As beautiful as the
Hamilton bay has been, it has also been treacherous, even deadly, for many,
many people over the years of Hamilton’s history.
In October, 1914 a
sad occurrence took place on October 4, 1914 when a boy, just 6 years old ,was
on a hike, with his 7 year old brother, along the bay shore below Dundurn Park.
The little fellow,
John Barnes, had spotted a bit of floating wood which he desired to retrieve.
He lost his balance and toppled into the water. Before the horrified eyes of
his brother, John Barnes drowned.
The details of the
incident were published in the following day’s Spectator:
“Early in the afternoon,
their father had left the home at 269 Barton street west, and walked towards
the bay. A few minutes later, John and jis brother wandered off in search of
the father, and walked out to the tracks skirting the bay near the park.
“According to the
story told by the brother, who was the only eye-witness of the fatality, John saw
a piece of wood in the water, and, lying on his stomach and trying to reach it,
he fell into the water which was a few feet deep.
“The brother claims
that a man passed, saw the boy in the water, laughed and walked away. The boy
finally got a couple of men to go to his brother’s assistance, but when he was
pulled from the water, life was extinct.”1
1 “Little
Boy Loses Life in the Bay : John Barnes, Aged 6 Years, Drowned Yesterday : While Reaching Into Water, Lost His Balance.`
Hamilton
Spectator. October 7, 1914.
The child`s lifeless body
was taken to a nearby boat house, an ambulance summoned which rushed to the
city hospital where ``the pulmotor was used in an attempt to fan the spark of
life back, but it proved useless.`1
The surviving brother
was quickly reunited with his mother, who, when informed of John`s death,
became hysterical with grief. The father did not learn of his son`s death until
he returned home seven hours later.
It was decided not to
hold an inquest as the cause of death was deemed to be purely accidental
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