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| Douglas Norman, 9, died in collapse |
Ireland Park, nestled deep near the tracks in the Point at the corner of Liverpool and Coleraine, might seem like a pleasant green space with a bench and a small playground but those who know the grisly story behind the spot might detect the stench of death.
Houses once sat on the land including one at 2075 Coleraine where someone named George Yeates (aka Yates) lived. It went vacant after Yates' inheritors disclaimed ownership.
Houses once sat on the land including one at 2075 Coleraine where someone named George Yeates (aka Yates) lived. It went vacant after Yates' inheritors disclaimed ownership.
The duplex fell into an advanced state of disrepair as people would enter and pillage wood and bricks and other items.
Police would sometimes patrol to ensure nobody went inside the two-storey structure but they still did nonetheless.
Disaster struck on a Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. January 8, 1936.
Children were running around inside the creaky structure when they heard the structure start to shift.
Within seconds the whole thing came down and young Douglas Norman, 9, of 839 Charron was crushed by a beam.
It took 30 minutes to dig his body out of the mess and remove the ceiling beam planted firmly in his forehead.
Police would sometimes patrol to ensure nobody went inside the two-storey structure but they still did nonetheless.
Disaster struck on a Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. January 8, 1936.
Children were running around inside the creaky structure when they heard the structure start to shift.
Within seconds the whole thing came down and young Douglas Norman, 9, of 839 Charron was crushed by a beam.
It took 30 minutes to dig his body out of the mess and remove the ceiling beam planted firmly in his forehead.
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| Survivors Clifford Bowden, 9, Eddie Caverner, 14, Tommy Bowden (twins) 9. |
His father Arthur Norman was informed of the disaster later that afternoon as he returned from work as boilermaker (welder) at the nearby CNR shops.
William Baxter, 60, of 855 Liverpool helped rescue Edward Kavanagh, 13, of 822 Liverpool. Clifford Bowden, 7, of 630 Fortune also managed to flee before the collapse.
The remains of the building and several other creaky adjacent structures were torn down immediately afterwards.
The boy's father sued the city for $848 because they had neglected to tear the building down after doing the same to other nearby buildings. The court awarded him $639 plus costs, a decision that the city of Montreal sought to appeal.
William Baxter, 60, of 855 Liverpool helped rescue Edward Kavanagh, 13, of 822 Liverpool. Clifford Bowden, 7, of 630 Fortune also managed to flee before the collapse.
The remains of the building and several other creaky adjacent structures were torn down immediately afterwards.
The boy's father sued the city for $848 because they had neglected to tear the building down after doing the same to other nearby buildings. The court awarded him $639 plus costs, a decision that the city of Montreal sought to appeal.
Alderman Hogan denounced the "petty picayne and niggardly economies practices in such matters whic have resulted in loss of life."
Wow! Didn't know and lived there for a while [Dublin and Wellington].
ReplyDeleteNewspaper of that day....
ReplyDeletehttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19360109&id=y34tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5pgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6791%2C941069&hl=en
I lived at 721 Liverpool near the corner of Coleraine from 1954 To 1977 and never knew this!! Blows my mind.
ReplyDeleteI lived at 448 Charonbut often rode my bike in the area. My father was the last owner of Irv's grocery located at the corner of Charon and Coleraine from Dec. 1974 till Mar. 1977 when they renovated the building. I'm now 62 years old.
ReplyDelete