From The Islander

Notable articles from the Victoria Times Colonist's Islander Magazine

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Theatre Patron’s of the 1880′s Were No Polite Bunch

July 28th, 2010 · British Columbia, Vancouver Island, Victoria

The "temple of amusement" the Vancouver Opera House on a busy night.

It seems that perceptions of early Victorians as strictly polite and unwaveringly sophisticated people may have been untrue. In his Islander article “Theatre Patrons of the 1880s Who Would Never Be Missed Wore Big Hats, Talked To Much”, historian James K. Nesbitt shares excerpts from a an article published in the Daily Colonist that scathingly rebukes impolite Victorian theatre goers.

From January of 1886; first, a rather lengthy introductory paragraph:

“Bald heads come in for a large share of ridicule because they will occupy the front seats at the ballet and comic opera, but they are a nuisance to no one, for they only allow of a better view for those who are seated behind them. Besides, a long list of precedents has been established their right to the occupation of the orchestra chairs, and custom has always recognized that they were they to desert their rightful place at the temple of amusement and occupy promiscuous seats, actors, actresses and audience would feel their was something lacking in the house. By all mean let the gentle men who posses no capillary covering retain their recognized places without comment or dissent.

There are several very apparent nuisances at the splendid new Victoria Theatre, however, and while sitting in a back seat dress circle at The Beggar Student, a scribe of The Colonist was very aware of a number of people who would “never be missed” if the y remained away.

The first noted immediately in front of him – two ladies with brightly arranged hair, surmounted with bonnets of outrageous proportions, trimmed with birds, and flowers. These precluded a view of the performers on the stage and it was only by twisting ones neck this way, and then the other, that a view was obtained of the pretty scene, the ladies dodging around in an aggravating way. If they would only leave their high hats at home, and wear to the opera a wool fascinator of the beautiful shades that are now made over their heads they would look more attractive themselves, and confer a boon on an exasperated backseat audience.”

And that was not all, apparently, big hats were not even the biggest problem

“there are people in this 24 year old city of Victoria who imagine that life is altogether of a duration to brief to furnish them with sufficient opportunities to of telling their friends all they know, Heaven only knows that if they considered the wisdom of their speech they would forever be quiet.

There were some of these intolerable pests in the immediate neighbourhood of the scribe, and during the finer parts of the performance, when every one with a soul for music was straining to catch the charm of the sweet sounds, they would break out with some loud remark more than sufficient to destroy the harmony of the song, and the temper of the listeners. They certainly would bee gladly “missed.”

the list of offences carried on

“but there are others – there is the man who must go out between every act for cloves, brushing past  those who have enough common sense and decency to remain in their chairs, tramping on their corns, and perhaps leering at the ladies. They invariably take a centre seat, so that they can create as much trouble as possible for others.

A brass band onstage at the Victoria Theatre.

There is the individual who cannot wait until the finish of a song before applauding, there is the noodle who will persist during the progress of a play in telling all he knows about it to his neighbours, or anticipating scenes; there is the awful crying baby who should always be left at home, there is the usher who will take the longest way to get to a seat, or who will place people in the wrong seats.”

The humble scribe of The Colonist left his readers with a final admonition.

“Theatre and concert etiquette should certainly be better observed in Victoria than it is at present.”

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B.C.’s Worst Coal Mining Disaster

July 27th, 2010 · British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver Island

A group of miners at the Nanaimo pit head.

During the 19th century, coal mining was one of Vancouver Island’s major industries. Coal mining in early British Columbia was risky business, and accidents often occurred, which killed miners and damaged and destroyed mines and mine shafts. One of the very worst mining accidents very to occur in British Columbia happened in the Spring of 1887. Islander author Kathleen Robertson tells the story of  the fire and explosion at the No. 1 Pit mine in Nanaimo.

Known as the “Esplanade”, the No. 1 Pit was the most successful, and lucrative mine in Naniamo. It spurred major development within the community of Naniamo, but also grew to a great size. Because of this, every time the network of shafts and tunnels increased and the mine grew more complicated, the possibility of a major disaster became more and more of a threat.

One of the main problems with the mine was that, as it grew, it became harder and harder to ventilate properly. While many dangers lurked within the mine, one of the greatest dangers was explosions caused by coal dust. If air did not circulate properly in the mine, dust would accumulate, and could trigger a major explosion when exposed to even a tiny spark. After an explosion the dust would form a deadly gas, that was primarily composed of deadly carbon monoxide gas. The gas was odourless and invisible, but once it spread through the mine, it would suffocate to death any one it encountered.

