The weather has been pretty drizzly and foggy for a couple of days. We cancelled our tour and decided to just do something on our own and hopefully the weather will break before we are ready to leave St. John’s. After spending the day getting groceries, diesel, etc., we walked over to the Fluvarium which is part of the park we are staying in. The Fluvarium allows you to peer into the secret underwater life of Nagle’s Hill Brook through nine panoramic viewing windows which are built under the river. It has the highest concentration of Brown Trout 
in North America and it was interesting watching the feeding of the fish.
When the next morning was still quite foggy, we thought we’d go ahead and drive the Killick Coast trail which wound thru many little fishing villages and gave us some panoramic views of the ocean and the fog made you appreciate Mother Nature all the more as you stepped out onto the cliffs and felt the rage of the waves.
Middle Cove, Flatrock, and Logy Bay are settled enclaves along a rugged shore and around each bend in the road is another view of the coast
that seems even better than the last. One of the most popular attractions in the region is the Bell Island Mines. Closed in 1966 due to technological changes in the international steel industry, the main mines stretch out for miles underneath Conception Bay.
A 20 minute ferry ride will take you across to Bell Island.
On Wednesday, our last day here, the weather decided to cooperate and turned very sunny and warm. We took our tour through Legends Tour with Gord as our tour guide.
He had lived almost all of his 70 years in Newfoundland and was a wealth of information. There was one other couple from Ontario who toured with us which made a nice small group. The first thing Gord showed us was the spot where Terry Fox, the one legged runner, began his Marathon of Hope
on April 12, 1980. His marathon ended September 1, 1980 after 3,339 miles just outside Thunder Bay, Ontario.
We weaved thru the small streets of the downtown harbor area, barely able to inch along on some of them,
headed to “The Narrows” which is the entrance to St. John’s Harbor.
We were able to see across the harbor to where the light house and the remaining walls of the battery were situated. 
The view across the harbor to the city of St. John's was breathtaking.
in North America and it was interesting watching the feeding of the fish.When the next morning was still quite foggy, we thought we’d go ahead and drive the Killick Coast trail which wound thru many little fishing villages and gave us some panoramic views of the ocean and the fog made you appreciate Mother Nature all the more as you stepped out onto the cliffs and felt the rage of the waves.
Middle Cove, Flatrock, and Logy Bay are settled enclaves along a rugged shore and around each bend in the road is another view of the coast that seems even better than the last. One of the most popular attractions in the region is the Bell Island Mines. Closed in 1966 due to technological changes in the international steel industry, the main mines stretch out for miles underneath Conception Bay. A 20 minute ferry ride will take you across to Bell Island.On Wednesday, our last day here, the weather decided to cooperate and turned very sunny and warm. We took our tour through Legends Tour with Gord as our tour guide.
He had lived almost all of his 70 years in Newfoundland and was a wealth of information. There was one other couple from Ontario who toured with us which made a nice small group. The first thing Gord showed us was the spot where Terry Fox, the one legged runner, began his Marathon of Hope on April 12, 1980. His marathon ended September 1, 1980 after 3,339 miles just outside Thunder Bay, Ontario.We weaved thru the small streets of the downtown harbor area, barely able to inch along on some of them,
headed to “The Narrows” which is the entrance to St. John’s Harbor. We were able to see across the harbor to where the light house and the remaining walls of the battery were situated. The view across the harbor to the city of St. John's was breathtaking.We stopped to watch April, one of the artists who paints murals on the walls of the city,
and wondered at her ability to bring alive Newfoundland’s fascinating story.
At the top of the hill, aptly named Signal Hill because centuries ago, the arrival of ships was
signaled by flags raised atop the hill, is Cabot Tower, built in 1897 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s discovery of Newfoundland and the 60th year of Queen Victoria’s reign. Here you can look out over the ocean towards Ireland and you are closer to Europe here than many parts of Canada.
