The EVENTS in and around Welland

This is where you will find interesting stories of
various EVENTS in and around Welland.
Currently we have a lot of stories about
businesses and their owners in the 1800s and 1900s.

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NOVADOC FEARED LOST WITH 25 ABOARD

Montreal, March 5 — (CP)—The Paterson Steamship Line, owners of the freighter Novadoc, missing three days off the New England coast in a gale, announced today the names of 17 members of the crew, and reported word was await- ed from the Digby, N.S., shipping master for names of “five or six others”. Six of the persons listed are from Montreal and district, five from Ontario, four from Nova Scotia, and two addresses unknown. The Ontario list: Second Engineer William Chris- tie. Paisley, Ont.; Oiler Roderick McLean, Glen Robertson, Ont.;

BECKETT’S BRIDGE BOX SOCIAL

[Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune, 1 March 1947]

The O’Reilly”s Bridge Women’s Institute held a successful box social on Thursday evening. Feb. 27^th, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Cosby and Mr. and Mrs. Ila Michener with a good attendance. The social event marked the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the Women’s Institute at Stoney Creek in 1897.

BAD STORM

[Welland Tribune, 21 July 1905]

St. Catharines, Ont., July 18-The severest electric storm of the summer visited this section last night. Several buildings were struck by lightning last evening.

KILLED BY THE M.C.R

[Welland Tribune, 17 December 1897]

Tillsonburg, Dec.12-About 1 o’clock on Sunday morning three young men left Tillsonburg in a buggy and drove northward to a hotel on the north side of the M.C.R. track, near the station. They were refused admittance, and one of them got out of the buggy. The others started to go back and were struck by the M.C.R. North Shore express, running about a mile a minute. The horse, which was across the track, escaped unhurt and was found about a mile away. The buggy was smashed to atoms, and one of the occupants, named Charles Lloyd, was hurled distance of 90 feet and instantly killed. His head was crushed in, his teeth knocked out, and both legs and arms were broken. The other a lad of seventeen, named Charlie Chandler was hurled a long distance, but escaped with a cut on his leg.

PORT COLBORNE

[People’s Press, 18 April 1905]

The electric railway surveyors reached here last week, struck a pile in Port Colborne to connect with the Toronto and Niagara railway. The line comes up the canal, leaving it at the new road in front of Wm. McGinnis’ house, coming up that road to East Main St., thence up Mellanby avenue about 60 rods and cuts across R.H. Appleyard’s to the east bank of the canal which it follows to Port Colborne. Another line was surveyed going west along Main street and up Victoria street to Port Colborne.

FATAL DYNAMITE EXPLOSION AT PORT COLBORNE

Frederick Haney and Chas. Hagendorn Killed.

David Ireland Injured

Frederick Haney, dead

Charles Hagendorn, dead

David Ireland, hands terribly mutilated and otherwise injured

[Welland Tribune, 23 June 1905]

Wild excitement prevailed in Port Colborne on Tuesday night, when an explosion, with fearful results, occurred on the steam drill, Pulvertizer, one of Contractor Hogan’s submarine drilling machines. About 7.15 o’clock a loud and ominous report rang out from the drills which were working near the breakwater. The expert ear knew that something unusual had happened.

The explosion had taken place above the water! That meant that men were injured, if not killed.

Men and women hurried toward the pier to look lakeward.

Then the drills and tugs began blowing their whistles- a cry of distress-and many thought the drill must be sinking as the ominous sounds came in over the water.

Women who had husbands and sons on the drills ran frantically here and there in an endeavor to learn just what had happened.

They had not long to wait for in a few minutes two tugs were seen heading toward the harbor under full steam. By this time hundreds had gathered along the shore and the anxiety and subdued excitement was intense. The Hector was the first tug, and as soon as the captain had his boat within hailing distance, the message was heard: “Telephone for the doctors to meet the tugs.”

The spectators now knew that the accident was serious enough, and physicians were summoned to meet the boats.

A HEART-RENDING SCENE

Behind the Hector came the tug Mitchell, and on her decks the scene was one not soon to be forgotten.

Motionless on the deck lay the mangled form of Chas.Hagendorn. He was instantly killed by the explosion.

Between two men, came the tug who were supporting him and bathing his face, reclined Frederick Haney, pallid and in great pain, but conscious. His body was frightfully torn, and as soon as the doctor saw his condition, he said nothing could prolong his life beyond a few hours. Blood was streaming from terrible wounds in his neck, chest and abdomen. He was beyond medical aid, and at nine o’clock death relieved him from his awful suffering.

