Canada's Naval History

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Birth of the Navy (1910-1914)
HMCS Niobe

HMCS Niobe, one of the Naval Service of Canada's first two ships, was intended in part to train Canadian sailors. A large, obsolescent cruiser, Niobe required many crew and was expensive to operate. Lengthy repairs after it ran aground in 1911, and subsequent budget cutbacks, limited the ship's activities.

Artifact Record

Oil Lamp, HMCS Niobe

This lamp originally hung in the warrant officers' mess in HMCS Niobe.

Its cylindrical reservoir (bottom) held kerosene fuel, while a burning wick housed in the glass chimney (top) provided light. The lamp's pivoting mount (right) allowed it to remain vertical as the ship pitched and rolled. Though Niobe used electrical power for equipment such as searchlights and the Marconi wireless (radio) set, oil lamps still provided illumination in some areas and also served as back-up lighting.

Oil Lamp
CWM 20010035-001