On the grounds outside the tower are interpretive exhibits dealing with the harbor’s fortifications. Inside on the second floor is information regarding Marconi who received the first transatlantic wireless signal on Decmeber 12, 1901, on a spot just below the tower.
Just a bit of history on Marconi which you may not know. Guglielmo Marconi established the Marconi Wireless Company in 1897. He knew that for wireless to be taken seriously, he would have to prove that messages could be sent over long distances. In 1900, he decided to attempt this by sending a signal across the Atlantic Ocean. He referred to this challenge as “The Big Thing”. After several attempts in setting up a wireless station, Marconi arrived in St. John’s on Friday, December 6, 1901 with two assistants. A large wicker hamper and several wooden crates contained the wireless equipment as well as two balloons and six kites to hold an antenna aloft. Marconi met with the Governor and Prime Minister to discuss the need for wireless to protect ships and improve safety. Marconi selected the summit of Signal Hill because it had good elevation, appropriate ground conditions and ample open space to fly balloons or kites. Marconi and his assistants spent December 9 and 10 setting up their equipment and filling a balloon with hydrogen. A local firm was hired to cover the ground in the area with large sheets of zinc that would reflect electromagnetic signals onto the antenna. The signal was not expected to be strong. Because of this, Marconi chose to use a telephone receiver instead of his Morse recorder.
With everything in readiness, Marconi cabled Poldhu in England to begin transmitting on the 11th. The signal was the Morse code letter “S”. It had been selected as the simplest transmission that could be accurately distinguished through background noise and static. The next day the balloon was sent up in high winds with 80 feet of antenna wire attached. The winds were too strong and the balloon broke free and was lost. Marconi decided to wait until the next day to try again with a kite instead of risking his one remaining balloon. On Thursday, December 12, the wind was even stronger. That morning a kite was launched with two wires attached, but it was carried off by the wind. As second kite was launched with 80 feet of wire. This one held, and shortly after noon, Marconi began to listen for the three dots being blasted into the air from Poldhu, approximately 1800 miles away. About 12:30, Marconi heard three sharp clicks, corresponding to three dots. He asked his assistant to listen and he also verified that he heard the same thing. The signal faded out but was detected again at 1:10 and 2:20 p.m. The letter “S” was heard about 25 times in all. Further attempts on December 13 were hampered by poor weather. Three kites were lost that day, and on the 14th, Marconi decided to break his silence. He cabled his London office with news of his success and that evening he broke the news to reporters of the St. John’s press.
Word of Marconi’s achievement was soon shouted across the front pages of newspapers. The scientific community was thunderstruck. The strongest objections came from the companies that operated transatlantic submarine telegraph cables. The value of their stocks fell dramatically after Marconi announced his success and they moved quickly to protect their interests. Marconi was served with papers threatening legal action if he continued his work. After consulting with the directors of his company, Marconi decided not to fight the Anglo-American Telegraphy Company. In addition to the threats from the cable company, Marconi had received numerous messages of support from politicians in Nova Scotia and Canada. On December 16, the boat from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia docked in North Sydney, where Marconi found the member of Parliament for Cape Breton and the Premier of Nova Scotia waiting for him. They found an appropriate location on property owned by Dominion Coal Company who offered to give Marconi the land. By January 9, 1902, Canada and Marconi had reached an agreement. The government contributed $80,000 towards construction of the station and in return, Marconi made a commitment that when the station was completed his cost for transatlantic messages would be set at $.10 per word. This was 60% lower than the cable company rate. Work on the station began in March, 1902 and by autumn the station began conducting tests. With the announcement of the reception of the first official messages on December 22, Marconi’s dream of a transatlantic wireless service became a reality. Whew! That was a lot of information, probably more than you wanted to know, but in case you ever get chosen for “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, you’ll know all this history about Marconi.
Another site of historic interest is the Quidi Vidi Battery which overlooks Quidi Vidi Village at
the eastern edge of St. John’s. Here a narrow passage allowed the French to paddle from the Atlantic Ocean thru to the bay and with just a short hike, they’d be in St. John’s Harbor. The British would signal, again using the flags, indicating that their barrier had been broken and St. John’s would be ready for a fight.
