Working the midnight shift, Constables Ronald Anderson and Warren Shaddock turned their police accident car onto Toronto's Queens Quay on September 17, 1949, in time to see the SS Noronic, one of the most impressive and beautiful passenger ships in Canada, erupt into sky-splitting flames from bow to stern.
Survivors, some on fire, surrounded their police car as Anderson and Shaddock, the first rescuers, arrived on the scene. Many injured were in the water and many more were still on the ship, some burning on the decks.
Anderson stripped off his uniform and jumped into the frigid, oily water, dragging the injured back to a painters raft in the water and to the dock. From there, police officers hauled them up by rope, where Shaddock and others would administer first aid. One of the officers lifting survivors to safety was Jack Marks, who would later become Toronto's Police Chief.
Soon, Detective Cyril Cole joined Anderson in the water, with both retrieving bodies and survivors. Later, fireboats arrived to assist. Cole's partner, Detective Roy Soplet, was also on the scene. Many of the responding officers were World War II Veterans.
"Once you've experienced explosions, shell fire and the horror of war, you can handle bodies and injury better. The Police Force was made up of many WWII combat vets who were specifically recruited for their ability to handle this kind of pressure," says Anderson, now 86.
The fire on The Noronic broke out around 2:30am. Soon, the decks began collapsing and the hull became so hot it turned white. So much water was used to fight the blaze, the ship tilted, and firefighters had to retreat from the blaze, until it tilted upright again.
"Toronto didn't have the ambulance service we have now," says Anderson. "Cab drivers deserve a lot of credit. Dozens of cab drivers came down from the Royal York and the King Edward Hotel to help. They didn't charge fares, they just ran the injured to Toronto General, St. Michael's, and Toronto Western Hospitals. When the hospitals were overwhelmed, victims were taken to the Royal York and the King Eddie where doctors and hotel staff assisted the injured and those in shock."
Media had been at the Press Club Awards Dinner which was being held at the Royal York Hotel. They rushed to the scene of the disaster, drawn out by a horn sounding from the ship. The horn was so loud, it could be heard throughout Toronto and made it difficult for rescuers to communicate with each other.
Anderson discovered his wallet was missing when he retrieved his uniform in the morning. The wallet, with no money in it, was retrieved from an arrest by Detective Jim Mackie who went on to become the Chief of Toronto's Police.
Identifying the bodies was extremely difficult, made more complicated because a great many were so badly burned. The ship's manifest was problematic, reflecting a number of aliases, mostly men traveling with women other than their wives who believed their husbands were fishing or hunting. All of the victims were American.
With some of the victims reduced to little more than ash and jewelry, it took almost a year to ID them. Medical examiners from various parts of the US and Canada came in to help. Many of the bodies were identified through dental records, the first time this procedure was used.
The disaster was widely believed to have been caused by a cigarette, although it was never officially ruled so. A variety of design, construction and maintenance issues were believed to have contributed to the Noronic fire, including oiled wood, many coats of paint and non-working on board fire hoses.
The crew who had neither called the fire department nor roused passengers were soundly criticized. Some ran, leaving sleeping passengers behind, when the first alarm went up. Following the Royal Commissions investigation, Captain William Taylor's license was suspended for a year, even though he had participated in rescue efforts. The Noronic was the last vessel he ever captained.
Luxury passenger travel on the Great Lakes virtually stopped overnight following the Noronic disaster.
Sixty years later, The Noronic fire, which killed 119, is still the singular Toronto disaster with the greatest loss of life.
Survivors, some on fire, surrounded their police car as Anderson and Shaddock, the first rescuers, arrived on the scene. Many injured were in the water and many more were still on the ship, some burning on the decks.
Anderson stripped off his uniform and jumped into the frigid, oily water, dragging the injured back to a painters raft in the water and to the dock. From there, police officers hauled them up by rope, where Shaddock and others would administer first aid. One of the officers lifting survivors to safety was Jack Marks, who would later become Toronto's Police Chief.
Soon, Detective Cyril Cole joined Anderson in the water, with both retrieving bodies and survivors. Later, fireboats arrived to assist. Cole's partner, Detective Roy Soplet, was also on the scene. Many of the responding officers were World War II Veterans.
"Once you've experienced explosions, shell fire and the horror of war, you can handle bodies and injury better. The Police Force was made up of many WWII combat vets who were specifically recruited for their ability to handle this kind of pressure," says Anderson, now 86.
The fire on The Noronic broke out around 2:30am. Soon, the decks began collapsing and the hull became so hot it turned white. So much water was used to fight the blaze, the ship tilted, and firefighters had to retreat from the blaze, until it tilted upright again.
"Toronto didn't have the ambulance service we have now," says Anderson. "Cab drivers deserve a lot of credit. Dozens of cab drivers came down from the Royal York and the King Edward Hotel to help. They didn't charge fares, they just ran the injured to Toronto General, St. Michael's, and Toronto Western Hospitals. When the hospitals were overwhelmed, victims were taken to the Royal York and the King Eddie where doctors and hotel staff assisted the injured and those in shock."
Media had been at the Press Club Awards Dinner which was being held at the Royal York Hotel. They rushed to the scene of the disaster, drawn out by a horn sounding from the ship. The horn was so loud, it could be heard throughout Toronto and made it difficult for rescuers to communicate with each other.
Anderson discovered his wallet was missing when he retrieved his uniform in the morning. The wallet, with no money in it, was retrieved from an arrest by Detective Jim Mackie who went on to become the Chief of Toronto's Police.
Identifying the bodies was extremely difficult, made more complicated because a great many were so badly burned. The ship's manifest was problematic, reflecting a number of aliases, mostly men traveling with women other than their wives who believed their husbands were fishing or hunting. All of the victims were American.
With some of the victims reduced to little more than ash and jewelry, it took almost a year to ID them. Medical examiners from various parts of the US and Canada came in to help. Many of the bodies were identified through dental records, the first time this procedure was used.
The disaster was widely believed to have been caused by a cigarette, although it was never officially ruled so. A variety of design, construction and maintenance issues were believed to have contributed to the Noronic fire, including oiled wood, many coats of paint and non-working on board fire hoses.
The crew who had neither called the fire department nor roused passengers were soundly criticized. Some ran, leaving sleeping passengers behind, when the first alarm went up. Following the Royal Commissions investigation, Captain William Taylor's license was suspended for a year, even though he had participated in rescue efforts. The Noronic was the last vessel he ever captained.
Luxury passenger travel on the Great Lakes virtually stopped overnight following the Noronic disaster.
Sixty years later, The Noronic fire, which killed 119, is still the singular Toronto disaster with the greatest loss of life.
About the Author:
Susan McLennan is a communications professional who works at Babble On Communications, a company specializing in socially sustainable projects, people and products. She is the step-daughter of Ronald Anderson. Please visit Susan McLennan blog or visit the Babble On Communications website for further information.
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