1915-01-23a

Hamiltonians had known of the overrunning of Belgium by the German army six months earlier. The stories of the suffering of the Belgian citizens had often been written about in the local press, extensive fund-raising efforts had been held to raise funds for the relief of Belgium had been held.

But on January 22, 1915, Hamiltonians had the opportunity to see the effects of German invasion of Belgium when two young girls arrived in the city:

“Two strange little visitors landed last evening off the 6:30 train from New York. As the strangers were led out of the station through the snow storm, the two presented an odd sight.

“The visitors were Belgian children, young sisters, aged about 10 and 13 years.”¹

¹ “Belgian Waifs Arrive in City”

Hamilton Times. January 23, 1915.

It was known that the girls were coming so they were greeted by a woman who took them in hand:

“They presented a pathetic picture as they trudged beside the Travelers’ Aid worker, dressed in plain black frocks, the short sleeved leaving their arms bare to the wind and cold. Ordinary black caps, such as boys wear, were their head covering.

“The elder of the two lugged in one hand a small bag and in the other an immense oblong cardboard box strapped with ropes. The younger sister carried a big bundle, almost as big as herself, tied in checked gingham.”¹

The girls, Susanna and Margaret, (their surnames not released) were taken to the Y.W.C.A. building on Main street:

“On arriving at the Y.W.C.A., the children seemed much astonished at the lights and surroundings, and smiled wonderingly. They were taken into the kitchen and given big drinks of warm milk, and after a hot bath, were put to bed, where both were soon fast asleep.”¹

The Spectator reporter asked for and received permission to take a glance at the sleeping refugees:

“As they lay in the abandon of childhood’s sleep, they might have acted as models for Reynolds’ beautiful cherubs.

“The features of the children were of a distinctly Dutch cast, with reddish-blonde hair; blue eyes; round, chubby faces with rosy coloring, and bright scarlet lips.

“Both little girls were plump and looked exceedingly healthy, although poverty-stricken as to dress and accessories.”¹

The girls were awakened early, given a hearty breakfast, then driven from the Y.W.C.A. to the train station to catch a train to Owen Sound where they were to meet their aunt.

 

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There were two letters published in the Hamilton Times of January 14, 1915. They were sent not by a soldier, but by a nurse, a nurse working on a hospital train, whose duties took her very close to the trenches.

The letter was provided to the Hamilton Times by Mrs. Charles E. Counsell, whose sister was that army nurse:

“December 17, 1914 –

“We have had very busy journeys again.

“Such dreadful wounds ! It does seem so terrible that men have to suffer and go through such harrowing times for the sake of their country.

“Everyone is getting tired of the war, and no wonder.

“Things seem to be going on much the same; there has been another big attack from one side, with very many losses. The poor Germans have been very badly cut up. Each time they have been in action they have had an exceedingly rough time.

“If there is any chance of getting a German sword, I shall be delighted to send it to you.  I have seen a German bayonet, jagged, with a shell case. A Belgian picked it up. Now I have a German, English and French one.

“We shall be very glad of cigarettes. We give hundreds away each journey.

“You can imagine we hear of tales from the men. They are really very amusing. Although looking (and feeling) awfully ill, it is marvelous how cheerful they are.

“This is a queer life, living on a train. I have been on for three months now, and one gets about a good deal. I am keeping a map and marking all the places I go to.

“What we miss more than anything is a bath. It is difficult to carry any quantity of water; also I should love a fire.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“December 26, 1914

“On Christmas morning, we took 240 wounded down to ---, after leaving 18 very bad cases, who were unable to stand the journey, at the base.

“Luckily, the train was stationary until after 2 p.m., so all the orderlies were able to enjoy a good Christmas dinner in peace.

“There are over forty men on our staff. As for us, we are all so done up and tired. I have not had my clothes off for three days.

“We went to bed until 8 p.m., and by that time, the train had travelled some miles, and we had our Christmas dinner while going at full.

“Each fresh attack that takes place now seems more fierce than the last, and the last train load of wounded were terrible cases.

“Such a queer thing happened. Among the 23 wounded officers I had the other day was a brother of Dr. ---. He struck me as being rather like him, and spoke in much the same manner, so I asked him his name, and then it dawned on him who I was, as he had seen my photo and had heard often of me.