An interesting home in the downtown area is the Government House, which is the official
residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is also the place where the Queen used to reside when she visited.
The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a beautiful Romanesque cathedral.
Built of Newfoundland and Irish bluestone and granite, the church is in the shape of a Latin cross. The Basilica houses John Hogan’s revered “Dead Christ” made of marble. 
Back down thru the winding, narrow streets we happened upon the small fishing village of Petty Harbor. 
Here you can watch the local fishermen readying their boats for the next cod run.
George and I decided it was time to take a rest and just watch the water and boats on a few 
Adirondack chairs that had been painted to resemble a fish, seal, puffin and fisherman. Then back into the van for the trip to Cape Spear. 
Cape Spear is the most easterly point in Canada
and the site of the oldest lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador, dating to the 1830’s.
It was also the site of a World War II coastal defense battery. Cape Spear is a rocky headland on the approach to St. John’s Harbor. As early as 1822, Governor Sir Thomas Cochrane recognized the danger it presented to inbound ships and recommended a lighthouse be built there. It has now become a totally automated facility. The water crashing into the rocks is so blue with white frothiness that it almost hurts your eyes to watch it. 
That pretty much catches you up with the sites we have seen in St. John’s. Tomorrow we will head around the fourth side of the Avalon Pennisula. The Avalon Pennisula is only one of the five geographic regions in Newfoundland/Labrador. So you can see we have a lot more traveling to do yet. Newfoundland is a land of adventure and ancient mystery; of genuine people, jellybean homes, and rare scenic beauty. It is a land of contrasts and uniqueness and we hope that you are enjoying our journey of a lifetime as much as we are.
and wondered at her ability to bring alive Newfoundland’s fascinating story.At the top of the hill, aptly named Signal Hill because centuries ago, the arrival of ships was
signaled by flags raised atop the hill, is Cabot Tower, built in 1897 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s discovery of Newfoundland and the 60th year of Queen Victoria’s reign. Here you can look out over the ocean towards Ireland and you are closer to Europe here than many parts of Canada. On the grounds outside the tower are interpretive exhibits dealing with the harbor’s fortifications. Inside on the second floor is information regarding Marconi who received the first transatlantic wireless signal on Decmeber 12, 1901, on a spot just below the tower.Just a bit of history on Marconi which you may not know. Guglielmo Marconi established the Marconi Wireless Company in 1897. He knew that for wireless to be taken seriously, he would have to prove that messages could be sent over long distances. In 1900, he decided to attempt this by sending a signal across the Atlantic Ocean. He referred to this challenge as “The Big Thing”. After several attempts in setting up a wireless station, Marconi arrived in St. John’s on Friday, December 6, 1901 with two assistants. A large wicker hamper and several wooden crates contained the wireless equipment as well as two balloons and six kites to hold an antenna aloft. Marconi met with the Governor and Prime Minister to discuss the need for wireless to protect ships and improve safety. Marconi selected the summit of Signal Hill because it had good elevation, appropriate ground conditions and ample open space to fly balloons or kites. Marconi and his assistants spent December 9 and 10 setting up their equipment and filling a balloon with hydrogen. A local firm was hired to cover the ground in the area with large sheets of zinc that would reflect electromagnetic signals onto the antenna. The signal was not expected to be strong. Because of this, Marconi chose to use a telephone receiver instead of his Morse recorder.
