Elmer W. Jones
Bell Island-Portugal Cove Service: 1955-1960
The photo above shows the ferry Elmer W. Jones in its earlier days rounding Chapman's Point in the St. Lawrence River across from Brockville, ON. Built in New London, Connecticut in 1926 by the New London Connecticut Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, she was 277 gross tons. In 1927, the vessel was the flagship of the Brockville-Morristown Ferry Company and was the only diesel-powered American vessel on the St. Lawrence River. During WWII, she was in service for a 2-year period with the U.S. Navy at Norfolk, Virginia, where she was renamed the Codington. On July 26, 1946, she was returned to service at the Brockville-Morristown Transportation Company, where she reverted to her original name. She was rebuilt at Kingston, ON, in 1953 before being sold to the Newfoundland Transportation Company for service on the Bell Island-Portugal Cove run. Source: OhioLINK Digital Resource Commons.
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How the Elmer W. Jones got its name. Story from the Communique, July 1935 issue. Learn more about the man behind the name at: http://21stbattalion.ca/tributehl/jones_ew.html |
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Announcement of the changes coming with the arrival of the ferry Elmer Jones, in the Daily News, Sept. 16, 1955, p. 1. It was reported in the October 1955 issue of the Submarine Miner that "the new ferry Elmer Jones began trial runs between Bell Island and Portugal Cove in October."
Dave Careless on the Elmer Jones in Portugal Cove, Sunday, March 16, 1958, on his way to Bell Island for the first time, having just arrived in Newfoundland from South Yorkshire with his mother, Jennie. His father, Tom, had started work as Assistant to the Works Manager, Victor Southey, in December 1957. The sign on the door on the right says, "Ladies & Escorts Only." Photo by Tom Careless, courtesy of Dave Careless.
The Elmer Jones at Bell Island Beach c.1958. Photo by Tom Careless, courtesy of Dave Careless.