“No. 1 on the Esplanade” has an elegant ring, reminiscent of the main attraction on an English seaside promenade. But to our west coast pioneers, No. 1 was a coal pit and the esplanade, the rocky shore of Naniamo’s harbour.

By the spring of 1887 entrepreneurial zeal had created a monster. The pit was a maze of tunnels running in three directions below the foreshore and harbour. One shaft sloped south of the town, another two levels rose to the north, and a third stretched nearly a mile out to sea.Shafts angled to bypass rock faults; all were linked by a web of smaller passageways. Preventing coal dust from accumulating in this rabbit warren would have taxed modern technology.

On May 3, a catastrophic event finally transpired.

a pocket of gas floated undetected along the south slope. When someone fired  a badly planted shot into the rock face nearby, the gas ignited – and the mine exploded.

Men working at the pit head stopped at the sound of a dull rumble below. As they stood silently, wisps of smoke floated up from the airshaft. Moments later a violent tremor shook the esplanade. The force of the explosion flung timber and rock hundreds of feet into the air. As the debris crashed to the ground, the airshaft glowed red and smoke gushed skywards. The mine was on fire with 154 men trapped below.

As soon as the furor of the initial blast died down, news of the explosion spread across town swiftly. Soon, towns people and the crews of ships in the Nanaimo harbour were rushing towards the mines to aid in a rescue effort. Mines inspector Archie Dick was one of the first on the scene, and described the carnage surrounding the pit head “…cars, both loaded and empty, were piled up and twisted into every conceivable shape” the suction fan which had been installed to ventilate the mine was a “mass of iron, distorted and ruined.”

Despite the discovery of several bodies of miners who had been killed outright by the blast, seven survivors were also found right away. However, went rescuers attempted to advance further into the mine, they were turned back by clouds of noxious gas.

As the fire retreated deeper into the mine, it left in its wake clouds of deadly gas. Heads throbbing, staggering on weakening legs, the rescuers fought their way back to the surface. One of the them died later of the effects of the after damp.

Saving the miners still trapped was hopeless as long as the mine burned. A volunteer force of 170 made heroic efforts to halt the fire. First they set up barricades to stop the flow of air feeding the flames below. When that failed, they forced a continuos stream of water into the mine head; seamen from coal steamers in the harbour manned the single available pump. Squads of men in turn dared the after damp, stumbling in the gloom, often up to thier waists in water. But they were driven back time and again.

Families await news of the trapped miners above the mine shaft.

By 10 o’clock at night, rescue attempts were forced to halt, and the fire continued to burn out of control. On the surface crowds of anxious mining families waited in the pouring rain, waiting for goods news, or a miracle that could save all those trapped underground.

Soon, appeals for assistance were telegraphed south to Victoria. When a train of supplies arrived, rescue efforts were redoubled, and after three days, rescuers were finally able to attempt reentering the mine.

Although the fire still burned in the farthest reaches of the mine, on May6 a party of five set out in search of survivors. They included inspector Dick, the mine manager, a local member of parliament (an ex-miner himself), and two workers from the Wellington Colliery. Stumbling, sometimes forced to crawl, they had fought their way three quarters of a mile, when they found the first bodies.

In a 1959 issue of the Colonist, Cecil Clark described the scene:

“Finally they came to a barricade fashioned of brattice cloth and stray pieces of wood, and behind it their flickering headlights revealed the erie spectacle of 35 miners, white and Chinese, sitting against the wall. They were 35 dead men, sitting in natural attitudes, some with their eyes open. One had written with his finger in the fluorescent fuzz on a timber cap the message “13 hours of misery..John Stevens.” Another verge of death message said: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 o’clock…W. Bone.” Apparently the group had blocked off the tunnel against gas, but it had crept behind them, after they’d stayed alive for at least 13 hours. If they had barricaded their rear they might have lived several days.”

Within the next few weeks, the bodies of almost all those who had been trapped and killed were brought to the surface. Two men were never found. In total 148 had been killed (95 white men and 53 Chinese). They left behind 41 wives and 129 children. This was out of the total population of Nanaimo which was only o4, 000 people.

In time the the town would recover, relief money poured from all over the pacific northwest, which helped to ease the burden of the towns loss and repair the damage caused by the explosion. In time, mining at the No. 1 pit resumed.

