From: "Evelyn" ewoudenberg@roadrunner.nf.net To: NFLD-LAB-L@rootsweb.com 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 >