NFLD-LAB-L Archives

From: "Evelyn" <>
Subject: [NFLD-LAB] TIDBIT INFO. "OUTPORT HISTORY"
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 00:19:27 -0230

From: "Evelyn"
To:
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 12:17 A.M
Subject: TIDBIT INFO. "OUTPORT HISTORY"


> The following story is written and witnessed by me, a tragic incident and
a
> terrible loss during the Spring of 1959. The names will be with-held by me
> due to the family members that survived this disastrous Inferno. Although
> the Father of this family did publish a book entitled "Cry of The Morning"
> before his death, I have not been able to purchase the book to date, but
> understand that it can be borrowed from certain Libraries in Western
> Newfoundland.
>
> It was the evening before my best friend and her family would learn about
> their tragic fate. It was approximately 7:30 p.m. when my closest friend
> came to our home to accompany me to prayer meeting which was the routine
> every Tuesday evening starting at 8:00 p.m., but this evening was
different
> and not too unusual. I was summoned to baby-sit my youngest sister at home
> while my parents attended prayer meeting. Usually my sister two years my
> junior would baby-sit on that particular evening of each week, but this
> evening my Mom assigned me to watch over my youngest sister while my other
> sister baby-sat for another couple to attend the same Church Service.
> My friend, whom I'll call Ruby, came to our door and called out to me as
> usual "are you going to the Church prayer meeting?" I replied that I
> couldn't due to baby sitting and that we would meet the next afternoon as
> the first trip of the Coastal Passenger Boat was due in our little Town of
> Roddickton. She assured me that we would go and post a letter aboard the
> boat, which was the normal thing to do years ago. The mail would get out
of
> town faster if the Purser onboard the Ship would mail our letters in a
> special mail bag.
>
> Ruby proceeded to turn and walk away, feeling a little disappointed
because
> both of us could not go together to the church service. She turned around
> and replied "maybe I should stay back and help you baby sit, just for this
> evening", but I replied "no, you had better go to the service because Mom
> may think that we are being sneaky", although we were good girls
considering
> I was just 13 years old and Ruby had just turned 16 years of age.
> Ruby was just a tiny short, flaming red haired girl and I was much taller
> than her and was easily mistaken for being the same age as Ruby.
>
> As the evening passed very slowly it seemed as if I was waiting for hours
> for my parents to return home again. If the meeting do not last very late
> then just maybe my Mom would allow me to go for a evening stroll with
Ruby.
> We would usually walk around the little Town and sing songs, tell stories
as
> there was nothing else to do in that little isolated Town, but we dearly
> loved our home-Town. We would discuss what we would like to do when we
> became old enough to leave our parents nest.
>
> Finally my parents arrived, but a little too late as my Mom informed me
that
> she spoke with Ruby and she told my Mom that she would come by the next
> afternoon and both of us would take a stroll to the boat and post letters
> that my Mom had written to my eldest sister living in Goose Bay. As my
> parents and I were enjoying our nightly routine snack before heading off
to
> bed, my Mom says "my heavens, that young girl, Ruby I mean, she sure knows
> how to pray, she's such a good little girl" and I replied yes she even
prays
> real loud and everyone can hear her pray and of course, my Mom thought
Ruby
> was smart and wise enough to be able to pray in this manner, but I was
much
> too shy to pray so loud.
>
> The next morning my Mom called us as usual from our sleep to rise early as
> we were still attending School and had almost two months left before the
> School term ended.
> I became alert very fast thinking this is the day of the first trip of the
> Coastal boat and my friend and I would meet after School and would get
these
> letters posted, but our biggest thrill was just to see new faces come into
> our little Town, such as round trippers as they were called by us, Tourist
> from the US and other places around Canada. We seem to enjoy the affection
> shown to us by these strangers from another world it seemed.
> Suddenly while happy thoughts kept running through my young mind about
> todays big event, my Mom yelled to my Dad who was at this time keeping the
> fire blazing in the old wood stove, come here , quickly, come, come and
see
> what you think of this thick grey smoke just bellowing into the bright
sunny
> morning Sky. I quickly ran to gaze out of my bed-room window and was
shocked
> to see so much smoke and flames rising from closely where Ruby lived and
> thought Ruby can see this fire for sure and will tell me later what this
big
> fire was all about.
>
> I ran downstairs to get all washed up before breakfast, but something
> unusual was happening, something is terribly wrong. My Dad did not wait to
> eat his breakfast and have our daily ritual of "family prayers", but ran
> swiftly through the door and I could hear my Mom praying upstairs in her
> bed-room. My thoughts and curiosity was running wild by now, but would not
> dare to disturb my Mom's praying. I ran outside and everyone in that
little
> Town seemed to be running and screaming "my God, my God" they say some of
> the children are burned to death and my heart seem to stop beating and
> thought "but who could they be talking about?" Suddenly my Dad appeared
out
> of nowhere stating to my Mom, "keep the Children home, don't allow them to
> go down that road cause it will only scare them for their life time". My
> Mom's friend and neighbour kept a fast pace running up and down that old
> gravel road and crying "God help us all", as my mom approached her and
asked
> where the fire was burning, she gave an answer that I shall never forget,
> "all of my brother's family are burned to death, including the Mother,
> oldest daughter Ruby, Ruby?? no way I thought, I must be dreaming! Ruby,
my
> good friend? can't be, I'm supposed to meet her this afternoon! I stood
next
> to my Mom's side gasping for air in total shock! but Mom it can't be Ruby!
> you spoke to her just last night. As my Mom held me close to her, the
tears
> began to trickle down my young cheeks. My Mom's friend and sister of the
> Victims father slowly finished her story through sobbing detail. The
mother,
> Ruby and five more siblings including their two week old baby died in this
> horrible, tragic inferno and to think that they could have escaped with a
> little help and a fire crew, but it was much, too much, too late.
>
> Ruby's father was away working at his logging job and staying in the
Logging
> Camps, sometimes two to three weeks at one given time. He never did see
his
> precious baby girl. I will never forget the sad day of the family funeral.
> There were seven Coffins in a row in front of the Alter in that little
> Church. The Dad walked inside the Church and leaned over each of his loved
> ones Coffin and could not compose himself, then picking up the little
Baby's
> Coffin in his arms and not wanting to lay it down until men had to lead
him
> to be seated. The whole family was buried together in a huge grave site,
> along with the remains of yet another brother of Ruby who lost his life
> through a drowning accident 13 months before that terrible fire claimed
the
> life of his mother and six siblings.
>
> Four of the Children were rescued, one young daughter was fortunate enough
> to walk out of the burning house and the Mother threw two more of her tiny
> daughters through a broken window and the eldest brother walked out
> unhurted, but Ruby came half way downstairs, then quickly realized that
her
> Mother was still trying to get the remaining children out of the burning
> home, she turned back to help her Mom, but at that moment the stairs
quickly
> fell to the floor in a blaze of fire and horrendous heat. I still think of
> Ruby and that sad fateful day, but realize that one of the last things to
> utter from her lips was her loud prayer on the night before, just hours
> before her untimely death.
>
> So many tragic and disastrous stories can be told from these small rural
> outports in which most people never knew these little Towns existed. I am
> happy to know that my close Buddy is still resting in peace with the rest
of
> her family and I shall never forget her.
>
> Thank you for listening to a sad part of my tidbit of history about
> Roddickton, White Bay, The Great Northern Peninsula.
>
> Evelyn
>

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• [NFLD-LAB] TIDBIT INFO. "OUTPORT HISTORY" by "Evelyn" <>