Looking back to the early days, old-timers would not have said that a particular event occurred in 1880 or 18896, but that it happened before or after “the big explosion.”

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A Single Gunshot in the Night

July 22nd, 2010 · Vancouver Island, Victoria

Magistrate A.F. Pemberton accepted William Millington's surrender.

And now for another tale of murder and mayhem..sort of. Almost 150 years ago, a man named Robert Coombs, a popular musician, was killed by a single gunshot in Esquimalt. Islander author T.W. Patterson describes the tale of Coombs’s unfortunate end.

Robert Coombs met sudden and violent death at Esquimalt.

Almost two centuries after [his] demise, the circumstances surrounding his fatal shooting remain much of a mystery – despite the fact that the identity of his slayer was known almost immediately.

In fact, another pioneer Esquimalt resident made no bones about having fired the fatal shot. The only real question that went unanswered then – and remains so to this day – was whether William Millington had pulled the trigger out of malice (murder), in fear for his life (self defence) or accidentally (manslaughter).

Both of the men who were involved in the incident were well respected by the community and it seemed that neither were the sort to be involved in deadly confrontation. Millington was a 10 year resident of Esquimalt, while Coombs had been a seaman and violinist attached to the Royal Navy ship HMS Plumper.

HMS Plumper

HMS Plumper

on the morning of Jan. 2, 1861, Coombs lay dead a bullet through his heart, and Millington had taken to the bush.

Coombs’ body was not discovered until that afternoon, by children playing in Millington’s backyard. Partially concealed between two logs and some bows, the bluejacket lay on his back, arms raised “in an attitude of defence, probably from an anticipated blow” Death, declared Dr. Forbes after an on-the-spot examination, had been instantaneous.

When it occurred to investigators to ask Millington what he knew of a body in his yard, they were met by his wife’s nurse, who said he had fled “into the country.” Further investigation revealed that Millington and Coombs had been drinking together earlier in the evening and had left a saloon together. Several of the former’s neighbours then admitted to having heard shouts of  ”Murder!” and a shot, about 2 a.m. None, however, seemed to have taken it seriously, including the man to whom Millington had admitted to having “shot a man last night.”

Police Chief Horace Smith had no shortage of volunteers for a posse, the 30 year-old Coombs having been “an excellent man and much beloved by his shipmates.” Many, apparently, found it hard to believe that the middle-aged assassin, loving father of three and builder of the first brick house in Victoria, could be guilty of cold-blooded murder; but, until Millington surrendered or was arrested, his continued flight only seemed to incriminate him all the more.

As police pressed their search, Peter Williams, a neighbour, testified at the coroner’s inquest that, an hour before Coombs’ death, Millington had passed his house ” staggering drunk.” Shortly afterwards, Williams had heard the sounds of a quarrel, Millington’s voice in rage, a shot, and three cries of “Murder!” Then deathly silence. Later that morning, Millington had told him: “I shot a man last night that tried to steal my horse, and I got my face scratched in the fight.”

In spite of a vigorous search of Esquimalt and Victoria by police, and the posse of volunteers, no sign of Millington could be found, and he remained at large when the evening came. It turned out that he had made his way to the home of two of his friends who lived in Saanich. He had sworn to them that he had acted in self defence and merely fired his gun to protect himself from Coombs, who had been threatening him with a knife.After some time, the two men he was with convinced millington to give himself up, and return to town.

Thirty-five hours after the fatal shooting, Millington…presented himself to Magistrate A.F. Pemberton at the Bastion Square Police Barracks, to declare: “I am accused of having killed a man and have come to give myself up.”

At the perliminary hearing, he presented a haggard and careworn appearance, and leaned heavily against the dock railing. His forehead bore the mark of a blow, his left cheek was gashed, and, all in all, “his whole appearance was that of a man laboring who had done something fearful, and fully realized the position in which he stood.”

Attorney General Cary

Weeks later, Millington, charged with murder, pleaded not guilty and faced a jury of his peers, to hear Attorney-General George Cary passionately implore then to regard his crime as a capital offence.

During the trial, testimony was heard from the Millington’s live-in house keeper, who became confused upon being questioned and was dismissed by Chief Justice Cameron. As well, the court heard from Doctor William Rumsey, who had preformed the autopsy on Coomb’s body. Rumsey stated that Coombs had been on foot when he was shot, as the bullet had gone into his back. Neighbour Peter Williams was also called up again, and repeated what he had said at the preliminary hearing; that Millington had confessed to him the morning after the murder of having “shot a man.”

