The business on the Collingwood Line had so much increased to Lake Superior that another steamer was now needed, and the Steamer Campana was purchased in England. Her career had been a romantic one. While running on the River Plate in Brazil, she had been chartered to take a cargo of 700 mules to South Africa for the Kaffir War of 1878. The mules were landed at Capetown, but the supercargo, or purser, who was in charge, collected the purchase money and the freight earnings and then disappeared. The steamer was summarily sold to pay the wages of the crew and was then brought to the Thames, where she was purchased by Mr. A. M. Smith, President of the company, and brought out to Montreal. As the Campana was 225 feet long, 45 ft. beam, with tonnage of 2000, and all the lower St. Lawrence canals had not been completed to Welland Canal size, four being still of the old length of 180 ft. only, Mr. Cumberland was engaged to superintend her cutting in two and bring up the two sections.
The CIBOLA in the Niagara River off Queenston. [page 153]
With a vessel of such size this entailed great difficulties, she being the largest ship that had been up till then brought up the canals and rapids, but the novel problems were solved and the way paved for the Canadian Pacific Steamers, Alberta, Algoma, Assiniboia, built in Scotland, which next followed on the same methods.
Campana was the first twin-screw iron passenger and freight steamship to ply on the Upper Lakes, and introduced the system of making a round trip a week between Ontario ports and Lake Superior.
In this year the Maid of the Mist, 72 ft. long, 17 beam, depth 8 ft., startled the vessel world. Her business from the elevator stairways to the foot of the Horse Shoe Falls had fallen off. It was said that behind was the sheriff, in front the Whirlpool Rapids and beyond on reaching Lake Ontario a satisfactory sale. Capt. Robinson determined to run the risk and on 15th June started down the river. The first huge wave of the rapids threw the boat on her beam ends sending the smoke stack overboard, almost submerged by the next she righted, and by a quick turn evading the whirlpool emerged from the Gorge in little over ten minutes. The watchful collector at Queenston seized the opportunity for fees and had the Maid enter with him the Customs, the first and probably the last steamer ever to register as having come down from above the Rapids.
In August we met our first loss by the death of Col. F. W. Cumberland, General Manager of the Northern & Northern Western Railways, and our senior director. Having taken the utmost interest in the enterprise, his technical knowledge, energy and judgment had been throughout of infinite value, and his hearty personality was greatly missed not only in business but in comradeship. He was a man who had the forceful faculty of engaging the affection and loyalty of men who worked with or under him; severe but just, exacting yet encouraging, good service was sure to be noted by him and to receive his approval and reward.
After his death the employees of the Northern and North-Western Railway, since absorbed by the Grand Trunk Railway, erected a monument to his memory at the Junction station at Allandale, presenting an excellent likeness in bronze of their late chief.
Mrs. Seraphina Cumberland, wife of the Vice President, was appointed to the vacancy on the Board.