The Armouries, a Great Uncle, and the Halifax Explosion

The Armouries, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Notman Studio Collection - 1899

Architecture has always intrigued me and a two-foot thick walled structure resembling a medieval castle, called the Armouries, is no exception. Its imposing presence towers above the North Commons in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Magnificent turrets adorn its rough red exterior.  Inside is a large room in which troops assemble and spectators can watch from a walkway above.  Currently, the Armouries is undergoing repairs and renovations; some of which occurred during the Halifax Explosion.

On the morning of December 6, 1917, a collision between two ships in the harbor had leveled the sections of Halifax and Dartmouth closest to the blast. South of the main blast, the Armouries sustained minor damage to its roof and western wall, but its structure remained strong. This structure and the military men who slept in its barracks on its grounds were about to help in the relief effort.

As these military men and other rescue workers made their way through the city, extricating people from the ruins, smoke was rising from the munitions shed at Wellington Barracks, located on the edge of the devastated area. Shouts could be heard to head for higher ground.  Thousands fled to the North Commons: some on foot and others in various modes of transport from wheel barrows to horse drawn carts to automobiles.  The area on the North Commons between the Armouries and the long barracks, several feet away, were soon jammed with hundreds of bloodied people who were barely clothed. Among them was my great Uncle Abraham (Abe) Landry who was 18 years old.

Like many on the Commons that day, Uncle Abe had been injured by flying glass and debris when the ship exploded.  His left side caught the worst of it since it was facing the window when the blast occurred. After arriving at the Commons, a medical person removed the larger shards of glass but left the smaller ones. Then, without anesthetic, 15 stitches were used to close the big gouge in his arm.  Once this was completed, it was on to the next casualty.

Uncle Abe, along with others on the Commons, would be given shelter at the barracks of the Armouries where they received a blanket and some warm broth.  He and others could be found thanks to the record keeping of military personnel who placed the names of those being sheltered on the doors where they were located. Along with the barracks housing the homeless, the Armouries would become a food depot.

Note:  To see the Armouries' barracks click on the link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rdb466/8272877877/in/photolist-dTXBjn-dU4f4G-dB3Ent-99oDRQ-ng9BnK/ Thank you, Ross Dunn for putting this photo on flickr!

I would love to be able to see the front of the barracks, also known as hutments. If you've seen them online or have a picture of it, could you share it with me?

Other sources:

The Halifax Explosion December 6, 1917, Graham Metson - includes The Halifax Disaster by Archibald MacMechan

Archibald MacMechan - Halifax Disaster Record Office Materials

Positive Life Lessons from the Halifax Explosion

Positive life lessons are replacing the horrors of the Halifax Explosion that have run through my mind as I research and write my family’s memoir.

1.  Be thankful for what you have because it could be gone in an instant.

2.  Doing acts of kindness during someone else’s tragedy, is lifesaving.

3.  When everything appears to be lost, look around and be resourceful because what you need might be close by.

4.  We are braver and stronger than we ever imagined.

5.  Individuals can survive and thrive after experiencing unspeakable horrors.

Maybe you've read about this tragedy or have experienced your own, feel free to add your positive life lessons by commenting below.

Aftershock – a quest to prove a man’s innocence – Halifax Explosion

In the book, Aftershock, Janet Maybee was on a quest to prove a man’s innocence. That man was harbor Pilot Francis Mackey.

Photo of  Francis Mackey
by http://www.pilotmackey.ca/

On December 6, 1917, two pilots, Francis Mackey and his good friend William Hayes were assigned to guide ships safely through Halifax Harbour.  Mackey was given the Mont Blanc, a munitions ship, and Hayes, the Imo, a cargo ship.   Early that morning, both ships headed into the harbor from opposite sides.  While in the narrowest section of the harbor, their two vessels collided.  As the ships separated, a fire started on the Mont Blanc. Over the next 20 minutes, the fire spread causing its cargo to explode.

Prior to the explosion, Mackey and the men aboard the Mont Blanc abandoned ship and made their way to shore.  All but one member of their crew survived. Hayes and the captain, on board the Imo, perished.  The sections of Dartmouth and Halifax closest to the blast were leveled - nearly two thousand lives were lost. There was a public outcry for answers to this horrific devastation - someone should be held accountable.