After the witnesses were heard, “defense counsel D..B. Ring made an eloquent plea for Millington’s acquittal, arguing that the wounds on his clients face proved that Coombs had assaulted him, that Millington had fired in self defence.”

Hours later, the jury delivered a verdict.

the case of Regina vs. William Millington in the death of Robert Coombs was officially closed, the jury having delivered a verdict of not guilty. At worst, he seems to have been guilty of mansluaghter, all testimony having agreed on one crucial point: that Millington had admitted only to having shot a man. The fact that poor Coombs had lain where he had fallenuntil discovered later that day by children would seem to indicate that the Esquimalt bricklayer, drunk and angry, had fired blindly into the night, then retired to his bed – unaware that he had just killed his friend.

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The Second Bride Ship

July 21st, 2010 · Vancouver Island, Victoria

The HMS Forward, a sister ship to the Grappler, that brought the young ladies of the Robert Lowe into the Victoria Harbour.

Previously, From the Islander has described the story of the so-called two bride ships that came to Victoria, as part of an attempt to balance the population of the colony. While a fair amount known about the first bride ship the Ss. Tynemouth, much less is known about the second ship the Robert Lowe. Historian J.K. Nesbitt provides a description of the voyage and arrival of the Robert Lowe.

The news of the Robert Lowe’s intended voyage came to Victorians while the first bride ship, the Tynemouth was still at sea.

By December after the Tynemouth’s arrival excitement had died away, Victorians commenced to look for the Robert Lowe. The bachelors were excited – surely, now, they said to each other, they would find a wife, for single women then, quite unlike today, were scarce in Victoria, and bachelors then, unlike now, were plentiful.

Day after day during the Christmas-New Years season of 1862-63 Victorians went to the waterfront, and looked out towards race Rocks. Who would be the first to glimpse the Robert Lowe…and dash back to town to spread the news on the street corners and in the taverns?

On January 12, 1863, the Robert Lowe finally made it to Victoria, and the Daily Colonist heralded her arrival.

“This long and anxiously expected vessel has at length arrived in Esquimalt harbour. She left Gravesend on the 18th September last, and has consequently been 114 days en voyage. She brings 180 passengers of both sexes, among whom are many married ladies, come out to join their husbands who are residing here…During the voyage there were no deaths aboard and everyone enjoyed the trip amazingly.”

Because the lasses who arrived by the Tynemouth some months previously had caused such excitement here, and some strange goings-on among the bachelors the Colonist in the Robert Lowe’s case attempted to play down the young ladies aboard, and concentrated on the other passengers:

“We are glad to notice among the arrivals several married men, with their wives and families; these will be a valuable addition to our colonists and we look to their taking up residence and remaining among us. There are also, we understand, several gentlemen of capital who intend going into mercantile and other pursuits, for which they have a good field to work upon here.”

When the young ladies were ready to be brought ashore, they boarded the Royal Navy gunboat the HMS Grappler. Upon reaching shore, they were greeted by the Lady Mayoress, Mrs. Thomas Harris as well as Mrs. Edward Cridge. Despite the stately welcoming committee, the majority of the people who came down to witness the girls arrival were less than polite.

…behind them jostled more than 1, 000 people, and so “the girls had to run the gauntlet – amid the utterance of coarse jokes and personalities, though, in justice, we must state the majority of those present were very well conducted. Members of the committee present were Dr. Davie and Rev. E. Cridge whose gentle remonstrances failed to keep the the crowd from pressing forward.”

At this point, the article gives no further details about the fortunes of the girls of the Robert Lowe. However, it can be assumed that as was the case with the passenger s of the Tynemouth, that most of the women either found new husbands or suitable employment, and led successful lives in Victoria.

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Alfred Waddington Champion of Amalgamation

July 20th, 2010 · British Columbia, Vancouver Island, Victoria

Alfred Waddington

In the past, this blog has described the efforts of men like C.B. Young, who were desperately opposed to the notion of Vancouver Island becoming a part of an amalgamated British Columbia. Understandably, emotions ran high on both sides of the issue, and one of the men who opposed people like Young, was Alfred Waddington. James K. Nesbitt describes Waddington’s role in the amalgamation of British Columbia in his article “Alfred Waddington Wanted Victoria As B.C.’s Capital”.