The third victim was David Ireland, who has charge of blasting, and who is an expert with dynamite. One hand was almost entirely tore off and the other mutilated. But, with nerves of steel, Ireland stepped from the tug, and with two companions beside him, walked to his home, half a block away.

TAKEN TO HOSPITAL

Mr. Ireland’s wounds were dressed as carefully as possible, but as an operation had to be performed on his hands, and as he was cut and burned about the body and legs as well, it was deemed wise to send him to the hospital; at Buffalo. Preparations were quickly made and in a short time the tug C.E. Armstrong was headed toward that city with Mr. Ireland resting on a cot on the deck with Dr. Hutton, Mr. Marrigan and other friends of the injured man. He was taken to the general hospital, Buffalo, where an operation was performed at three o’clock in the morning. The stub of the thumb and first finger only remain on the left hand, and the thumb and side of the right hand is gone. The operation lasted an hour and three-quarters. Mr. Ireland was fortunate to escape with his life.

HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

Precisely how the accident happened is not known at this writing (Wednesday) except by Mr.Ireland, who is in the hospital and so far as we can learn has made no positive statement. Those best qualified to judge believe that a charge was put down in the hole and failed to work, so a small charge

was put down to explode it. This failed to leave the charger at the bottom, and when the charger was

pulled up , the “popper” came up with it unoticed by the opeartors. When the word was given to apply the

electric spark the charge of dynamite was exploded right beside the men on the dock of the boat.

EXPLOSION IN THE CHARGER

It is certain that the explosion took place in the charger, an iron pipe about two inches in diameter. The charger was bursted and flying pieces of buried themselves in the woodwork of the boat in many places, one striking the beam of the far side of the drill boat. Flying pieces of this infliced severe wounds on the dead men. Of course the cause of the accident, as descibed above, is merely surmised for no evidence has yet been given by those immediately concerned.

INJURIES ON THE DEAD MEN

Hagendorn received a charge through the right side of his jaw leaving a gaping wound; a charge through his heart and a large gaping wound in his abdomen on the rigth side driving his watch inside of his body, besides muerous smaller wounds. He was instatnly killed.

Haney received a large wound on the right side of his neck, a wound over the heart crushng in the ribs, a gaping wound in the abdomen from which the bowels protruded besides many smaller injuries.

Mr. Ireland was blown into the lake by the explosion and was_________.

Dan Slade and Fred Seuss were working with the three men above mentioned, but esaped without a scratch.

THE INQUEST

Dr. Hutton ordered an inquest and Wednesday morning empanelled the following jury-Harry Dunlap, J.E. Lynden, W.M. McKay, D. Armstrong, F.D. Noble, Wm. Reeb, Chas. Fares, F.K. Brown, J.H. Smith, J.R. Tuck, W.J. Saurin, and T.J. O’Neil. They drove to Humberstone to view the remains and went out to the drill on the tug Mitchell to see the condition there Then they went to the town hall where an adjourment was made until Wednesday, July 5, at 7 p.m., when it is hoped Mr. Ireland will be present to give evidence.

FREDERICK HANEY

Illegible———home of his brother-in-law, John Houser at Humberstone. He was a son of the late Dr. and Mrs. F.M. Haney, who died in 1897 and 1903 respectively. He was in the 29^th year of his age and unmarried. He was born in Humberstone and lived there all his life with the exception of a couple of years spent in British Col_. He had only_on the drill since Thursday last week, his debut at the business. Poor fellow, he was to have been married on Wednesday next. Truly in the midst of life we are in death. He is survied by one brother, Thos., in Woodstock and three sisters-Mrs. J. Houser of Humberstone, Mrs. W.A. Schooley of Buffalo and Mrs. Chas. Armstong of Port Colborne. He was a member of Beacon Lodge, I.O.O.F and of the I.L.M. & T.A. The funeral was held yesterday aftrnoon at 2.30 p.m. under the auspices of Beacon Lodge. Rev. A.C. Mackintosh conducted services at the house, and intement was made in Overholt’s cemetery.