In 2007, Janet Maybee would buy a house in the north end of Halifax, on Cabot Street. She discovered that, not only had the house survived the Halifax Explosion, but there was a family connection to the man who was forced to carry the blame for the explosion, Francis Mackey. Janet promised Mackey’s last surviving daughter, Mona Mackey Homes, that she would do her best to clear her father’s name.  Janet set out to do so, with the passion of a defense attorney.  Extensive research, interviews with family members, and the unearthing of “newly exposed government documents” are revealed in her book Aftershock.

This book has been an inspiration to me, as I continue my research for my family’s memoir.  When I think of giving up because I’ve hit another road block, her work encourages me to keep going.  The answer might be in the next search or maybe in finding the right people to connect with.

Do you know James (Jim) Cody, survivor/rescuer of Halifax Explosion 1917?

View from Waterfront - Halifax Explosion - December 6, 1917
       Wikimedia,org

It was the morning of December 6, 1917 and the Mont Blanc, a munitions ship had blown up as a result of a collision in Halifax Harbour.  The north end of the city was obliterated. 

Under the ruins, flames were approaching as Jim Cody, an apprentice teacher, managed to get himself and my great uncle, 18-year-old Abe Landry, toward the light and out of the debris of Jim’s cobbler shop at 1209 Barrington Street. Moments later, the collapsed building they’d been in, was fully engulfed.

On behalf of Abe’s children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and those his life touched, I want to let Jim Cody’s family know how grateful and thankful we are that Jim saved his life. 

Uncle Abe lived to see his 98th birthday.  He owned and operated two business: Landry’s Shoe Repair Shop in the Hydrostone section of the North End of Halifax for 47 years and was co-owner of Landry’s Grocery Store on St. Margarets Bay Road with his son Percy.  Abe retired at age 95.

After the explosion, it appears that Jim Cody went to work as a watchman at New Terminals Railway.

If anyone reading this has more information they’d like to share about Jim and/or his family, listed below, I’d appreciate it if you’d share it with me.  I’m working on a memoir about my grandfather Joe’s family and their experiences. Because of the actions of Jim Cody, we’ve had many years of inspiration and joy with our soft spoken yet full of life family member.
______

The Cody Family ages 1917

Father:  James Cody – age 42,
Mother:  Florence – age 33,
Children:  James age 7, William age 5, and Cecilia 9 months. 

According to Halifax Relief Commission Claim, the James Cody family had lived in Halifax all their lives up to December 6, 1917.

 

Home Destroyed, Family Scattered - Halifax Explosion

Monarch by Cal Shook

The phrase “Home Destroyed, Family Scattered” was used by a Halifax Relief Commission worker to describe my great Grandpa Joe’s family.  This phrase resonates as I go through records in an effort to discover where family members, tenants, and others were located after the Halifax Explosion on December 6, 1917. 

Many residents of Halifax and Dartmouth frantically searched for loved ones, only to discover that their homes were leveled and, in many cases, consumed by fire.  It would take my Grandfather and his family a minimum of four temporary shelters and two and a half years before they would have a place to call home.

Thanks to the generosity of some newspapers, individuals could pick up a paper for free and look for  information about a relative or friend that they hadn’t been able to find. This material and that of the Nova Scotia Archives virtual collection, featured in last month’s blog, plus previous trips to the Archives with the aid of family members, have helped me to gain insight into their many losses and their efforts to build a new life.

Even with this extensive research, there are some missing pieces as I continue to write a memoir about my Grandpa Joe's family, "A Picture on the Wall."  I’m hoping that there is a Halifax Relief Commission record for the Simon and Hilda (Burke) Myatt family who were living in Dartmouth at the time of the explosion. I’d like to include them in the narrative.

It appears that there might be some information missing from the HRC Case# 451 about great Grandfather Michael Landry’s family. What leads me to believe this, is that in their file there is a Leo Landry, a carpenter, who was lodging with a Mr. D. Sampson after the explosion due to a severe cut to the head.  Leo is not my Grandpa Joe's brother, since he died in the Battle of  Y-Pres in June of 1916. I believe the Leo, mentioned in this claim file, might be related to a Samuel Landry who lost a son Michael Landry as a result of the explosion.    According to the 1917- 1918 McAlpine Directory, there was a Leo Landry,  a carpenter  who was boarding at 36a Stanley. There’s a Samuel Landry (h=head) and Michael Landry (b=boarder) living at the same address.  If Samuel Landry filed with the HRC (Halifax Relief Commission), there could be some records related to my Grandpa Joe's family. 

If you have any information about the Simon and Hilda (Burke) Myatt family of  Dartmouth or of Simon, Michael, or Leo Landry who were living at 36a Stanley Street in Halifax at the time of the explosion, I'd appreciate your sharing it with me.