A Victoria businessman and entrepreneur, Waddington was a perfect champion for annexation, given his stature within Victorian colonial society, and his irrepressibly argumentative personality.

On many occasions, at public meetings and in letters to the editor of the Daily Colonist, Waddington voiced his strident opinions with forceful candour.  According to D.W. Higgins an editor of the Colonist:

“There were some lively scenes in the old hall[the legislature], especially between Mr. Cary, the attorney-general, and Mr. Waddington.

The attorney-general was ill and irritable. Mr. Waddington was old and irritable. The manner in which those two would hammer away at each other was most refreshing to the outsiders who gathered at the hall.”

As was the case with many Victorians of the time, Waddington was concerned with the stuffy bureaucratic atmosphere of Victoria, and critical of the cliquey upper crust politicians who ran the colony. In one letter he stated:

“On the American side they have lighthouses where wanted; buoys where wanted; roads and communications, but they have no admirals, no brilliant officers, no high society balls.

On the English side we have all the latter, and moreover we have had a famine, and in all probability are going to have another. We have a port requiring improvements, but yet not a single step has been made to make them.”

Waddington was interested in promoting Victoria as the future capital of a united British Columbia. Sometimes this placed him in awkward, even dangerous situations. On one occasion while dining at Madame Beniot’s, a fine all-night French restaurant, Waddington was involved in a violent altercation with several other men, which likely arose as a result of a highly charged political discussion.

A few days after the incident, Waddington was inclined to present his version of the events of the fight to Magistrate Pemberton in Police Court.

One summer evening in 1859 Mr. Waddington was at Madame’s when there came a great uproar.

“I dined at Madame Benoit’s in company with 10 or 12 persons, one of whom was a lady. At the end of dinner a slight discussion took place near me, between Mr. St. Ours and Mr. Trouette, when the latter rose up and smacked Mr. St. Ours in the face, to which Mr. St Ours answered by striking him on the head with a bottle; then they closed, Mrs. Trouette shrieking and trying to separate them.

“Mr. Benoit, attracted by the noise, now came into the room, seized Mr. Trouette, drew him back against the wall. Mr. Trouette exasperated, his whole face covered with blood, suddenly drew out a bowie knife, and stabbed Mr. Benoit, who exclaimed he was wounded, and left hold of Trouette, who darted forward onto Mr. St. Ours, while Mr. Navarre attempted in vain to stop him, and got his hand cut.

Mr. St. Ours who was standing unarmed near me, dodged the blow and ran by me, followed by Mr. Trouette, who then turned at me whith his knife, and – seeing the danger to me I lifted up a chair to stop him, begging him not to kill me. The bar of the chair parried the blow, so that I only received a small cut down the forehead.

I then closed with him, and seized his right arm when Mr. Thornton, seeing danger, knocked him down with two violent blows with a chair on the head.”

In the end, the magistrate cast Trouette into jail for two days, and warned him to never do anything of a similar violent nature again.

Waddington Alley in downtown Victoria.

Waddington died in February of 1872 of smallpox at Ottawa, where he was lobbying the Federal Government to build a trans continental railway. He was 76. upon his passing the Colonist stated

“Mr. Waddington’s career was one of untiring industry, enterprise, and zeal in all that would contribute to teh material progress of the country. He never faltered in his belief that this new Canadian province is destined to become one of the most important appendages of the British Crown…”

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Victoria’s Great Fire of 1910

July 15th, 2010 · British Columbia, Canada, Victoria

Downtown Victoria before the fire. Spencer's Department Store is in the background at the far left.

Throughout its history, Victoria has seen a number of disastrous fires. One of it’s most notable conflagrations occurred in October of 1910. The fire, which started in the Spencer’s Department store, caused somewhere between $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 damage to the city’s downtown core, and destroyed several landmark buildings. Islander author Leonard Myers describes the fire.

The proprietor of the Army and Navy Cigar Store was leaving his establishment for the day when he suddenly became aware of a small blaze in one of the aisles of Spencer’s department Store. This was followed by the stores two watchmen rushing out onto the street shouting fire and calling for the fire brigade. The cigar store proprietor immediately rushed back into his shop and called the fire department on the phone. This done, the tobacconist rushed home, at the corner of Fort and Douglas Streets, where he lived with his family. His wife and child roused, he proceeded down the street warning the neighbours, who began evacuating their homes and carrying whatever possessions they could handle.

