Nova Scotia Archives

Where the Land Meets the Sea: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia

"Wreck of the Arcadia, on Sable Island"

Published in Ballou's Pictorial, Boston, 24 January 1857, the scene was described by M.D. McKenna, Superintendent of Sable Island: "The horses in the foreground are the wild ponies raised on the island." The Arcadia sailed from Antwerp on 29 October 1854 bound for New York with 149 German passengers and a crew of 21 men. She ran aground 6 November in fog and rough seas. All were rescued and McKenna was awarded the medal of the London Humane Society for his heroic service in this event.

Date: 1854

Medium: tinted newspaper sketch

Artist: A. Hill

Reference: Photo Nova Scotia Archives  Illustrated Newpaper Images: Ballou's Pictorial

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