“Poor chap; his back was injured. He had led a charge and took some German trenches, which had been mined, and the majority of his men had been blown up. He was injured and left in the open, exposed for hours and hours. Another brother of his was wounded in the leg some weeks ago.

“The train is shaking so much it seems impossible to write.

“We have a rotten division today, which is not fit to wheel a barrow.

“Thank you both so much for the shawl and sweet pink jacket. They are so nice and snug the nights that I do go to bed. The chocolates also I was so thankful to have, and was able to give them to several patients on Boxing Day.

“You can’t think how cold it has been lately, as we have not been able to get coal. Otherwise the train can be kept quite warm

“The Prince of Wales came over to our train one day. He seemed very interested in it. He looked such a boy and so shy. The Princess Mary has given every soldier a little brass box, engraved on the outside with the King and Queen, and ‘Christmas, 1914.’ Inside are cigarettes, tobacco and a card, also a photo of herself. I believe we are to receive the same with chocolates in.

“Queen Alexander sent each of us on the train one pound of tea, tin of biscuits and a box of sweets some time ago.

“What shocks they are getting in England with bombs and things. Perhaps, it will do good and wake them up a bit. Am sure few realize there how serious this war is.

“We are living in a wonderful life, with battles of aeroplanes, waterplanes, submarines, etc. It is all like a bad dream. Who would have thought such things would come to pass even a year ago?

“Just at 12 p.m. on Boxing Night, we were crossing the Seine at Rouen. Just there is a glorious spot. I wish you knew it, and in the moonlight, it looked lovely, while all the bells were ringing, which added greatly to the charm of the place. I love Rouen.

“Today, it is very cold, and we have run out of coal and water, so if we do not reach the base tonight, we will not be able to wash in the morning. That is the worst of it – long journeys without stopping long enough to fill up necessaries.

“The next thing we shall run short of will be rations. Luckily there are no patients on; only three medical officers, one interpreter and 40 odd non-commissioned officers and men besides ourselves”^{1
"The second letter was dated December 31:
"Thank you ever so much for your parcel of chocolate and cigarettes, received today. It is most kind of you to send them, and I only wish you could see the delight of the Tommies when they get the cigarettes and chocolate. They are the two things they rejoice in more than anything. Christmas has been very busy and such a number of wounded. On Boxing day, we brought 264 down to base, and all wounded. Before that there had been more sick. The frost bites are very bad, and many poor fellows have had to lose their feet - it seems more than being wounded. I have not seen any of the Canadian army yet. Am on the look out for any from Hamilton. They will probably be out shortly. Train duty is very interesting work, in a way, as we get men straight out of the trenches. On the other hand, one feels one could do much for them if they were not in a train. One is a bit handicapped. However, it is the only way to get them to the hospital.}

 

¹ “Army Nurse at Front on Hospital Train : Harrowing Scenes Which They Go Through for the Sake of Their Country”

Hamilton Times.   January 1, 1915

1915-01-07aa

Added to the monthly report of the Hamilton Patriotic Fund, which appeared in Hamilton newspapers on January 7, 1915, was the following letter :

                                       “Field Co. Canadian Engineers,

                                                Lark Hill, Salisbury Plain

“Hamilton & Wentworth County Patriotic Fund.

“Dear Sir –

“I was  very thankful to the officials of the fund for their generosity and kindness to my wife and family. My wife has told me in her letters of the interest you have taken in the wives and families of the Hamilton contingent, and it gives us great pleasure that our loved ones at home are now taken care of by the citizens of Hamilton.

“No doubt, it must give you a lot of work and worry to have so any to look after.

“Dear Sir, it will interest you to know a little of our camp life on Salisbury Plain. We arrived in Westdown, South Camp, on October19th. We have been hard at drill, reveille 6 a.m., doubling parade 6:20 a.m., breakfast 7, infantry drill 8 to 11:30, skirmishing 2 to 4:30, supper 5 p.m., first post 9, last post 9:30, lights out 9:45.

“ We have had plenty of rain, the soil is very soft and the heavy traffic has torn it up, making plenty of mud, ankle deep, but we have got used to it (rain and mud), and take it as part of our training.

“The people of Salisbury are very kind to the Canadian troops. During our march from Salisbury Station to the camp, a distance of nine miles, the ladies and gentlemen showered the troops with cigarettes and chocolate bars, waved Union Jacks and handkerchiefs and were delighted to see the boys from Canada.