The fire department arrived at the scene of the fire, after it had already begun to spread.

curious citizens on the streets were beginning to congregate. When the alarm was turned at the fire hall, Fire Chief Davis, not at the hall at the time, when reached, headed for the fire scene by automobile. When he met his brigade at the scene, they found it impossible to enter the store, which was an inferno by this time, as fiery debris and shards of glass from showcases and burning merchandise was falling from burning floors above. Instead, they had to direct their streams of water into the seething flames on the upper floors from the outside.

By this time the fire had swept up the elavator shaft and was shooting through the roof. It was a fearsome sight as the blaze shot ever higher into the sky and the engulfing smoke enveloping the fire ravaged scene.

By midnight, the fire had spread to other buildings. The Five Sisters Block housing the offices of architect Samuel MacLure were destroyed. Along with the building, hundreds of historic architectural records, plans and documents were lost. Other establishments, including Young’s drygoods store,the Victoria Book and Stationary Company, Savannah’s Photo Studio, and the offices of both the Times and Colonist newspapers were either destroyed or damaged.

All electricity in the effected areas was cut off by authorities to prevent firemen, and even spectators from being electrocuted by…live falling wires. Telephone lines were similarly downed as poles and overhead installations and wires succumbed to the searing flames.

The remains of Spencer's store after the fire, with the Driard Hotel in the background.

By around 3 a.m. the destructive flames appeared to be under control. When dawn came, a desolate scene met the early risers in the capital city. The entire area bounded by Government, Fort, Broad, and Trounce Streets had been gutted and wiped out…the scene was a depressing jumble of blackened bricks, charred timbers and masonry. Estimated damage was calculated at around a staggering $1, 500. 000. Fortunately only one death occurred, that of Mrs. Samuel Shore wife of the proprietor of the Bismarck Hotel, Who died of shock at the height of the conflagration.

The ruins of the Five Sisters Block.

In spite of the massive destruction wrought on it’s downtown core, Victoria bounced back quickly. Months later, new buildings were already being built, and after a few years, the city was rebuilt and back on its feet.

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Random Ghost Towns of BC: Port Kusam

July 14th, 2010 · British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver Island

Hkusam Mountain

A brief article by Islander author Eugene Cameron.

Port Kusam was established in 1895 and is located in a just south of the mouth of the Salmon River on Johnstone Straight.

The Ruby House at Port Kusam opened in 1898. It operated as a store, saloon, post office, and hotel until 1921, at which time it was bought by a family from Victoria for use as a place of residence.

A Union Steam Ship stopped in the straight to off-load supplies, a rowboat would bring the cargo to Port Kusam.

The Ruby House has long been abandoned. Its usefulness came to an end as families came to settle in the area and built their homes along the Salmon River in the Sayward Valley and docking facilities were built at Kelsey Bay

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First to Arrive Fought the Fire

July 14th, 2010 · British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver Island, Victoria

The Victoria Fire Department on the scene

Fires were a constant threat in early Victoria. Before the Victoria Fire Department was ever officially formed, the city had a three different private fire fighting companies, who each competed with each other every time there was a fire.

The Deluge Company Fire Hall

The first to be formed was the Union Hook and Ladder Co. in 1859. A year later, two other companies were formed, the Deluge Engine Co. No. 1, which was made up of British residents, and 18 days later, the Tiger Engine Co. No. 2, which was made up of Americans. To identify itself, each company flew its own flag, and the first company to a fire claimed the right to put it out.

As can well be imagined, feuds were common between the competing fire companies, Islander author T.W. Patterson relates memories from some of Victoria’s earliest fire fighters.

In those days…the name of the game was “first water” that is, the company which made the first splash of water on the fire won the right to fight it. At which time, according to the code of ethics, the other company was to bow out of the picture.

We offer the following reminiscences of a Victoria Fire Chief who, half a century ago, recalled one of the more memorable blazes he attended:

” I remember one night, a bitterly cold night it was, with the snow deep on the ground, It was in ’73. There was a big fire on Langley Street in a building owned by Dr. Matthews.

“The Tiger [Company] was the first to reach the conflagration and laid the hose down the street A few minutes later the Deluge arrived and attached to their engine. The men of the Tiger engine, infuriated at such an act, demanded that it should be taken from the Deluge and attached to their engine. The Deluge men refused. Then started such a fight as I’ve ever seen or participated in.

