Victorian Saint John "Firsts" The Partridge Island Fog Horn

 



Nothing could quite stir the imagination, quite like the bone-rattling wail of the foghorn. Did you know that one of the greatest inventions in the Maritimes was born out of poverty and heartbreak. In the 1850s, when Scottish immigrant Robert Foulis had walked the streets of Saint John, New Brunswick on a foggy evening. Can you imagine a pitch black freezing cold evening in the Bay of Fundy and the towering lighthouse's beam is nearly entirely consumed by the thick, impenetrable fog. Robert had concluded that a low sustained blast cutting through the mist was best. Thing is that chilling deep bellow tearing through the gloom wasn't just a technical thing, it became a life saving guardian. The true tragedy of this genius invention was that Foulis never patented it and died penniless. To a mystery author this kind of forgotten tragic genius with the haunting mechanical shriek is the perfect backdrop for secrets and murder. 

Did you know that the worlds very first automated steam foghorn was invented in 1853 by Scottish inventor Robert Foulis. While listening to piano scales in Saint John, New Brunswick he had realized that low frequency sounds can travel the furthest through the fog. The foghorn had debuted in 1859 on Partridge Island. 


The Moment:

Robert was listening to piano scales in Saint John, New Brunswick when he realized that low frequency sound waves can actually travel more distance through dense moisture than other more high frequencies such as bells and whistles. The invention worked on the principle of a steam kettle forcing the compressed steam through this long pipe which in turn generate a booming low pitch whistle. 

This might have been his design, but another engineer named T.T. Vernon Smith was the one who installed the very first foghorn on Partridge Island in 1859. This led to a very public patent dispute over the invention. 

Foulis had never secured the patent for this invention and he had passed away in poverty in 1866. However, the New Brunswick Legislature eventually passed a resolution and recognized Robert as the foghorns true inventor. 


The Setback:

Now while the automated foghorn had saved countless lives, it was very dependent on labor. The boilers for the horn required keepers and it was their job to shovel on ton of coal or nearly a full cord of wood every ten hours of operation. On top of that, the heavy thick soot and smoke had frequently covered the lighthouse glass and had to be cleaned constantly. 

However, despite that the first foghorn on Partridge Island was in operation for one hundred and thirty nine years. Because of that the lighthouse and horn were maintained by a succession of lighthouse and fog station keepers. Two of the most notable ones were Alexander Reed and James Wilson. 


The Last Lighthouse Keeper:

The last Lighthouse Keeper on Partridge Island was a man by the name of Ralph A. Eldridge. In 1986, they decided to completely automate and de-staff the Lighthouse. It operated out there on its own until May 4th, 1998, when the Canadian Coast Guard permanently shut down the foghorn. 

The Partridge Island Lighthouse: Victorian Versus Present Day:

The Victorian Era in Saint John was a bustling time for the Lighthouse on Partridge Island. that was labor intensive hub of human activity compared to now, which it is a silent unmanned and completely automated navigational beacon. 

In the Victorian days, from 1837 to 1901, the Lighthouse was fully manned by a resident Lighthouse keeper, and multiple assistants who all lived on Partridge Island with their families. Today, the Lighthouse is completely unmanned, the last Lighthouse Keeper left Partridge Island in 1986. 

In Victorian days, the lighthouse was fueled by whale oil or kerosene, The wicks of which were trimmed by hand and keepers constantly wiped thick and black smoke off the prisms. Today it is fueled by commercial Electricity, via submarine cable and a back-up batteries which operate on timers. 

In Victorian days, a massive operation using a steam powered fog alarm, which required shoveling a ton of coal every ten hours to keep the boilers pressurized. Today, the foghorn has been permanently silenced. This system was completely decommissioned in 1998 by the Canadian Coast Guard. 

In Victorian days, Partridge Island was a highly active site which shared the Island with a military fortification and a bustling quarantine hospital station. Today, the Island is completely abandoned and is a restricted access historical site.  Which is left mostly to nature and nestling birds. Once in a while locals have been known to attempt to sneak over there, but most times they get stuck, need rescued, and end up which a large fine because it is a restricted access. This is due to the military fortification now being dangerous from being sitting for so long abandoned. 


Until Next time, yours in the Shadows,

D.C. Malcolm

     

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