“On November 4^th, 10 a.m., the King inspected the Canadian troops. He was accompanied by H. M. Queen Mary, Queen Alexandra, Lord Kitchener, Lord Roberts and staff officers.

“The grass was wet and the ground muddy in places, but the King and royal party walked on the wet grass and mud, and inspected the front rank of each battalion.

“After the inspection we were drawn up in quarter column, facing the road, and cheered His Majesty as he motored to the camping ground. During the inspection of the camp, we fixed bayonets, formed up on both sides of the road, two miles long, put our caps on bayonets, hoisted them in the air and gave the Royal party a mighty cheer as they motored along the road to the railway station.

“The death of Lord Roberts cast a gloom over the camp.

“On November 13^th, we matched eight miles to our present camp, Lark Hill, to help build the huts for our troops. The huts are 20 feet by 60 feet, are constructed of wooden frame and corrugated iron, interlined with think cardboard, one small stove in each hut.

“Our boys are showing the citizens how to hustle. We finish three huts before the civilians finish one. They do not like us for working so hard; but we have two objects in view : one, to finish the huts as quickly as we can; second, to get our troops into them.

“The people of London are very kind to our boys; they will insist on stopping them on the streets and thanking the Canadian people for send in us over to give help to the mother country. They ask several questions, and when they are told that we are fully equipped with guns, ammunition, transport, and receive our pay, clothing and food from the Canadian Government, they are more than surprised.

“I am sorry to say that we have two Hamilton boys in the hospital, Sappers Howie and Hartley. I have made enquiries, and I believe they are getting better.

“On November 8^th, four born Canadians per company went to London to represent the Engineers. Sapper Qua, of Hamilton, was the smartest-looking soldier of the twelve engineers, who had the pleasure to march in the Lord Mayor’s show

“The 91^st Hamilton Highlanders are in the huts. When I was in West Down South Camp, I visited some friends. First Lieutenant Colquhoun recognized me, shook hands and talked of old Times we had in Hamilton. I had the honor of saluting him. He is one of the finest soldiers Hamilton has sent out, and one of the smartest and best-liked of his battalion.

“One thing I forgot to tell you, the Colonel has granted us four days’ leave, 50 per cent to go Christmas, 50 per cent New Year’s.

“Dear Sir – I must thank you again.

“Wishing you a happy new year.

“Henry Fitzgerald.

17 Lancaster street.”¹

¹ “Patriotic Fund Has Paid Out Over $25,000”

Hamilton Times.   January 7, 1915

 

 

1915-01-05tt

The war in Europe frequently was used as a basis for church sermons in Hamilton, and such was the case on January 3, 1915 when Rev. W. E. Gilroy’s preached to a capacity congregation at thr First Congregational Church ;

“ During the sermon he made references to a letter he had received from the front, and quoted two clippings from the Times, giving particulars of the exchange of mince pies and Christmas courtesies between the British and Germans in the trenches.

“ He said : ‘ It is almost impossible to imagine such a thing happening. It reminds me of Hardy’s poem, ‘The Man He Killed,’ where Hardy says that one man was fighting against another for no special reason, and if he had met the man under any other conditions, he would have bought him a drink.

“ ‘There is nothing in war to make men like it. The story I have just read you is indicative of the fact that love for fight is not in man’s blood. British did not want to fight, and I think the great majority of Germans did not want to fight, at least many of the industrial workers did not, and if a large number did, it was because they were mistaught and educated on military lines.

“ ‘A spirit of disgust is among many of the men who are fighting and who are crying out against this war. It is a disgrace to civilization in this twentieth century. We hear so much about the downfall of democracy. Democracy has never had a fair chance. This message and the exchange of mince pies between the soldiers carries a great message to us. When men will sacrifice their lives for King and country, they should be given something better than a death on a battlefield. There are many better things for them to do.

“ ‘War cannot destroy the fellowship of men when they are left alone or given a chance to get together. The men who are most are the ones who have no malice in their souls, even they be justified in going to war.

“ ‘This letter relates a great deal of what we have seen in the daily papers, but when you get a letter from the trenches you realize the facts more than when you see it in the papers. Many of the people here at home who are bigoted and prejudiced are the ones who did not go to the front, and would not, and this letter from the trenches should teach them to be more broad-minded than they are at this new year’s time.

