{"id":8571,"date":"2021-04-20T14:40:56","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T18:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=8571"},"modified":"2021-04-20T14:46:22","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T18:46:22","slug":"episode-318-stonehooking-schooner-days-the-lithophone-walter-naish-anchor-nnot-attached-ice-jam-breaks-pot-credit-men-try-to-fnd-the-lithophone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=8571","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 318 stonehooking….schooner days..thE LITHOPHONE…WALTER NAISH…ANCHOR NNOT ATTACHED…ICE JAM BREAKS…POT CREDIT MEN TRY TO FND THE LITHOPHONE"},"content":{"rendered":"
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EPISODE 318:   THE STORY OF ONE STONEHOOKER CALLED THE LITHOPHONE<\/font><\/p>\n

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alan skeoch<\/font><\/div>\n
April 2021<\/font><\/div>\n

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\"Port<\/div>\n
Picture:  Stonehookers anchored  in Port Credit harbour on a Sunday.  So many<\/div>\n
of them that it was possible to cross the harbour jumping from ship to ship.<\/div>\n
Stonehookers were rarely registered as Port Credit ships\u2026most were registered<\/div>\n
in Toronto.  Why?   Because there was a sneaky side to stonehooking.  More later.<\/div>\n

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When Lorne Joyce told me the story of the stonehooker called the Lithophone I hustled<\/font><\/div>\n
directly home with my notes.   While there were many stonehookers anchored in Port Credit<\/font><\/div>\n
harbour between 1850 and  1920, the story of the Lithophone is pre-emient in my mind<\/font><\/div>\n
because its adventures were wrapped[ in the lives of the men who did the stonehooking.<\/font><\/div>\n

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EPISODE  318:   THE LITHOPHONE, 1899\u2026WALTER NAISH\u2019S STONEHOOKER   <\/o:p><\/font><\/u><\/div>\n

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                      alan skeoch<\/font><\/div>\n
                      april, 2021<\/font><\/div>\n

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What is a stonehooker?   Residents of  Port Credit today might assume a stonehooker is a brand  of beer.  And they would  be correct in doing<\/font><\/div>\n
so because a new brewery in Port Credit takes the name Stonehooker on its mast head.  Old  timers know differently. Stonehookers<\/font><\/div>\n
were small schooners and scows whose owners picked stones for a living.  A very tough way to support a family.  More of that later.<\/font><\/div>\n
This  is a story about one stonehooker\u2026the Lithophone. <\/font><\/div>\n

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                      There is an element of dark humour in this  story about a stonehooker called the Lithophone.  Dark humour because several men of stonehooking days risked  their lives to recover the Lithophone<\/font><\/div>\n

                      one late winter day when the Credit River Ice suddenly broke up and the slabs raced  for the open  lake\u2026along with the empty Lithophone.   Lorne Joyce told  me this story and the story is also<\/font><\/div>\n
                      detailed in Snider\u2019s Schooner Days columns in the Toronto Telegram.  So it must be true.<\/font><\/div>\n

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   Organ Bob Joyce, named so because he played the organ in the Baptist church, was  the carpenter who built the Lithophone in 1899, one the fastest and initially sleekest stone hookers on the lake.  A scow model\u202655 feet long, 17 foot beam with a shallow 4 foot hold.  Designed to hold the slabs of blue shale on deck.<\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

                      slabs on deck  were a lot easier to handle than slabs  in the hold.  A scow was therefore easier on the men in the stonehooking trade than were the old schooners. <\/font><\/div>\n

        
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  First owned by the Al Hare and then sold to Walter Naish years later.  <\/font><\/div>\n
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By then she must have been badly battered for she was held together by cable and turnbuckles.  It was winter time When Walter got the Lithophone so he got a good anchor\u2026cut a hole in the ice\u2026dropped the anchor overboard and then wound the anchor chain around the windlass.  Walter knew he had to anchor the<\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

