tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post7670398919825813501..comments2024-03-28T18:17:31.556-05:00Comments on West End Dumplings: Manitoba's Worst Train Disasters: Dugald (1947)Christian Cassidyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17691310860448400887noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-89730777531257936122019-01-20T17:33:38.557-06:002019-01-20T17:33:38.557-06:00Two of my second cousins, and their mother, were o...Two of my second cousins, and their mother, were on the Minaki Special that night. They were from Redditt,Ontario and were going into Winnipeg for a few days. Their father was originally from Keewatin and the family had many relatives in Keewatin and Kenora. The children were only young-3 and 6, I believe. After the crash occurred, the oldest, a girl, recalled finding herself in what seemed to be a swampy area. Because of the reflection of the flames in the water, she was able to see her brother. He was beginning to sink and his legs were sticking out of the water. She went to pull him out, but couldn't. At the same time, a man came rushing over and pulled my cousin out of the mire. He managed to get them to safety and they ended up in one of the Winnipeg hospitals, but were not with the main group of casualties. The children had no identification on them, but the oldest was able to tell her full name...their rescuer had been a Winnipeg newspaper reporter, and he went looking for the mother. In the meantime, their mother had gone to the morgue and to different hospitals looking for her children. For 3 days, she believed her children must have been amongst those whose remains were too badly burnt to be identified, or, that their bodies had not been found. The reporter managed to track her down and helped reunite her with her children; but the horror, anxiety and despair over those 3 days caused the mother to have what we would now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that affected her for the rest of her life. The story of my relatives is not recorded anywhere, except here. Both my cousins are living, and the girl, now a woman in her 70's, still has memories of that night. Out of respect for them, I cannot give their names. I was given this information by another family member, who recalled these events, as told to her by the mother many years ago. Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13577651986015497518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-25873963587358455692018-09-05T08:22:50.690-05:002018-09-05T08:22:50.690-05:00I believe Alma Wynne was the granddaughter of Cess...I believe Alma Wynne was the granddaughter of Cessil Thorne.<br />Cessil lived at 847 Westminster in 1947, as did Miss M.E. Booth.<br />Perhaps Alma and Miss Booth were travelling back from the cottage together that night before this horrific event?<br /><br />PS: Should Anonymous who lived at 847 ever come back to this spot on the blog....if you don't mind me asking, in what year did you live at 847?Valnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-35256985976566431672017-09-01T09:04:51.163-05:002017-09-01T09:04:51.163-05:00I know; I know- I'm a pedant. But you list A...I know; I know- I'm a pedant. But you list Alma Wynne as living at 847 Westminster Ave., when in fact that is the address for Miss M.E. Booth. This was probably conflated from this newspaper article, where they and their addresses are listed in sequence: https://www.gendisasters.com/manitoba/8717/dugald-mb-train-collision-sep-1947<br /><br />You're not the only one to do it. I used to live at 847 Westminster and thought for the longest time that that was my closest brush with local celebrity. ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716407892466377250.post-21524211625542297412017-08-16T12:56:51.650-05:002017-08-16T12:56:51.650-05:00 I am a retired CNR conductor living in Dugald MB.... I am a retired CNR conductor living in Dugald MB. This history should stand forever , so this type of history will not be repeated .CNR has put many safety protocols in place . CNR has a long memory that believes in safety first . Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com