“ ‘Wars make wars, and through all time, there has been war, industrial, religious and other kinds. This is a fight for the right and an exchange of mince pies would do many of us even in the church a great deal of good.

“ ‘There is not as much malice at the front between the armies as  there is here in Canada, where there is no fight at all, and to start the new year right, let us all get around a little mince pie and do away with the malice.’ ”¹

¹ “Message From the Trenches : Rev. W. E. Gilroy on Lessons From the War”

Hamilton Times.    January 5, 1915

 

 

1914-12-05al

From the Hamilton Herald, December 5, 1914, three stories.

As Christmas was approaching and the war that was supposed to be over by that time was showing no signs of slowing down, Hamilton manufacturers were starting to get orders for materials to help in the war effort.

Hamilton’s Steel Company of Canada was reportedly in line for a largest order in its history to date, an order to provide steel as part of the manufacture of submarines from the French and British navies.

 As was the case with so much in the times of warfare, rumors would circulate, denials would be provided and then some aspects of the rumors would turn out to be true.

Charles Schwab from the Bethlehem Steel Company had just returned from England and had come to Hamilton to speak with representatives of Hamilton’s steel industry. While claiming that he had no official business with Hamilton’s steel manufacturers, it was noted that the United States could not provide materials for any of the combatants in the war, as that would be a breach of neutrality.

In other war related news, it was mentioned that the Hamilton volunteers in training at divisional headquarters near Ottawa were always anxious for news from Hamilton :

“The Herald is in receipt of a letter from Lieutenant A. Langsford Robinson who states that the men from here are all hungry for Hamilton news and requests that the Herald be sent to supply that need.

“Lieut. Robinson says that the boys on the way down chalked on the side of the cars, ‘From Hamilton to Berlin. Stop at Ottawa and England for water. We’ll bring Kaiser Bill to Hamilton asylum.’ ’¹

¹ “Must Have Herald”

Hamilton Herald.     December 5, 1914.

Finally, December 5, 1914 was deemed to be Belgian Flag Day in Hamilton, as canvassers were being sent out across the city to get donations to help relieve distress in Belgium. Each flag cost 10 cents each.

The majority of canvassers were young ladies, whose entreaties, in the words of the Herald reporter, “would be very hard to refuse” :

“One young lady when she approached a young man to sell a flag was somewhat taken aback when he said : ‘I’ll buy one will if you give me a kiss.’

“ She hesitated a moment, and then said, ‘I will if you pay me a dollar for the flag.’

“She got the dollar”¹

Not all canvassers were young ladies however:

“While at the office on John street this morning, a Herald reporter saw a small boy who had been trying to sell the little flags, but who had not met with as much success as he had expected., turn over his remaining articles to the lady in charge saying: ‘It’s no use, the men won’t buy from me, they want the girls.’ ” ¹

A fund-raising goal of $20,000 had been sent for the Belgian Flag Day campaign. With just a half of the day done, the Herald reporter was told that it appeared that, not only would that goal be reached, it would be exceeded.  

 

 

1915-04-12aa

In the spring of 1915, rules regarding the dangerous use of automobiles, including drunken driving, were still in their infancy. A law applicable in the city boundaries might not even exist in any form beyond the limits.

From the Hamilton Herald, April 12, 1915:

“What might have been a serious accident occurred at the Beach on Wednesday about 11:30 p.m., when an auto going city wards ran into a sand pile and turned completely over.

“The occupants of the car were two men and two women. The party had been having a high old time at Station 9.

“Now that the city is stopping that sort of thing, people are making a practice of going to the Beach and it should be stopped and an example made of offenders.

“Not one of the party was hurt from the upsetting of the machine.”¹

^{1  “}Too Much of It : Joy Riding and Drinking at the Beach”

Hamilton Herald.   April 12, 1915.

 

1914-12-07uu

Hamiltonians had a healthy appetite for news about goings on at the Beach in 1914, and not only during the summer vacation season.

The days of full summer residences, cottages and camp sites were just a memory in early December 1914. However, the Hamilton Herald did carry a story concerning the Beach which would have been read with great interest :

“The east wind, which has been blowing for two or three days past, yesterday increased into a half-gale. Although the water is rather low for this time of year, the breakers were coming in twenty feet farther up the Beach than usual. Near the Beach road, where some of the houses are quite close to the water’s edge, the waves were almost lapping the back door steps.