We went at it hammer and tongs stumbling about in the snow. Nobody thought of the fire. It burned itself out.

The Tiger Companies' engine, which was "borrowed" by the men of the Deluge Company.

It was on this occasion that an excited onlooker fell into the cistern. He was hauled out with a hook. His clothes were ruined and he got a bad cold. Later he wrote a letter to the department demanding compensation.”

Spectators were a common complication at the scenes of many fires.

One of the more unusual features of early day firefighting was the fact that fires were not only major news events, but social events as well. Everyone, it seems, turned out to watch the brigades at work. Unfortunately, however, few Victorians were content to be mere spectators; all wanted to advise the fire fighters on how to do their jobs. Consequentially, the firemen often became irritated to the point that they would ask a policeman to insist that these sidewalk superintendents either shut up or go home.

A few days after the Langley street fire, the letter was read before the company executives “amid profound silence”

Upon hearing it, one of the officers present at the fire stood up to say that the complainant had been warned to stand back, and “I move that this man be told to go—–.” Moments later, the the motion was seconded and carried by unanimous vote

In spite of the apparent incompetence and ineffectiveness of the early fire companies, in 1923 85 year old former fire chief Joe Wrigglesworth claimed “Believe me, we had finer men in the department than you can get now; more willing, more amenable to discipline, quicker and better in every way.”

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Victoria’s Grand Old Man of the Cloth

July 13th, 2010 · British Columbia, Vancouver Island, Victoria

Bishop Cridge in his later years.

Religion played an important role in the society of colonial Victoria. Perhaps the most important, and well known and controversial church men of the colony was Bishop Edward Cridge. A fixture in early Victoria, Cridge first arrived on the island  as the first chaplain of the HBC Fort. Islander author Leonard Myers, describes the life and times of Bishop Cridge.

Edward Cridge was born in Bratton, Devonshire England, Dec. 17, 1817. he was a graduate of Cambridge University, as well as one time assistant master at Oundle grammar school in Northhamptonshire. In 1851, he was appointed rector of Christ Church in Westham, London, and three years later, in 1854, he was invited to come to the colony of Vancouver Island as chaplain of the Church of England to the Hudson’s Bay Company in a young frontier settlement.

A much younger Edward Cridge

With his new bride[Mary], he arrived in the outpost of Victoria via sailing ship on April 1, 1855, and held his first service in the HBC fort.

Passing his theological examination and ordained in Cambridge, England, the young Reverend Cridge and his equally young wife must, upon arrival in the new world, have been endowed with infinite faith and a healthy optimism when, after leaving their comfortable home in a civilized and cultured society not lacking in the amenities of life, saw for the first time the sparse, rough and ready environment which was to be their new home.

A year after Cridge came to Victoria, a real church was built, and completed in 1856. Named Christ Church, after Cridge’s old parish in Westham, the wood frame building stood until 1869 when it was destroyed by a fire. The new church was rebuilt on land donated by Governor Sir James Douglas, this was Cridge’s ”spiritual home”, until he left the Church of England. Meyers describes what came to be known as the “Cridge-Hills Dispute”.

Dean Cridge, along with a contemporary of his, Bishop Cummins, openly dissented and spawned a congregational revolt through which the “Reform” denomination was brought into prominence at the expense of his own pioneer church.

Dean Cridge, it seems…objected to certain changes in the ritual and liturgy of the Church of England, and it was argued by him that the “Reformed Church” was more in keeping with the creed and observance of the church in its original form, including the use of the English prayer-book, while, at the same time, dispensing with certain aspects of the formal service and rituals resembling to closely those of the Roman Catholic Church.

Soon the fat was in the brimstone. This came about when Dean Cridge, critical of a sermon dealing with traditional ritualistic practices delivered by a visiting cleric at Christ Church, was moved to proclaim at the close of the service that such practices and doctrines would never be countenanced at Christ Church as long as he was its rector.

Bishop George Hills

In short order, following the the dean’s post-pulpit pronouncement, an ecclesiastical court was convened, Dean Cridge was found guilty of “brawling in church” and stripped by Bishop Hills of his license to preach as a minister of the Church of England. And the doer of kindly deeds was unceremoniously sacked to the chagrin of his faithful flock.

