The steamer Varuna (1880)

1. General

See also the entry for the steam screw VARUNA in our ships Database.

NOTATIONS:

2. Registry entries

• 26 March 1888 : Bill of Sale, from Jonathan A. Porte to Thomas Jeffares Porte of Picton, Ontario; with a mortgage "A" for $5,000 at 7% in favour of seller.
• 8 April 1893 [both documents both dated 5 April 1893] : Discharge of mortgage by "Wm G. Porte" and "R.G. Porte", and Bill of Sale of 32 shares to William Elias VanVlack, Master Mariner, and 32 shares to William Burton Cooper, farmer, both of Picton, Prince Edward County, Ontario.
• 8 April 1893, document dated 6 April 1893 : Mortgage "B" for $3,000 at 6%, on W.E. VanVlack and W.B. Cooper, by W. G. Porte (32 shares) and Robt. G. Porte (32 shares) of Picton, and Phoebe J. Porte of Trenton, Ontario
• 9 October 1893 : Bill of sale (dated 3 Oct. 1893), by William Elias VanVlack, 32 shares to William Burton Cooper; Bill of Sale by William Burton Cooper, 8 shares to Alfred Hicks, Hallowell, Prince Edward County, Master Mariner, and 8 shares to Reuben Rose Norcroft of Trenton;
• 5 March 1898 : Mortgage "C" for $1,000 at 6% (16 shares) by W.B Cooper in favour of Alfred Hicks and Reuben Rose Norcroft, Engineer; and mortgage "D" for $800 at 6% (32 shares)in favour of Alfred Hicks, Hallowell, Prince Edward County, Master Mariner. At this date, ownership recorded as Alfred Hicks (48 shares) and Phoebe J. Porte (16 shares.)
• 6 July 1900 : Mortgage "B" discharged (dated 4 July); death recorded of mortage holder Mrs Phoebe Porte 25 December 1899; death recorded of Reuben R. Norcroft 17 March 1904.
• 27 October 1904 : Frank J. Farley, Trenton, Ontario, Physician (Norcroft executor) Bill of Sale (14 September) 21 shares to Alfred Hicks. Ownership recorded as W.B. Cooper (43 shares, A. Hicks (21 shares.)
• 31 December 1904 : Bill of Sale (dated 18 November 1904), W.B. Cooper 21 shares to Jacob Edgar Rathbun of Trenton, Ont., Liveryman
• 11 July 1908 : Bills of sale (dated 6 February 1908): A. Hicks (10 shares) to W.B.Cooper, and A Hicks (11 shares) to Jacob Edgar Rathbun; Ownership declared as of 25 March 1908 as W.B. Cooper (32 shares) and J.E. Rathbun (32 shares); Mortgage "E" [appears to be the older "D", perhaps renewed] discharged 6 July 1908.
• 21 April 1910 : Bills of Sale dated 9 March 1910, William B. Cooper 32 shares, and Jacob E. Rathbun 32 shares, to Quinte Navigation Co., Picton, Ontario
• 15 May 1911 : Bill of Sale dated 31 December 1910 from Quinte Navigation Co. to the Ontario and Quebec Navigation Company Ltd., Picton, Ontario. Mortgage "F" for $125,000 at 6% in favour of National Trust Co. Ltd., Toronto dated 17 May 1912, discharged 12 May 1914.
• 20 May 1916 : Bill of Sale date 28 April 1916 by Ontario and Quebec Navigation Co. for 64 shares to Canada Steamship Lines; Mortgage "G" for $9,000,000 in favour of Prudential Trust Co., Montreal and Royal Exchange Assurance, London, U.K. [corporate financing.]
• 10 March 1921: Mortgage "G" (64 shares) discharged. [Obviously later, same page] Steamship VARUNA was scrapped about 1924. Registry closed 14 November 1940. Certificate of Registry not delivered up.

