William Pitt (Canada)
Encyclopedia
Captain William Abraham Pitt was a Canadian engineer from the Kingston Peninsula
of New Brunswick
. He was born January 24, 1821 in Reed's Point, King County, New Brunswick. For over 30 years he operated a small sail and oars scow ferry connecting the Kinstaon Pennsula with the Kennebecasis Valley.
He invented the underwater cable ferry. His new invention was installed across the Kennebecasis River between Reed’s Point and Gondola Point in 1904. By the middle of the 20th century, New Brunswick’s road network improved and cable ferries to carry passengers and vehicles could be found in many river communities.
Believing that the cable required to operated his new ferry was to heavy and bulky, he decided the lay the cable out during the winter. He ran the ferry cable across the river allowing it to sink into place with the Spring thaw.
Ironically, he later died from very serious injuries obtained by falling into the machinery of the ferry. One of the two cable ferries currently operating at Gondola Point is named the "William Pitt II" in his honor.
Kingston Peninsula
The Kingston Peninsula is a peninsula in southern New Brunswick, Canada, located between the Saint John River and the Kennebecasis River in Kings County.The peninsula was the site of the first United Empire Loyalist settlement in New Brunswick in 1783....
of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
. He was born January 24, 1821 in Reed's Point, King County, New Brunswick. For over 30 years he operated a small sail and oars scow ferry connecting the Kinstaon Pennsula with the Kennebecasis Valley.
He invented the underwater cable ferry. His new invention was installed across the Kennebecasis River between Reed’s Point and Gondola Point in 1904. By the middle of the 20th century, New Brunswick’s road network improved and cable ferries to carry passengers and vehicles could be found in many river communities.
Believing that the cable required to operated his new ferry was to heavy and bulky, he decided the lay the cable out during the winter. He ran the ferry cable across the river allowing it to sink into place with the Spring thaw.
Ironically, he later died from very serious injuries obtained by falling into the machinery of the ferry. One of the two cable ferries currently operating at Gondola Point is named the "William Pitt II" in his honor.