Before taking his leave from Christ Church Cridge stated:

“My Dearly beloved friends, it is with great shame and humility that as a matter of conscience I feel it is my duty to say a few words to you before we part.  As your pastor, after what we have just heard I feel it is my duty to raise my voice in protest against it.  During the 17 years that I have officiated as your pastor in this spot, this is the first time ritualism has been preached here, and I pray Almighty God it may be the last.  So far as I can prevent it, it shall be the last.”

An appeal was launched to the civil courts, and the errant Dean was called upon by Mister Justice Begbie to apologized to Bishop Hills. Dean Cridge eventually complied but not before he changed his allegiance and joined the Reformed Episcopal church[of America], and [was] consecrated as the first Bishop in 1876.

The Church of Our Lord, Reformed Episcopal Church in Canada today.

There must have been poetic justice in the maverick man-of-the-cloth following his defrocking and secession, as he brought most of his congregation, including very prominent [members], such as Sir James Douglas, Senator W.J. MacDonald, Judges Pemberton and Elliot, Charles Hayward, Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken  and Joseph P. Pemberton with him to his new parish.

Residing in his home on Carr street, named Marifield after his wife, Cridge served his congregation and community for more than 35 years. Cridge was involved in the founding of the YWCA in Victoria as well as Central High School. He also became instrumental in establishing Victoria’s first hospital, and the Protestant Orphans Home in 1873. He died in Victoria in May of 1913 at the ripe old age of 96.

Additional Source:  http://web.uvic.ca/vv/student/orphans/founders.html

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Tea Among the Trees

July 8th, 2010 · British Columbia, Canada, Victoria

The Japanese Tea House.

In the 1920′s and 30′s, Victoria’s Gorge Waterway was the place to be in the summer. Along with swimming and boating, one of the most popular attractions at was what was then B.C. Electric Gorge Park and is now Kinsmen Park, was the Japanese Tea Gardens. The Garden was built in 1907 by Isaburo Kishida, and operated until 1941, when the Takada family who ran it were sent to an internment camp in the Kootenays and it was destroyed by vandals.

Islander author Les Priestly describes the tea gardens.

The Japanese Tea Gardens was a concession of B.C. Electric Railway Co., operated by a Japanese family, approximately where the Kiwanis Park is now.

It was a popular place, with oriental shrubs, little arched bridges over trickling water, and tables where customers could enjoy the tea and sandwiches.

On an upper level, at the back were games of chance, including crown and anchor.

Outside the enclosure trails wound among the trees, one designated “Ladies” another “Gents”.

The Path along the water was illuminated at night by lights strung through the trees which seemed to twinkle to anyone in a passing car on the other side of the Gorge.

In August of 1929, Priestly and his family had a memorable day the park.

The Gorge Streetcar made a loop at the park entrance, about opposite the Gorge Hotel, but Dad decided on a more interesting way of getting there. He rented a clinker-built in the inner harbour and rowed along the waterway.

The first part of the route wasn’t very attractive, what with sawmills, rusting whale boats, and some wharves already in need of repair.

It must have been a slack tide when we glided through the Gorge itself as we were scarcely noted by the few people on the bridge above.

At the small sandy beach beyond the gardens, we tied the boat to a tree and stretched out a beach blanket. Lying there looking up at the canopy of blue and the odd white cloud, we chatted casually and almost fell asleep.

Someone suggested tea and we got to our feet and sauntered along the path to the garden entrance. We spent some time walking around, admiring its features, then chose a table and sat down. After tea there was desultory adult conversation that  seemed to bore [my younger brother] Kenny who wandered off toward the bridge. He soon returned exclaiming “The river’s running quite fast under the bridge. Thats funny ’cause it was slow when we came through.”

The Gorge Bridge.

The words galvanized my dad into action. He took off in the direction of the bridge, but quickly returned saying: “We’d better get the rowboat through as soon as we can. The tide’s coming in and the currents getting swifter.”

He found a dead sapling and trimmed it with his pocket knife to make a pole. As people began to realize what dad was going to do, a crowd gathered on the bridge, including a policeman who gestured to him not to attempt what he thought was a foolhardy act. Dad, however displaying his usual stubbornness, was determined to try, and, with [my sister] Kay at the oars and he manipulating the makeshift pole, they made it through the gorge.

I remember attributing this at the time to dad’s courage and twenty odd years of river experience. Later when I was older, I realized there was another factor, dad’s frugality. He had rented the boat at a rate, which I think was 25 cents an hour…Perhaps he felt the day had cost enough.

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