3. History

• "First owner" variously cited as "Deseronto Navigation Co", but verifiable corporate records are elusive, perhaps "doing business as" under this name. The "Trenton and Bay of Quinte Navigation Company Ltd." was founded by Capt. Porte and others in 1880 (see press report 7 below) but was never registered as "owner." Unconfirmed for 1893, it may be reasonable to assume that Capt. Jonathan Porte (and / or T.J Porte) had passed away and that other Porte names refer to a widow, descendants or testimentary executors.
• William B. Cooper and Alfred Hicks, both of Picton, Ont., were "majority owners" from 1893 to 1908
• W.B. Cooper and J.E. Rathbun (1908, March)
• Quinte Navigation Company (Hepburn) (9 March 1910)
• Ontario and Quebec Navigation Company (Hepburn) (1 January 1911)
• Canada Steamship Lines (28 April 1916)
• Partially scrapped at Collins Bay, Ontario, 1920
• Scuttled Amherst Island, 1928?

Newspaper and other transcriptions

3. British Whig (Kingston, ON), March 30, 1880: The new steamer Varuna is to be towed from Wolfe Island to Kingston to have her engine put in her.
4. British Whig (Kingston, ON), May 3, 1880: Things In General - Capt. Porte's new steamer, the Varuna (Queen of the Sea), will make her trial trip on the 10th of May. She is being finished up at Kingston, and is said to be first class.
5. British Whig (Kingston, ON), May 18, 1880: The steamers Varuna and Alexandra had a lively race on Saturday from Picton to Belleville. For a time it was very exciting. The Alexandra won, but the captain of the Varuna had to make 3 calls more than its competitor for speed.
6. British Whig (Kingston, ON), May 21, 1880: The Varuna's Speed - The new passenger steamer, built on Wolfe Island by Capt. Davis, and for which the Kingston Foundry made the engine, is running between Trenton, Belleville and Picton. The Intelligencer calls her handsome, says she is fitted up in a highly convenient manner, and has her driven up to 14 m.p.h.
7. British Whig (Kingston, ON), Sept. 20, 1880: Letters patent have been issued to Jonathan Porte of Trenton, master of the str. Varuna and James Anderson, Philip Robbins, William Stafford and John Howell, of Ameliasburg, as the Trenton and Bay of Quinte Navigation Company Ltd. with a total capital stock of $8,500.
8. British Whig (Kingston, ON), Nov. 4, 1880: The bay steamer Varuna has been unfortunate, having again broken her wheel. [Note: the 'wheel' is the propellor. This appears to have been a recurring incident in Varuna's career. Ed.] She was towed to Trenton, there to be fitted out with a new wheel.
9. British Whig (Kingston, ON), April 3, 1882: The str. Varuna, having lost her wheel, will be towed down from Trenton and a new one put on her.
10. British Whig (Kingston, ON), Aug. 28, 1882: The steamer Veruna [sic Varuna), with a large passenger list, went up the Bay this morning. The party enjoyed their Sunday at the Thousand Island Park.
11. British Whig (Kingston, ON), Dec. 11, 1882: Here & There - It is not the steamer Varuna that has been sold to Messrs. Rathbun, but the steamer Armenia, known as the Little Armenia.
12. British Whig (Kingston, ON), May 17, 1884: 1884 The steamer Varuna broke her shaft while leaving Picton yesterday.
13. 1884: Directory of the Marine Interests of the Great Lakes: Comprising A Complete List ... shows J A Porte as owner, and the vessel classed as A 2
14. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 15 Aug 1895: p.1 General Paragraphs - The str. Varuna took the Hero's place on the Bay of Quinte, today, and brought a large number of passengers to the city.
15. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 5 Feb 1903: p.5 Many Improvements - The improvements to the steamer Varuna will consist of a new boiler, which will carry about 125 pounds of steam more than hitherto; she will be lengthened about five feet, and her bow rebuilt; a new and larger shaft will also be provided. She will be able to steam perhaps a couple of miles more per hour; and also carry a greater number of passengers. Altogether her improvements will be of a very substantial nature. [Picton Gazette]
16. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 8 Nov 1905 : Day's Episodes - Capt. Hicks, owner of the steamer Varuna, who has recently had the second cancer removed from his chin, is said to be improving.
17. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 1 Jul 1907: Had A Mishap - The Varuna met with a mishap at Northport, when going down the bay. When in the act of backing out from the dock the engine failed to work, and the vessel drifted on a point near by, with the result that a hole was stove in her bottom, on the starboard side, despite the fact that the anchor was out, but would not hold. She was towed to Deseronto and hauled out for repairs.
18. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 21 Feb 1908: Capt. Hicks has sold the steamer Varuna, well known on the Bay of Quinte, to Capts. Cooper and Rathbun.
19. Marine Review (Cleveland, OH), 28 May 1908, p. 23, gives J.E. Rathbun, Trenton, Ontario as owner and captain, and J.E. Eldridge as engineer.
20. Great Lakes Register 1908 : confirms dimensions, etc, but also gives "builder" as "Davis, Picton, Ontario, and "Owners or managers" as "W.B. Cooper."
21. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 4 Aug 1908: Amid the 1000 Islands - Travel Not Heavy This Season - Thousand Island Park still won't allow boats to land there on Sundays; rivalry between Folger and Visger boats still exists; steamer America had race with Castanet of the Visger line from Kingston to Clayton; Varuna began making her trips from Belleville and Bay ports to Thousand Island Park.
22. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 20 Aug 1908: Collided With a Steamer - Belleville, Ont., Aug. 20th - While coming to this port, this morning, the schooner Dundee, when two miles down the bay, was run into by the steamer Varuna and had her port bow stove in. A passenger on the Varuna, R. Smith, had his leg broken. The Varuna was somewhat damaged, but left on her course. The Dundee's damage was about $500.
23. Buffalo Evening News; Belleville, Ont., Aug. 21, 1908. -- While coming to this port yesterday, the schooner DUNDEE, about two miles from here down the bay was run into by the steamer Varuna, and had her bow stove in. A passenger on the Varuna, Mrs. R. Smith, had a leg broken. The Varuna was somewhat damaged, but left on her course. The damage to the DUNDEE was about $500.
24. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 2 Jan 1909 : Death of Capt. Hicks - Picton, Ont., Jan. 4th - Capt. Alfred Hicks, one of the best known navigators of the Bay of Quinte district, died on Saturday, aged 59 years. For nearly 25 years he was master of the steamer Varuna, of which he was part owner. He was a native of Prince Edward county and of U.E.I. parentage. A widow survives.
25. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 5 Jan 1909 : The Funeral of Capt. Hicks - Picton, Jan. 5th - The funeral takes place this afternoon, with Masonic ritual, of the late Capt. Alfred Hicks, one of the best known navigators of the Bay of Quinte, in command of the steamer Varuna for nearly a quarter of a century, who died at his Queen street home on Saturday, after an illness of two years from cancer. The late Capt. Hicks was born on May 22nd, 1849, the youngest of a family of twelve, son of Joseph Hicks and May Minaker. He was born on the old Hicks homestead in North Marysburg, just across from Waupoos Island where first landed his United Empire Loyalist grandparents, who built their home just near the tree under which they camped the first night they spent in Canada, when they left New York state, and whose stump is still to be seen today. Receiving a liberal education, Alfred Hicks qualified for a teacher and for five years taught the school in his home neighborhood and in Wellington.
    His career as a sailor first began in 1881, when he went on the steamer Varuna under the late Capt. Porte. He left the Varuna for a few years to take control of the ferry Mary Ethel, which plied between the Ameliasburg shore and Belleville. With the building of the bay bridge the ferry was discontinued and then he went on the steamer Spartan for a season. Capt. Hicks became master of the Varuna with the death of Capt. Porte, and also bought an interest in the boat. He continued on the Varuna until his health failed him, two years ago. Then he retired, also selling his West Lake farm to come to Picton to reside. Capt. Hicks is survived by his widow, but no family, his two sons having died when young. He also leaves one brother, Capt. Calvin Hicks, of Toronto, and one sister, Mrs. Charles Lacey, of Richford, N.Y.
26. British Whig (Kingston, ON), 26 Apr 1912 : I.M.C. - scarcity of medium sized passenger vessels - the old Reindeer is no more and the Quinte Queen was sold; the Varuna going on Trenton, Deseronto and Picton route.
27. Great Lakes Register 1912, p. 173 : Owners or managers - J.E. Rathbun [Given that registered owners were Ontario and Quebec Navigation Company Ltd., Picton, this was a 'Manager' annotation.

References and source notes

(2) Registry: folio 26, folio 86, folio 94, folio 95, from folio 95, folio 124
(3) Gillham, Bascom, Great Lakes Collection, Patrick Labadie, et al.
(4- ... ) As cited in text.