Farquhar 's first time working on the sea was aboard the ship '' His Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of Wales '' which sailed to Baltimore in 1863 . Farquhar then made several voyages on various ships sailing around the world and calling at three continents by 1865 . Shortly after he was promoted to the forecastle . When he was 25 years old , Farquhar started diving while working with a salvage crew on the ship '' Thistle '' . Farquhar then became the master of '' Thistle '' and after a particularly good haul he bought his first vessel a small schooner ; '' James McKeen '' and started his own salvage company . Farquhar took a break in his salvaging business to captain '' Horton '' . In 1875 James took a vacation to his hometown where he met his wife Jesse . After his marriage he decided to become a trader to better support his new family and wrote his masters . He , and others , invested to build a ship called '' Cumberland '' . It ran aground on its first day but was saved with little damage . Farquhar took his wife and their first daughter to sail with him aboard '' Cumberland '' . Before 1878 Bertie and Jesse moved back to Halifax . Soon after James left '' Cumberland '' and went back to salvaging . He became the captain of '' Alhambra '' , a steam ship as he was eager to try this new technology . In 1884 he started a steam line for trading and passengers between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and by 1889 he had another steamer . He soon after started trading with the Chicago Board of Trade under the name J.A. Farquhar & Co. and was quite successful . Farquhar also started dealing in seals , and their products , namely pelts using his ship '' Newfoundland '' . On July 9 , 1898 '' Newfoundland '' was arrested by the Americans for allegedly running the Cuban blockade but was later cleared of the charges . Farquhar purchased a former British minesweeper named '' Stella Maris '' which he used for salvage and tug boat work . The tug played a heroic but tragic role in the Halifax Explosion in 1917 . '' Stella Maris '' was badly damaged and the crew suffered heavy losses but the Farquhar family were ashore at the time and not hurt . From winter 1906 to spring 1907 Farquhar took a vacation in Europe , and he grew especially found of Monte Carlo ; where he would return to many times before his death . In the same year he bought a yacht , '' Christine '' . Farquhar and his wife Jesse would sail around the world together for years to come . The couple loved traveling together , especially in the winter months , by plane , boat , and car
Halifax Explosion
Halifax Explosion
James Augustus Farquhar