“Several boats, which had been drawn up on the Beach were washed away, but, owing to the fact that the wind was directly inshore, they were only carried a little way down the Beach”¹

¹“A Heavy Gale”

Hamilton Herald.                  December 7, 1914.

There were had been a passenger steamer named the Alma Munro which plied the waters of Hamilton Bay. It had been later renamed the John R. after it had been sold :

“The John R., which was used as a ferry by the Woodmans, who ran the Oakland ferries, and which was later purchased by the Ottawa Construction Company, and had been stranded for a long time, got its final breaking up in the gale, and the pieces of the wreckage will provide firewood for some of the Beach residents.

“About two months  ago, it grounded on a sand bar near Van Wagner’s Beach, and had its back broken.

“The construction company could do nothing with it, so after removing all things aboard which were of any use, they left it to its fate.

“Yesterday morning, some of the residents of the Beach, who were strolling along the shore, to see what damage had been done, found the name plate, which, with a few pieces of the wreckage, appeared to be all that was left of the old ‘Alma Munro,’ once one of the finest boats on inland waters.”¹

 

1915-05-12ww

There was one summer resident of the Hamilton Beach Strip who, war or no war, was prepared to defend his cultural heritage.

As pointed out in the Hamilton Herald of May 12, 1915, this man had “on more than one occasion expressed his love for the Fatherland and its war policy.”¹

¹ “Pro-German”

Hamilton Herald.   May 12, 1915.

The man’s vocal opinions about the war caused not a little trouble when he expressed them loudly while riding an electric radial car from Hamilton to the Beach:

“Two gentlemen were riding in the smoking compartment of a radial car last Saturday, when this ‘old Kaiser’ got on, and, entering into a conversation with them, claimed that it served the victims of the Lusitania disaster right for being on the ship.

“There was a near-riot, and had it not ben for the timely interference of the conductor, he would have been thrown off the car.”¹

It was not the first time that this same person’s views had caused problems:

“ People wonder if this man forgets one day last summer when two members of the Tiger Club rushed him to the lake for expressing his sentiments and were going to throw him in, until an apology was forthcoming.

“Beach residents will not stand much more of this man’s German ‘kulture.’ ”

 

1914-07-28ax

It was an offhand comment by a Hamilton politician that stirred up the undercurrent of racism in the Hamilton of the summer of 1914.

Aldermen Dr. Hopkins stirred up the hornet’s nest by claiming that Chinese immigrants were settling too thickly on York street. His position was resented by a fellow alderman :

“ Ald. Dr. Hopkins stated that Chinese were alright when scattered, but when they got together and formed a colony like on York street, they became dangerous.

“Ald. Coo said : ‘The merchants of York street and the residents of the surrounding district resent these statements of Dr. Hopkins and they think he is going a long way out of his own district to find trouble. Ald. Hopkins’ statements would lead a stranger to believe that Chinese were clustered in York street like grapes and that it has become a regular slum district or a Chinatown.

“ ‘York street is a prominent business artery of our city and its location and proposed connection with the great highway to be built between Hamilton and Toronto will greatly enhance the value of property on this street and business conditions will change accordingly.

“ ‘If Dr. Hopkins will take the trouble to go from one end of York street to the other, he will find but six Chinese laundries in sixteen blocks, which no sane citizen could possibly call a dangerous number, and they are scattered along the entire length of the street.

“ ‘The Chinese of York street are quiet, inoffensive, hard-working laundrymen who do not harbor women, but conduct their business in an orderly manner. Inquiry from the police will prove they give them no trouble.

“ ‘There are about one hundred Chinese laundries in our city, and only six of them on York street. Surely Dr. Hopkins has made a mistake in saying they were getting too numerous in this prominent thoroughfare.’ ”¹

¹ “Chinese Laundries : Ald. Coo Resents Statements Made By Ald. Hopkins”

Hamilton Spectator.    July 28, 1914.

1914-08-18aa

            WAR

Curse of the nations since their birth,

   That works behind a thousand lies;

A monstrous brute that prowls this earth,

   With dripping fangs and bloodshot eyes.

The labor of a thousand years,

   The fruit of women’s travail-pain,

The father’s toil, the mother’s tears,

   Crush, blast and kill !  Pile up the slain !

Let loose the vengeful lusts of men

   And tear and rend what God made good;

And lope the wounds of Christ again,

   Till empty crawl to God for food.