                 the Lithophone firmly because 
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Ice Break-up on the Credit River is a sudden event.  Boom, the ice breaks and whoosh out It goes taken any loose things with it.  The ice that year took out the Lithophone as well.  Walter Naish had not attached the anchor chain to the boat\u2026just wound it aroung the windlass \u2026 unwound like a spool of thread.<\/font><\/div>\n
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Walt Naish shouted for Al Hare, and Hare hailed Jack Cummings and Jack Cummings got Newman.  They stuffed the Lithophone sails in a little  skiff.<\/font><\/div>\n
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 <\/font>\u201cGive a hand!\u201d they yelled to Al Hare<\/span><\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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\u201cYou\u2019ll never catch her in that little thing!,\u201d yelled Al,<\/font>      <\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cTake Newman\u2019s boat!\u201d…The Hecla was a fishboat with two masts and three sails.  <\/font><\/div>\n
\u201cNo time!\u201d<\/font><\/div>\n
So Al Hare took the tiller of the little boat and the men rowed and rowed\u2026almost swamped.<\/font><\/div>\n
\u201cBetter turn back!\u201d<\/font><\/div>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d Yelled Walter Naish\u2026he could not afford to lose the Lithophone.<\/font><\/div>\n
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By this time the Lithophone was bobbing around like a barrel in the water. She had been stripped of any weight for the winter and her centerboard was up.  Meanwhile the men were in serious trouble.  Four men, four sails, a hundred pounds of other gear  and water pouring over the front and sides of the skiff.  Waves getting higher and higher.  The Lithphone could not be caught. <\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n


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 Then the men saw the Hecla moving fast towards them with Harbourmaster Dan Sharp at the stick.  But Sharp didn\u2019t even see the four men in the skiff.  By this time they had been blown to Long Branch and it was dark.  <\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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So The men in the skiff beached themselves and walked back to Port Credit from Long Branch over muddy tracks and sodden fields.<\/font><\/div>\n
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Back in Port Credit , people were getting ready for the funeral.  The Hecla reported no sighting of the four men in the skiff.  So Al Hare, Water Naish, Jack <\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

                      Cummings and  Newman were presumed drowned. <\/font><\/p>\n

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When the four men sloshed their way into Port Credit there was relief.  All was not lost.  Walter Naish  was the biggest loser..lost his anchor, his chains, his Lithphone, his investment , his supper and nearly lost his life.<\/font><\/div>\n
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The Lithophone?  What happened to her?  A week later she was spotted afloat in the lake\u2026decks awash\u2026near the south shore of Lake Ontario.<\/font><\/div>\n
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Could the Lithophone be recovered?  Lew Naish, Walter Naish\u2019s brother, owner of another stonehooker,  the Newsboy,  felt duty bound to do something.  So a crew (Jack Potter, Lew Naish, Walterh Naish, Bil Newman, George Hare, Harry Fowler)  boarded the Hecla, with Al Hare at the helm and headed for Port Dalhousie.  Not a good trip.  Fog and thin ice.  The men had to wrap themselves in the sails and wait out the night.  Open to the sky.<\/font><\/div>\n
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They worked their way along the south shore and finally caught a glimpse of the two masts of the Lithophone sticking out of the water like dead trees.  Awash. Deck cleared of cabin and anything else.  With help of tug Nellie Bly they tried to sail and steam the wreck of the Lithophone to Port Dalhouse harbour. <\/font><\/div>\n
 <\/font>More trouble.   A new man on the tug slipped and fell overboard and under the stern.  He did not come up.  Al Hare got a pike pole and grappled for the body.  Took some time but found him tangled under the stern.  Pulled him loose.  Hauled the unconscious man on deck.  \u201cHe\u2019s dead!\u201d , declared all around except for Al Hare who began pumping the man\u2019s chest after others had given up.  Others worked the dead man\u2019s arms\u2026.got water out, bubbles from the nostrils\u2026then the man began to roar.  Alive he was carried to a nearby hotel and wanted to buy out the bar for Al and his crew.  All Al wanted was for his name to be kept out of the paper.*<\/font><\/div>\n
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The Lithophone was towed home to Port Credit by the Nellie Bly and resumed stonehooking.  The Lithophone is Still around… somewhere in Port Credit for she ended her years as a stone filled wharf.  <\/font><\/div>\n
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(*Sources, Lorne Joyce and C.H. J. Snider, Schooner  Days,<\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

                        adapted by Alan Skeoch)
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)<\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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                      alan skeoch<\/font><\/div>\n

                      april 2021<\/font><\/div>\n

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                        Post Script<\/font><\/div>\n

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                       What is the meaning  of the word Lithophone?   The meaning makes some sense.  A  Lithophone is a  musical instrument using stone slabs<\/font><\/div>\n
                        of various lengths.   A very good  name for a stonehooker  that eventually ended her days among stone slabs in a forgotten wharf  somewhere east of Port Credit.
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 <\/font><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EPISODE 318:   THE STORY OF ONE STONEHOOKER CALLED THE LITHOPHONE alan skeoch April 2021 Picture:  Stonehookers anchored  in Port Credit harbour on a Sunday.  So many of them that it was possible to cross the harbour jumping from ship to ship. Stonehookers were rarely registered as Port Credit ships\u2026most were registered in Toronto.  Why? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8571\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}