Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Lane.

1968 - John Hamilton ("Hammy") Lane, inspector in charge of radio regulations at Halifax, has retired after 35 years of service with the department.

 

Mr. Lane joined the Department of Marine, a forerunner of D.O.T., in 1932 after serving for a time aboard merchant marine vessels. He was appointed inspector in charge at Halifax in 1959.

 

One of the most memorable experiences of his career occurred while he was serving as a radio operator aboard the tanker "Mina Brea" when it caught fire off Canso, N.S., in August 1929 while loaded with 1,500,000 gallons of gasoline.

 

Although the fire raged for three days, destroying the bridge and living quarters and reducing the engine to pulp, it was discovered when the hulk was towed into port that the tanker had not lost one drop of its gasoline cargo.

 

The incident earned the ship and its crew a measure of fame with publication in the widely-read newspaper feature "Ripley's Believe It Or Not."