Saturday, July 25, 2009

75 years and who else remembers?




   Five men and one woman, all Jewish, when the truck they were traveling in from Ste. Agathe got its tires stuck in streetcar tracks while traveling south on St. Lawrence near Liege. One woman's head was decipitated and found in the street car. Ten wer injured. Benny hammith, 33, Boris Smalkin, 50 and P. Adeland were among the dead on July 16, 1934. 

3 comments:

  1. Completely politicall incorrect to be stating that the dead were "Jewish people" heading to work...as compared to the "French Canadians" heading off to collect "chomage" and escape "conscription".

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  2. A photo of the streetcar--Montreal Tramways 2600--can be seen here following its restoration and sale/donation to a U.S. rail museum.

    https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1600&bih=769&ei=UbZDWp-NO6GKjwTniIT4Cw&q=montreal+tramways+2600&oq=montreal+tramways+2600&gs_l=img.3...2819.9586.0.10255.24.15.1.8.8.0.190.1842.0j15.15.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.20.1961...0j0i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.nfi7BTBZOZs#imgrc=l6_KiLalXhy0nM:

    By today's regulations, the truck was carrying too many passengers. Interestingly, on this section of Blvd. St. Laurent the streetcar tracks were not in the centre of the road as usual but closer to the west side, thereby forcing any southbound vehicles into a narrow lane--an accident waiting to happen. Zoom in to the 1947 aerial map below:

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P18-34.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  3. See also the Gazette:

    http://montrealgazette.com/sponsored/mtl-375th/from-the-archives-it-took-a-tragedy-to-enforce-passenger-safety-seating

    ReplyDelete

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