It was a snowy, stormy night, that February 23, 1918, when the sturdy SS Florizel steamed out of St. John's harbour bound for Halifax and New York. Just before dawn, over nine hours after leaving port, Captain Martin ran his ship full steam onto the rocks just north of Cape Race. 93 passengers and crew perished while 44 were miraculously rescued after 27 hours braving the raging storm.