JOHN STEPHEN.

 Hamilton, July 28, 1914.

          The opening days of the Great War in Europe was unsettling in the extreme for people all over the world, not less in Hamilton.

          John Stephen’s poem was filled with forebodings, fears which ministers in many Hamilton churches included in their sermons about the importance of the war.

From the pulpit of the Church of the Ascension, Rev. Canon Howitt , using Revelation xvii, 12-13 as the text of his sermon, stated that in his interpretation of the Scriptures, Great Britain would be victorious in the great European war.

The two verses, in the King James version read as follows:

“ And the ten horses which those sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour and with the beast.

“These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”

Rev. Howitt began with reference to the commencement of hostilities in Europe, when the Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated and the rapid developments until ten empires were fighting with more to join: He noted that twenty million men were mustering up for battle on land, while on the seas, nearly two thousand ships were ready to do battle.

Reverend Howitt referred to the cost of the war in its earliest days as no less than 50 million dollars a day :

“ ‘But that will but a trifle of the waste. There will be millions of men killed and property destroyed to such an extent that its value cannot be estimated,’ he added.”¹

“Believes War is Beginning of the End”

Hamilton Times.    August 18, 1914.

          Reverend Canon Howitt stated that he felt the war had brought about great disillusionment in the world, no longer was the dawning of an era of universal peace even possible:

          “Of the significance of the war, he could not prophesy. No living man could

         “Canon Howitt did not claim to prophesy, but he did claim the right to read and interpret the word of God.

          “The European war was not the battle of Armageddon, in the opinion of the speaker, who next referred to Revelation xvi., according to which, he clared, the great war he had mentioned would be more awful, with the east against the west, in which the kings of the country where the sun rises would be pitted against the kings of Europe and America, and this would be the last great war.

          “But he believed the present disturbances were the first note of that awful time

“ ‘I see signs of a storm gathering in the East,’ he declared. He had been asked frequently if he thought  it possible that the Emperor was the Anti-Christ. He did not. Because the bible taught that the Anti-Christ would come out of Syria and that he would be a Jew.

“He had been asked if he thought the pope was the false prophet. He did not think so.

“ Would England come through victorious? ‘Yes, I believe she will. England is Tarsus. England as Tarsus has a great deal to answer for and must undergo a great deal of humiliation. But the Bible taught that Tarsus would be ready and prepared to meet God, and so England as Tarsus must come out all right”¹

Later that day, the war was the focus of a sermon, titled “Perilous Times” by Rev. W. E. Gilroy :

“ ‘Even when we are in the right,’ said Mr. Gilroy, ‘we should not go into the conflict with an insane desire to kill, but with a dread and horror of the war and a prayer for its speedy conclusion. If a nation is afraid and her men are cowards, then war should not be entered into under any consideration, but I thank God that this is not the case with Britain, and I also thank Him for being a man and a Britisher.

“ ‘ All of you have no doubt heard me criticize our Empire for the money which they have from time to time expended on great battleships and Dreadnoughts. I wish to state that do not regret one word that I have uttered along these lines for I firmly believe that had the nations desisted from building large battleships, the present war could have been avoided. I think this money could have been better spent in industrial enterprise, and for the furtherance of peace rather than an incentive to war

“ ‘This war, with all its horrors, may do some good. It will show the nations what modern warfare can do, and the next time a more expeditious and humane way may be devised for the settling of international difficulties.

“ ‘I ask you to join me in a prayer for the speedy termination of this conflict that is bound to cause sorrow and sufferings throughout our vast empire.

“ ‘May the will of God be done.’ ”²

^{2 “}Beware of the Spirit of War At This Time”

Hamilton Times.     August 18, 1914

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The Beach during the last weekend of July was sure to a popular destination for Hamiltonians, and so it was on Sunday, July 26, 1914 .

As described in the Hamilton Times of the following Monday, the foreboding events in Europe were forgotten if just for the moment:

“The largest crowd to visit the Beach in some years journeyed there yesterday, driven from the city by the intense heat.

“Every car leaving, from early in the morning, was crowded to capacity, while the boats helped to convey a great number.

“The lake was exceptionally warm, and the crowd in bathing was large.

“Only one accident was recorded, as far as is known.”¹

¹ “Beach Lad Was Nearly Drowned”

Hamilton Times.    July 27, 1914.

