Constables Ronald Anderson and Warren Shaddock were on the overnight shift when they navigated their cruiser onto Toronto's Queen's Quay just as the SS Noronic, one of the largest and most beautiful luxury passenger ship sailing the Great Lakes, erupted into an inferno before their eyes. It was the early hours of November 17, 1949.
The first to arrive, their police cruiser was surrounded by people in shock, many of them injured, some in flames. A passenger alerted Anderson to the many wounded in the water and those standing on the decks, some on fire.
Anderson took off his uniform and dove into the water, which was thick with oil and very cold. He swam to the injured and the dead, pulling them onto a raft and over to the dock. Policemen with ropes would then hoist them up to the dock where Shaddock and others were administering first aid.
Detective Cyril Cole jumped into the water after Anderson, also rescuing survivors and retrieving bodies. Cole's partner, Detective Roy Soplet, was on the scene as well. Like many of the officers who responded, they had seen combat in World War II.
"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 Noronic fire had started at around 2:30 am. Within minutes, the hull grew white hot and the decks began buckling. The millions of litres of water combating the blaze, caused the ship to list. Firefighters had to retreat until the ship righted itself.
"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."
Press flocked to the fire from the Royal York Hotel where they had been attending a Press Club Awards Dinner. They had been alerted by the horn sounding on the Noronic, which was so loud that it reverberated throughout the city and hampered communications between the rescuers.
Anderson retrieved his uniform and discovered that his wallet had been stolen. He never got the money back, but he did get the wallet when it was found on a suspect that Detective Jim Mackie, a future Chief of Toronto Police, had arrested.
Identifying the bodies was challenging because of how badly burned they were. The ship's manifest complicated the process as well because it reflected a variety of aliases, men who had told their wives they were hunting or fishing, but who were actually traveling with female companions. All of the fatalities were American.
The terrible task of identification dragged on for almost a year, with medical examiners coming in from parts of the US and Canada. Some of the bodies were little more than ashes mixed with jewelry. A new procedure was pioneered when, for the first time, some of the dead were identified by dental records.
No cause was every definitely determined, but the leading theory was that a cigarette, carelessly discarded, set off the Noronic fire. Non working fire hoses, oiled wood, layers of paint, and other of the ship's maintenance, design and construction flaws were sited as contributing factors to the disaster.
The crew was criticized for not calling the fire department and for not waking passengers. Some fled at the first alarm, leaving sleeping passengers behind. The Captain, William Taylor, did participate in rescue efforts but had his license suspended for a year, following the Royal Commissions investigation, and never captained a vessel again.
Luxury passenger travel on the Great Lakes virtually stopped overnight following the Noronic disaster.
Sixty years on, no other Toronto disaster has exceeded the number of lives lost, 119, as the fire on the SS Noronic.
The first to arrive, their police cruiser was surrounded by people in shock, many of them injured, some in flames. A passenger alerted Anderson to the many wounded in the water and those standing on the decks, some on fire.
Anderson took off his uniform and dove into the water, which was thick with oil and very cold. He swam to the injured and the dead, pulling them onto a raft and over to the dock. Policemen with ropes would then hoist them up to the dock where Shaddock and others were administering first aid.
Detective Cyril Cole jumped into the water after Anderson, also rescuing survivors and retrieving bodies. Cole's partner, Detective Roy Soplet, was on the scene as well. Like many of the officers who responded, they had seen combat in World War II.
"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 Noronic fire had started at around 2:30 am. Within minutes, the hull grew white hot and the decks began buckling. The millions of litres of water combating the blaze, caused the ship to list. Firefighters had to retreat until the ship righted itself.
"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."
Press flocked to the fire from the Royal York Hotel where they had been attending a Press Club Awards Dinner. They had been alerted by the horn sounding on the Noronic, which was so loud that it reverberated throughout the city and hampered communications between the rescuers.
Anderson retrieved his uniform and discovered that his wallet had been stolen. He never got the money back, but he did get the wallet when it was found on a suspect that Detective Jim Mackie, a future Chief of Toronto Police, had arrested.
Identifying the bodies was challenging because of how badly burned they were. The ship's manifest complicated the process as well because it reflected a variety of aliases, men who had told their wives they were hunting or fishing, but who were actually traveling with female companions. All of the fatalities were American.
The terrible task of identification dragged on for almost a year, with medical examiners coming in from parts of the US and Canada. Some of the bodies were little more than ashes mixed with jewelry. A new procedure was pioneered when, for the first time, some of the dead were identified by dental records.
No cause was every definitely determined, but the leading theory was that a cigarette, carelessly discarded, set off the Noronic fire. Non working fire hoses, oiled wood, layers of paint, and other of the ship's maintenance, design and construction flaws were sited as contributing factors to the disaster.
The crew was criticized for not calling the fire department and for not waking passengers. Some fled at the first alarm, leaving sleeping passengers behind. The Captain, William Taylor, did participate in rescue efforts but had his license suspended for a year, following the Royal Commissions investigation, and never captained a vessel again.
Luxury passenger travel on the Great Lakes virtually stopped overnight following the Noronic disaster.
Sixty years on, no other Toronto disaster has exceeded the number of lives lost, 119, as the fire on the SS Noronic.
About the Author:
Susan McLennan is a communications executive working with Babble On Communications, a company specializing in socially responsible 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 additional information.
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