With everything in readiness, Marconi cabled Poldhu in England to begin transmitting on the 11th. The signal was the Morse code letter “S”. It had been selected as the simplest transmission that could be accurately distinguished through background noise and static. The next day the balloon was sent up in high winds with 80 feet of antenna wire attached. The winds were too strong and the balloon broke free and was lost. Marconi decided to wait until the next day to try again with a kite instead of risking his one remaining balloon. On Thursday, December 12, the wind was even stronger. That morning a kite was launched with two wires attached, but it was carried off by the wind. As second kite was launched with 80 feet of wire. This one held, and shortly after noon, Marconi began to listen for the three dots being blasted into the air from Poldhu, approximately 1800 miles away. About 12:30, Marconi heard three sharp clicks, corresponding to three dots. He asked his assistant to listen and he also verified that he heard the same thing. The signal faded out but was detected again at 1:10 and 2:20 p.m. The letter “S” was heard about 25 times in all. Further attempts on December 13 were hampered by poor weather. Three kites were lost that day, and on the 14th, Marconi decided to break his silence. He cabled his London office with news of his success and that evening he broke the news to reporters of the St. John’s press.Word of Marconi’s achievement was soon shouted across the front pages of newspapers. The scientific community was thunderstruck. The strongest objections came from the companies that operated transatlantic submarine telegraph cables. The value of their stocks fell dramatically after Marconi announced his success and they moved quickly to protect their interests. Marconi was served with papers threatening legal action if he continued his work. After consulting with the directors of his company, Marconi decided not to fight the Anglo-American Telegraphy Company. In addition to the threats from the cable company, Marconi had received numerous messages of support from politicians in Nova Scotia and Canada. On December 16, the boat from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia docked in North Sydney, where Marconi found the member of Parliament for Cape Breton and the Premier of Nova Scotia waiting for him. They found an appropriate location on property owned by Dominion Coal Company who offered to give Marconi the land. By January 9, 1902, Canada and Marconi had reached an agreement. The government contributed $80,000 towards construction of the station and in return, Marconi made a commitment that when the station was completed his cost for transatlantic messages would be set at $.10 per word. This was 60% lower than the cable company rate. Work on the station began in March, 1902 and by autumn the station began conducting tests. With the announcement of the reception of the first official messages on December 22, Marconi’s dream of a transatlantic wireless service became a reality. Whew! That was a lot of information, probably more than you wanted to know, but in case you ever get chosen for “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, you’ll know all this history about Marconi.
Another site of historic interest is the Quidi Vidi Battery which overlooks Quidi Vidi Village at
the eastern edge of St. John’s. Here a narrow passage allowed the French to paddle from the Atlantic Ocean thru to the bay and with just a short hike, they’d be in St. John’s Harbor. The British would signal, again using the flags, indicating that their barrier had been broken and St. John’s would be ready for a fight.An interesting home in the downtown area is the Government House, which is the official
residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is also the place where the Queen used to reside when she visited.The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a beautiful Romanesque cathedral.
Built of Newfoundland and Irish bluestone and granite, the church is in the shape of a Latin cross. The Basilica houses John Hogan’s revered “Dead Christ” made of marble. Back down thru the winding, narrow streets we happened upon the small fishing village of Petty Harbor. Here you can watch the local fishermen readying their boats for the next cod run. George and I decided it was time to take a rest and just watch the water and boats on a few Adirondack chairs that had been painted to resemble a fish, seal, puffin and fisherman. Then back into the van for the trip to Cape Spear. Cape Spear is the most easterly point in Canada
and the site of the oldest lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador, dating to the 1830’s. It was also the site of a World War II coastal defense battery. Cape Spear is a rocky headland on the approach to St. John’s Harbor. As early as 1822, Governor Sir Thomas Cochrane recognized the danger it presented to inbound ships and recommended a lighthouse be built there. It has now become a totally automated facility. The water crashing into the rocks is so blue with white frothiness that it almost hurts your eyes to watch it. That pretty much catches you up with the sites we have seen in St. John’s. Tomorrow we will head around the fourth side of the Avalon Pennisula. The Avalon Pennisula is only one of the five geographic regions in Newfoundland/Labrador. So you can see we have a lot more traveling to do yet. Newfoundland is a land of adventure and ancient mystery; of genuine people, jellybean homes, and rare scenic beauty. It is a land of contrasts and uniqueness and we hope that you are enjoying our journey of a lifetime as much as we are.
No comments:
Post a Comment