CHARLES HAGENDORN

Was about 28 years of age. He had no near relatives in this country except some uncles in Buffalo who ____. He had been in America 15 years, of which the last six were spent in this village. A father, sister and brother in Germany survive. This was his second season on the drill. The body was taken to Ellsworth’s undertaking rooms and later to Wm. Rother’s at Humberstone from where the funeral took place at 10 a.m. yesterday. Rev. A.C. Macintosh conducted service at the house, and intement was in Overholt’s cemetery. He was also a member of the I.L.M. and T.A. who looked after the funeral.

The drill was not injured to any extent, although some pasrts look as if they had been the target for a charge of shrapnel.

Outside of the relatives of the dead and injured, no one feels the accidnet more keenly than Contractor Hogan. It is the first accident that has occurred in the explosive department during the five years drilling here, and it is an undoubted truism that “familiarity breeds contempt.” Deadly dynamite sticks were handled without thought of danger, and it is not to be wondered at if the men failed to use extreme caution at all times. Although so far as we know, there was no lack of caution in this case.

CANAL BREAK REPAIRED

[People’s Press, 23 May 1905]

The poor old Cuba! Nothing but the hardest kind of luck has pursued her so far this season, and the breaking of the gates of lock 21 capped the climax. Captain Monpetit’s many friends express great sympathy for him in his series of troubles. He is looked upon as a good careful “skipper,” and it is difficult to account for such a small steamer carrying away the gates of one of the large locks. The break was repaired and locking resumed at 4.30 Thursday afternoon. The Merchants’ Line of Montreal, who own the Cuba, will have to face a large bill of damages. The damage to the canal will cost the Merchants’ Company in the neighborhood of $2,000 and $200 damage to farms.

A.T.H. &B TRAIN SAVED BY A SMALL BOY

[Welland Tribune, 9 June 1905]

Buffalo, N.Y., June 6-The chief incident attendant upon last night’s severe storm in Buffalo was the averting by a small boy of the probable wrecking of a T.H. & B passenger train in the Black Rock yards, in which serious loss of life night have been entailed. In thunder, lightning and in rain, the little fellow was walking along the railroad on his way home about eight o’clock, when he noticed that the stone ballast had been completely washed away and that it was unsafe for a train to pass that point. A minute later he saw the headlight of the engine of the T.H & B train turning into the New York Central tracks near International Bridge. The youngster realized the danger the oncoming train was running into, and he started to wave his handkerchief, but afterwards spied a switch lamp which he grabbed and rushing to the centre of the tracks waved it so that the engineer could see the red light. The train was brought to a stop just a short distance front the washout, and an inspection showed that the boy’s conclusions were justified. There is a heavy embankment on one side of the track. The train was delayed almost two hours.

BANK PURCHASES BUSINESS BLOCK

Business Block of J.S. O’Neal Changed Hands Last Week

[Welland Tribune and Telegraph, 1921]

On Saturday afternoon, a deal was put through in which James O’Neal disposed of the property which he has occupied for the past fourteen years to the Bank of Toronto.

The building was built fourteen years ago by Marcus Vanderburg, for Mr. O’Neal, and is 34 by 75 feet, well-constructed, and a fine two storey brick store. The Bank will assume possession on June 10th.

Mr. O’Neal will, after 44 years, in the grocery business retire from active business, our reporter was informed yesterday. He was 18 years in business with C.J. Page and 26 years in business by himself, and thinks he is well deserving a rest.

Mr. O’Neal has purchased a home at 24 Oakland Avenue, where he intends to reside after having disposed of his stock and business.

He leaves the mercantile sphere with kindest thoughts for everybody, and for the citizens in general, with regrets at having to part after all these years with many business friends and acquaintances.

The price paid for the property, The Tribune-Telegraph is informed, was $55,000.

THE LAND BOOM

[Welland Tribune, 8 August 1905]

The scene of the local land boom has shifted south from Rainey’s Bend and Mr. Richards is now endeavoring to buy a block of about 200 acres south of the Chippawa road. The following are the farms which he desires: R.H. Appleyard, 30 acres; H.S. Ramey, 30 acres; Jno. Weaver, 25 acres; Frank Schooley, 50 acres; Wm. Rauch, 10 acres; J.A. Steele, 52 ½ acres. Mr. Richards has succeeded in optioning all the above land at a satisfactory figure, except J.A. Steele’s, which he says is held at a price too high to buy. We understand Mr. Steele wants $100 an acre. Mr. Richards says he wants this piece of land to complete the block, and unless Mr. Steele sells to him he will not buy any of it. The purpose for which this land is being bought is as a great mystery as ever.