty-Seven Lives Lost and awful Destruction to Homes and Fishing Property
Loss Estimated at $1,000,000.00 ---Government Acts Promptly and Private Subscriptions to relief Fund Are Pouring In

The full story of the ruin and desolation which the tidal wave, following the earthquake shock of Monday afternoon of last week, brought to the South West coast, particularly to the flourishing settlements around the District of Burin is now better known. As intimated in our columns last week, news of the disaster was contained in a message to the Prime Minister from Magistrate Hollett of Burin as follows;
S.S. Portia via Cape Race, Nov. 21, 1929
Hon, Sir Richard Squires, St. John's.

Burin experienced very severe earth tremors 5:05pm eighteenth, following at 5:35 and 7:35 pm by an immense 15 feet tidal wave which swept everything along waterfront. Sixteen dwelling houses, with nine lives, mostly women and children gone. Four bodies recovered. All communications by wire cut off. Report is that 18 lives have been lost at Lords' Cove and Lamaline. S.S. Daisy rendered every assistance. St. Lawrence also swept; no lives lost. Destruction to property terrible and many people left destitute and homeless. Doing all possible to relieve suffering. Daisy now at Lamaline. Writing particulars.

Magistrate Hollett

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Meigle arrives at Burin
1940
unknown

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Picture of "S.S. Meigle"

The Evening Telegram, St. John's, Newfoundland:November 23, 1929

Government Acts Promptly

Immediately after the news of the disaster a special meeting of the Executive Government was held to consider the best method of rendering assistance to the destitute and needy. It was decided that the Government steamer Meigle be immediately got ready and despatched as quickly as possible. Longshoremen were busily engaged up to nine o'clock Thursday night loading food, supplies, bedding, clothing, glass, building material, and wearing apparel. No time was lost replacing the hatches. Everything was all ready and the steamer moved away from the pier at 9:15 taking the following passengers; Hons. Dr. Mosdell, Dr. Campbell, Dr. Blackler, Dr. Murphy, Nurses ...dell, Jackson, and Hampton. Mr. H.B.C. Lake, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Mr. J.A. Winter, MHA for Burin East, Rev. Father Sullivan, P.P. Lamaline, Mr. P.Fudge, MHA for Hermitage Mr. J. Cheeseman, Mr. Taylor, Sgt. Bartlett, Capt. Thos. Hollett of Burin, and tow repair men from the Postal Telegraph department.

Meigle arrives at Burin

In a message to the Colonial Secretary the Hon. Dr. Mosdell stated that the Meigle had arrived at Burin at 3:30 Friday afternoon. He reported the shores of Burin beach strewed with wreckage of all sorts. Houses and stores floating in waters of the harbour and dotted along the beach partially or wholly submerged. Stages and wharves swept away in almost every Cove and Harbour. Destitution general wherever tidal wave did its work of destruction. Food, fuel and clothing badly needed. Stores of food on ship sufficient to present requirements. Medical and nursing staff on the ship were busy attending number of cases of severe injury and of shock consequent on sudden and tragic nature of disaster. With others he was busy organizing relief and investigation committees in every place.

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The Tidal Wave Swept the Coastal Shores
November, 1929
Port au Bras, Dominion of Newfoundland

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The Evening Telegram, St. John's, Newfoundland: November 23, 1929, Page 6

Magistrate Hollett Appeals for Immediate Relief. Burin

Sir- I have done my best to get in touch with you relative to the great tidal wave, which has swept our coast from Point May to Rock Harbour. Information just to hand states that 13 lives were lost at Lamaline and 6 at Lord's Cove. No lives lost at Lawn or St. Lawrence. No doubt but that property damage west of here has been great. Nearly all waterside premises at Great Burin, Stepaside, Kelly's Cove, Pardy's Island, Collin's Cove, Kirby's Cove, Ship Cove, Burin North, Path End, Bull's Cove, Port au Bras and Mortier was taken down and mostly destroyed. Three dwelling houses at Kelly's Cove were swept away, in one of which was Mrs. Vincent Kelly and her daughter, whose bodies have not been recovered. Manuel Inkpen's dwelling house at Stepaside was swept away. Mr. Inkpen and his wife escaped by merest chance.

At Port au Bras 11 dwelling houses were swept clean away. Seven people lost their lives here. Mrs. Thomas Fudge and her three youngest daughters, Mrs. Samuel Bennett and her brother Henry Dibbon and Mrs. William Allen aged 84. The bodies of Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Fudge and her daughter Harriet Mary (10) and Mrs. Samuel Bennett were recovered today.

