deep in silent grief April 6, 1914 The bodies of the sealers were sent home by special train. The corpses were taken away from the hall in sleighs. In the entire procession thousands of men and boys took part. The bodies of the sealers were sent home by special train. The corpses were taken away from the hall in sleighs. In the entire procession thousands of men and boys took part. (Click on photo to enlarge) On April 6, 1914 the St. John’s newspaper the Evening Telegram reported: “Yesterday, there was a wave of sympathy on every street and in every home in St. John’s. The Grenfell Hall or temporary mortuary room, where the bodies were brought for identification was filled all day with sorrowing relatives and friends of the deceased brethren.” The bodies were those of the 77 sealers from the sealing vessel the S.S. Newfoundland who had perished on the ice on March 31 – April 2. The Grenfell Hall was also known as the King George V Seamen’s Institute. The frozen bodies of dead sealers were thawed in vats of hot water in the basement of the building. The Telegram continued: “Standing outside the Hall all day was a multitude deep in silent grief. The solemnity of the occasion will be remembered for generations to come. At 5’ o’clock all the bodies were identified. Thirty eight bodies were sent home by special train. The corpses were taken away from the hall in sleighs. In the entire procession thousands of men and boys took part. One body was drawn on the gun carriage of the H.M.S. Caypso, the departed sealer being a member of the Naval Reserve. The bodies numbering 25, belonging to outports where there are no direct train communication, were hermetically sealed and brought to the morgue last night and will be sent home by steamer.” Recommended Archival Collection: At the Rooms Provincial Archives see GN 121 this collection consists of the evidence taken before the Commission of Enquiry regarding the S.S. Newfoundland. The collection includes the Sealers Crew Agreement and the evidence given by the surviving members of the crew. Evidence entered concerning the loss of the SS Southern Cross is also included on this collection. Recommended Reading: PERISHED by Jenny Higgins (2014) offers unique, illustrative look at the 1914 sealing disaster through pull-out facsimile archival documents. A first for the Newfoundland and Labrador publishing industry, as readers turn the pages of Perished they’ll find maps, log book entries, telegrams, a sealer’s ticket for the SS Newfoundland, and more that can be pulled out and examined. These are the primary source materials that ignite the imagination of history buffs and students alike and are among more than 200 rarely seen archival photos and documents that illustrate this amazing book. (NEW PUBLICATION) Recommended Exhibit: Death on the Front: The Sealing Disaster 1914. March 26 – November 16 – Level 3 Museum Alcove. This small display features artifacts from the Rooms Provincial Museum and archival imagery from The Rooms Provincial Archives connected to these tragedies. One of the artifacts featured is a flag that was once flown on the Southern Cross. The National Film Board’s documentary 54 Hours written by Michael Crummey, using animation, survivor testimony and archival footage will be running as part of the Death at the Front exhibition. You can also view the short film from your own home at https://nfb.ca/film/54_hours Crew List: In the days and months following the loss of the S.S. Southern Cross and the tragedy of the loss of the men of the S.S. Newfoundland there was much confusion about the names and the number of men that did die
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 00:12:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015