While most of the people down at the Beach that day were refugees from the city, the only untoward incident involved a young man who actually lived on the Beach :

“Wilbur Ennis, who was spending the day with friends at Station 18, went in bathing. He had been in the water only a few minutes when he was suddenly seized with cramps.

“He cried for help, and as he was in only four feet of water, those on the shore believed him to be joking. They hurriedly changed their minds, however, fo he sank from view almost instantly, and several ran to his assistance. He was laid upon the shore, where he was revived after a few seconds.”¹

Swimming was a main attraction at the Beach, as was fishing:

“Residents who spend considerable time fishing in the bay report the most successful season in some years.

“The bay, from the canal to the north shore, appears to be well stocked with splendid bass, weighing from one and a half to five pounds. Seldom anyone goes out without returning with a good catch.”¹

In the summer months, most issues of the Hamilton daily newspapers carried a column detailing with events at the Beach. The day following the column which detailed Wilbur Ennis’ near-drowning, the Times wrote about another potentially fatal incident:

“Thinking that he could manage his canoe in the waters of Lake Ontario, although they were lashed into a fury yesterday afternoon, Edward Costello, who resides hear station 38, had a narrow escape from death, when his little craft capsized.

“He had been paddling on the bay and ventured into the lake. On his way through the canal, he was warned of the danger, as the lake was too rough for a boat of this nature.

“He paid little attention to the warning and he had not gone fdar past the end of the pier when his boat showed signs of being in distress,

“The mad waves tossed the canoe with terrific force and Costello, soon unable to keep his balance, fell in. He tried in vain to keep hold of his canoe, but the force of the waves tore it from him. Being able to swim, he managed to get back to the old pier where occasionally he could get a glimpse of his boat tossed by the huge waves, which washed it ashore about an hour later.

“He did not venture out on the water again but left the craft on the shore until this morning when he carried it back to the bay and paddled home.” ²

² “At the Beach : Canoeist Had Troublous Time on the Lake”

Hamilton Times.   July 28, 1914.

The rough waves of Lake Ontario had an impact on the travelers who took one of the three steamers which ran from Hamilton to Toronto throughout the day:

“Those who took in the trip to Toronto on the boat yesterday witnessed one of the roughest seas so far this season.
“The mountainous waves rocked the big steamers and many of the passengers were unable to make the return trip on account of sea sickness. Those who did return probably regret the experience most.”²

 

1914--07-28aa

“Hamilton will be prepared to send her share of men towards the support of the Motherland should the present crisis in Europe reach a head.”

As the end of July 1914 approached, it was appearing more and more that war was imminent and that the events had reached such a stage that diplomatic efforts to avoid war would be futile.

In Hamilton, there was substantial number of men already in uniform, in connection with the various militia units, but simply sending those citizen soldiers off to war was problematic:

“The local militia are prepared to do their share, but many of these men would be unable to go because of the fact that unmarried men would be called out first.

“Lieut.-Col. Ross, when speaking in reference to the trouble, said, if necessary, Hamilton could put 4,000 men on the firld.”¹

¹ “Could Raise 4,000 Men in Hamilton”

Hamilton Spectator. July 28, 1914.

It would take at least three months to get members of Hamilton’s militia units  completely battle-ready as the proper equipment was not available to so.

Lieut.-Col. Ross provided some details on the local militia strength:

“At present 1,900 men are enrolled in the combined units of this city. The strength of the 13^th and 91^st regiments is about 550 men each, but this could be increased to 1,200 each.”¹

Finally, Lieut.-Col Ross cautioned that the local militia units in Hamilton as well across Canada would be required to provide domestic protection, and that if all militia units were depleted for overseas duty, the enemy would certainly be aware that Canada was unprotected.

In the same issue of the Hamilton Spectator, it was noted that all trans-Atlantic passenger ocean traffic had been curtailed “as the result of the foreign trouble’ :

“The local steamship agencies have received many telegrams notifying them of sailings that have been cancelled. A large number of Hamilton people had made reservations for sailing during the next two weeks, but all have given up hopes of getting away when planned.

“Many Hamiltonians are at present on the continent enjoying midsummer tours, and it is altogether likely that they are numbered among the hundreds who are reported as flocking to ocean ports to take passage hiome.”²

² “Local People Cancel Their Ocean Trips : Those Abroad Will Likely Hurry Home”

Hamilton Spectator .      July 28, 1914.