Page 46 - The Martells of Flint Island Light

ISSUE : Issue 45

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1987/6/1

.' '. 'S!-'. Right photo: Martell children on Flint Island. Left to right: Billy, Kenny, Ethel, Johnny, Loren, Audrey, with Margaret in front of her, and Murray. Left photo: Billy with his wife Edna (Blakeney), holding daughter Wilma. Billy and Edna met as pen pals via the weekly Family Herald. She was with her family at the light- house on Jeddore Rock, Nova Scotia. They married and later served together at St. Paul's Island Light. we just used to save it for certain pro? grams , or we'd turn it on for the news or something. (Dad) would listen to the weather, and if it was a fine day, he'd come in. He had a boat. And he'd come in and get the mail. And we used to get 6 months' supply of food. And we'd usually get it in, I sup? pose, October--we'11 say October. And then whenever the ice would leave, that's when he could come in and get supplies and mail. (But other than that, your mother and fa? ther and several children were out there on the island, and no connection. Is that correct?) No communication. That was the only way that you'd have to know: he'd stop the light to let them know there was something wrong. Any time Mum used to leave the island, and when Dad was going back and forth--they had a signal (light) they used, that he used to hook up (to) a battery. And 4 flashes were, "Everything was okay." And if there was something wrong, they used to flash 3 times. But as far as the tragedy, see, he had to stop the light. And that was to let the people know in Morien that there was some? thing wrong. (Was it possible for people from Morien to get to the island?) Oh no, no, no. Not with the ice. They contacted the Department of Transport. They they would send the boat out to find out what was wrong. And the government boat at that time was the Montcalm. (My father) made a rough box, and he packed the body in ice, and kept it in the boathouse until (the Montcalm came). Then they had the funeral. And he's buried at Homeville, in that cemetery up there. (Were your parents able to come in for the funeral?) No. Just Dad. (Your mother didn't go. Did she ever talk about that?) Oh, later years, you know, because it was-- she hated the island, at times. You know, there were times that she liked it. Once the tragedies were over, and things got back to normal, it was fine. I guess it was after Ethel was drowned. We had 3 tragedies out there. Now when Ray? mond was drowned, that was 1933. But it was 1935 when Ethel was drowned. (How old would she be in 1935?) Thirteen. This was one of the times that they were taking provisions out to the island, and something happened to the boat. The coil of the engine--they always carried spare parts--the coil burnt out, I guess. An3rway, when they went to get the coil, their spare one, it wasn't there. Somebody had taken it out of the boat. And they drifted up to Catalone--you know the turn up to the beach there at Catalone Beach. And in the boat that time there was Billy, and Ed? na, his wife--they were just married, in fact, in July of that year--and Kenny, and Ethel. EASTERN HEAT PUMPS LIMITED 102 REEVES STREET, SYDNEY 564-4141 Air Source - Water Source Residential arid Commercial Heat Pumps and Air Conditioning Systems ?? DESIGN - ENGINEERING - INSTALLATION - SERVICE - i FEATURING CARRIER HIGH-EFFICIENCY HEATING AND COOLING EQUIPMENT Home of the PEERLESS <'?Ala>U. SHOWPLACE ''''> Provincial Flooring Lta. 'W %V' OUR NFW lOr.ATTnN! > Phone (902) 794-7251 Cable BRENNANS Telex 019-35149 Night 6e Holiday 736-8479 794-3178 OUR NEW LOCATION: 400 GEORGE ST., SYDNEY, N.S. Qo f''' Brennans ''ss'J Travel Agency *'AssOa' P.O. Box 1660, BIP 6T7 Tel.: 562-8453 (46) 158 QUEEN STREET, NORTH SYDNEY STEAMSHIP -- AIRLINE -- RAIL AND HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

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