Port au Bras was swept clean of all fishery premises and boats and schooners. Fourteen boats were lost or badly damaged. All is desolation in Port au Bras. L.Cheeseman's premises went clean away with 300 quintals fish. About 500 quintals fish were lost there altogether. All the people had their winter provisions, fuel, traps and gear of every description in their stores. Everything is gone. I visited them today. There is great distress. There are not 5 barrels of flour in the place and no coal.

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Pleas For the General Public to Unite to Relieve Those Who Have Suffered.
26 November 1929

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Exerpt from the Evening Telegram, St. John's November 26, 1929.

And whereas this public meeting is of the opinion that an appeal to the people of the country for the releif of those in distress will receive a whole-hearted and generous response:

BE IT RESOLVED that there be appointed a general committee of citizens, with power:
(1) To raise money by public collection towards the relief of those who have suffered by the calamity.
(2) To appoint necessary sub-committees and to organize a ladies' auxiliary.
(3) To make and carry into effect plans for the distribution in cash or otherwise of such cash or goods as may be collected.
(4) Generally, to co-ordinate all work for the relief and assistance of those stricken by the calamity and to do whatever may be possible to alleviate the suffering and distress caused thereby.
RESOLVED FURTHER that the following be the general committee with power to add to their number: Hon. C.P. Ayre, J.M. Baird, E.R. Bowring, Jr., F.W. Bradshaw, M. Coady, J.C. Currie, C.C. Duley, J. Ennis, J. Fenelon, W.H. Herder, J.G. Higgins, R.F. Horwood, C.E. Hunt, Hon. R.B. Job, Hon. F. McNamara, A. Milligan, L.C. Outerbridge, M. Power, T. Reddy, J.J. St. John, H.M. Winter.

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Hon. Sir Richard Squires Receives Letters and Monetary Support from American Red Cross
26 November 1929

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Excerpt from Evening Telegram November 26, 1929

Aid for Tidal Wave Sufferers From Outside
$5034.50 From American Red Cross
American Consular Service,
St. John's, Newfoundland,
November 26, 1929

The Honorable Sir Richard A. Squires,
Sir.- I have the honour and privilege to deliver to you a check for the sum of $5034.50 in accordance with an instruction received this morning from the Secretary of State authorizing me, in the name of the American Red Cross, to make this gift to you for the official relief Commission of Newfoundland to be used for relief work in connection with the recent earthquake.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Very respectfully yours,

AVRA M. WARREN,
American Consul

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Relief Funds and Supplies Made Ready for Transport to the Burin Peninsula
November, 1929
St. John's, Dominion of Newfoundland

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Exerpts from the Evening Telegram, St. John's, November 26, 1929

November 23, 1929
Editor Evening Telegram.
Dear Sir,- I have been instructed by Mr. S.C.Tweed, President The Ontario Equitable Life, to contribute the sum of $200.00 towards the public subscription fund for the relief of suffereers in the recent tidal wave disaster.
I shall have pleasure in passing over that amount to you or to the Treasurer of the fund immediately on my return to the city.
If I can be of further use to the Committee, please allocate me part of the work on behalf of The Ontario Equitable Life & Accident Insurance Company
Thos. Soper,
per Amy E. Taylor
Manager for Newfoundland

Editor Evening Telegram
Dear Sir, Enclosed please find our cheque for Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) being our subscription towards the fund which you are establishing to help out the disaster created by the recent havoc on the Burin Peninsula.
May we further add a word of sympathy to be conveyed through the columns of your valuable paper to those who suffered so severely in the recent disaster.

Yours truly,
Brotherhood Railroad Trainmen
Terra Nova Lodge 923
per M. Hawco
Treasurer

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William Coaker (1871 1938) founder of the Fishermen's Protective Union
1940

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William Coaker, founder of Fisherman's Protective Union

The Evening Telegram, St. John's, Nfld. November 23, 1929, page 6
Tidal Wave
"From Sir William Coaker who is at present in the city and staying at the Newfoundland Hotel. The Telegram learns that at 2:20 AM when 100 men were employed loading fish , a tidal wave of 6 to 7 feet was experienced. The schooners at the pier were grounded and it was fully ten minutes before the water returned."

The political arm of the Fishermen's Protective Union was Newfoundland and Labrador's first class-based political party. Founded by William Coaker in 1908, the FPU attempted to provide fishermen with a greater share of the wealth that their labour produced.

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Daily News
1929