Heroes Come in all Shapes and Sizes - Halifax Explosion

Archibald MacMechan

This week I made a wonderful find that documented the Halifax Explosion which led me to the realization that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. From a young boy pulling his mother to safety to newspapers helping families find each other, the work of the official Halifax Explosion historian, Archibald MacMechan, has these detailed stories and more. Finding this collection of works online, courtesy of the Nova Scotia Archives, is a reminder that there are a lot of caring and generous people in this world.  Though some of the notes and pieces are rough, many demonstrate the acts of kindness and generosity we’re all capable of.  Acts of kindness like:

Norman Roberts, an eight-year-old, rescued his mother and sister before their house burned down. 

Dr. Grace Rice, a woman doctor, helped many who were injured. 

The December 10, 1917 issue of The Morning Chronicle, helped family and friends by listing the wounded and where they were located, as well as, those who were identified as dead.  My grandfather Joseph Landry and his brother Dan’s tenants, Mrs. Gibson and 2 children, having lived at 38 Union Street, were listed at Camp Hill hospital on page 6 under “Partial Alphabetical List”.  Uncle Dan Landry’s 23-year-old wife, Annie Landry and 18-month-old son Clarence Landry were listed in article “List of Dead Recovered Among the Ruins.” This means he identified them some time between Thursday, December 6, 1917 and Saturday night, December 9, 1917. (Remembrance Book)

In the New Year, may we remember to do acts of kindness.

Note:  Link to his complete work: https://novascotia.ca/archives/macmechan/results.asp?Search=&Start=1

From Despair to Hope – Halifax Explosion

Writing about the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion, in a memoir about my grandfather Joe Landry’s family, has been wrought with tragedy as well as triumph.  One of the worst tragedies and greatest triumphs, involved my grandfather’s slightly younger brother Dan Landry.

Thursday, December 6, 1917
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Photo by Cal Shook

In the early hours of the morning, at 38 Union Street, a 26-year-old Dan Landry and his 23-year-old wife Annie (Adams) had finished breakfast.  Their 18-month-old son Clarence is playing with a toy on the floor nearby.  Daniel and Annie are excited, they are expecting their second child.
Before leaving for work, Daniel kissed his wife Annie and then picked up little Clarence who had toddled over to him.  Little Clarence snuggled in as he was surrounded by his father’s muscular arms.  Life was good, as Dan said goodbye. He’s got a precious toddler, a loving wife, and a little one on the way.

Within hours everything would change.

Around 8:45 a.m. in the harbor below their home, there was an accident.   The Imo, a Belgium relief ship, collided with the Mont Blanc, a French munitions ship.  As they separated, the Mont Blanc caught fire and drifted toward Pier 6.  Its crew evacuated as the Imo maneuvered away.

At 9:04 a.m. the Mont Blanc exploded, leaving the Richmond district of Halifax, where Dan and Annie’s home was located, leveled.

Dan was working for Rhodes Curry Ltd, a construction and supply company at the corner of Windsor and West Young street, about a half mile from home.  Dan, unhurt by the blast, made his way through the devastation surrounding him and headed toward home.  When he reached Fort Needham,  he saw that his neighborhood was on fire.  By the time he made it to the area of his home, there was nothing left.  His search for his wife and children would leave him in despair.

In describing her brother Dan’s son Clarence, Anna Bella (Landry) Bradley said that he was, “…the sweetest little boy… He had curly blond hair and a sweet little round face. He was adorable.  And he could talk… …he could talk like everything. And my God, he was killed, too.” In regard to everyone located at 38 Union Street when the explosion hit, “…Annie was the one that was killed, Dan’s wife, and the children, two children, I say because she was pregnant with another one.”

How does a father, having lost his wife and children, go on?

I’m grateful that Uncle Dan found a way.

Hilda and Marie Landry, Myrtle Nicholson Landry,  Dan Landry
Note: Hilda and Marie are children of Dan and Myrtle Landry,

Hope arrived a couple years later when Myrtle Nicholson and he were married.  They had a large family and many grandchildren.  Though Annie, their unborn child, and Clarence are not forgotten, nor the pain their absence has brought, life and laughter have returned through the passage of time.

Note:  Upon further identification from Dan's family, the name "Myrtle Nicholson Landry" has replaced "Anna Bella Bradley Landry" and words "Anna Bella is Dan's sister." have been removed from the photo to the right.