Currier & Ives lithograph shows people fleeing across the Randolph Street Bridge. Thousands of people literally ran for their lives before the flames, unleashing remarkable scenes of terror and dislocation. “The whole earth, or all we saw of it, was a lurid yellowish red,” wrote one survivor. “Everywhere dust, smoke, flames, heat, thunder of falling walls, crackle of fire, hissing of water, panting of engines, shouts, braying of trumpets, roar of wind, confusion, and uproar.” Original Source: Chicago Historical Society Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
On 8 October 1871, what became known as the Great Chicago Fire began and would last till 10 October. The fire began around 9 pm on October 6 possibly at a barn owned by the O’Leary family or in the nearby area southwest of the city center. It consumed a shed on that farm and then spread outward. Due to a period of hot, dry, and windy conditions, the fire would spread rapidly. With homes and buildings built mostly of wood, it also provided fuel for the fire as well.
The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River destroying central Chicago. It leapt across the main river branch and consumed the north side as well. 300 people were killed, and a large swath of the city (about 3.3 square miles) was destroyed. 100,000 people were left homeless because of the fire. After the fire help poured in from all over the country and internationally as well. Money from Great Britain helped build the Chicago Public Library that would be free to everyone.
After the great Chicago fire of 1871, corner of Dearborn and Monroe Streets Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
The aftermath brought reconsideration of many things particularly in building construction. Fire prevention became a big topic and construction of brick rather than wood buildings would result. With the right infrastructure in place, it would prevent such a catastrophe from happening again. Rebuilding began right away with higher standards and sometimes with buildings that were considered better than the ones that burned down.
Suggested Reading
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Advertisement for the 1896 play The Great Train Robbery. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 Public Domain
Poor roads and bandits made traveling hazardous except near large cities where roads were maintained. Winter was especially difficult due to fallen trees, washed out areas, and occasionally carriages damaged due to the rough roads. Railroads made traveling over long distances more comfortable but not always without peril. On 16 October 1866, the Reno Gang boarded a train in Indiana and stole $13,000 in cash, bank notes, and gold coins. This inspired copycats and railroads had to devise better ways of protecting both passengers and valuable cargo.
The Reno Gang boarded an Ohio & Mississippi train at the Seymour depot in Indiana. Once the train was underway, they proceeded to enter the Adams Express Company car. Adams Express transported bank notes, gold coins, and packages for clients. The masked bandits forced the clerk to open the safe where they found $10,000 in bank notes and $3,000 in gold coins. Another safe could not be opened so they tossed it out hoping to open it later (they failed in doing that). After signaling the train to stop, they hopped off and disappeared into the night.
The Reno Brothers, prior to this robbery, were well known for robbing post offices and homes. They often killed witnesses who might testify against them. They had their share of supporters who shielded them and their audacious robbery of a train got widely reported making them famous. Other gangs began replicating what they did, and train robberies became frequent in the 1870’s-1880’s.
First logo for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Color version. Circa 1850’s Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Railroads, upset with the negative press these robberies generated, began adding armed guards to trains along with horse units to chase them down. Safes were bolted down or made so heavy as to make them impossible to toss out, and other safeguards were employed as well. Robberies became more deadly as a result. The famed detective agency Pinkerton was hired to track down the bandits and bounties were posted to encourage people to turn them in.
Deadly shootouts became the norm resulting in both injuries and deaths and the days of easily robbing trains came to an end. For the Reno brothers Frank, William, and Sim, they would come to a bitter end in 1868. A train robbery netted them $96,000 but were captured and put in jail pending trial. Unfortunately, the armed guard they had beaten up died from his injuries and a vigilante mob formed, broke into the jail, and hung all three from a tree. While their supporters vowed revenge, it was made clear that the vigilantes–officially called the Jackson County Vigilance Committee–were unafraid of them. Officially what they did was denounced by the sheriff and the prosecutor, but no arrests or prosecutions of any member of the group occurred. The Reno Gang faded into history remembered only as the first gang to stage a train robbery. Other gangs, notably the James Gang, became more well known and have stayed in popular culture memory.
Indiana Historical Bureau. “Hoosier State Chronicles | the Reno Gang.” Video. YouTube, November 28, 2017. Accessed October 6, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOYngWSMYwc.
Thomas Jones, 1920 UltimateLF (titanic.fandom.com) CC BY-SA
Venture along to the harbourside in Cemaes, and you’ll find a striking monument to one of this village’s true heroes. Fittingly shaped like the bow of a ship, it bears a large black plaque dedicated to Able Seaman Thomas William Jones. Affectionately remembered as “Tom Titanic”, he was born in the village, at Number 4 Sea View Cottages in 1877, with a plaque also now on his former home. As a worker for the White Star Line, he was on board the legendary RMS Titanic, dubbed the unsinkable ship, on its doomed maiden voyage to New York on the night of April 14, 1912.
The RMS Titanic is well known as the supposedly unsinkable ocean liner that sank on her maiden voyage in 1912 after striking an iceberg. It’s also known for having been the very peak of extravagance and comfort at the time, especially for the first-class passengers who dined in luxury on the Titanic. The sumptuous breakfast menu featured delicacies that would make modern mouths water, including an old-fashioned recipe not commonly seen today: Buckwheat cakes. If you like pancakes, you might love this fun twist on them, which are essentially just pancakes made with milled buckwheat flour. They’re also usually on the thin side, more like a tasty crêpe.
(There are many variations on buckwheat pancakes out there. Some use buckwheat flour entirely for the pancakes. Others use a combination of regular white flour and buckwheat flour. Buckwheat has a more intense flavor profile than regular flour, so some use a mix of both for a smoother tasting pancake. Martha Stewart has a recipe here, which uses a blend. Laura Fuentes goes all in with her recipe. The original recipe used on Titanic (or roughly in the same era) was covered by Max Miller. The recipe is here and his YouTube video is here. Please note his comments on buckwheat if you are not prepared to go all in it totally.)
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That mission was led by world-renowned deep-sea explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, the oceanographer and marine geologist who helped solve one of the world’s greatest mysteries. He is also the CEO of Ocean Exploration Trust. “It was a classified secret mission. I was actually doing something else, but I needed a cover. We lost two submarines during the Cold War, the Thresher and the Scorpion, and it turned out the Titanic was between them,” Dr. Ballard explained. Through interactive activities, real equipment, and photos and videos of the crew. The exhibit lets you take a walk in Dr. Ballard’s shoes as he and his crew discovered the ship roughly 12,600 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean more than 70 years after it sank on its maiden voyage. “So, this is all about how, on a top-secret mission with people that didn’t have clearances aboard the French National Geographic, I was able to find the Titanic when I didn’t have the technology to do it,” Dr. Ballard said.
The only picture of the Marconi radio room onboard the Titanic. Harold Bride is seated at his station. Photo was taken by Father Francis Browne, SJ, while aboard Titanic. Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
On Saturday 26th September 2026, there was a ceremony at Hollybrook Cemetery. This marked the unveiling of a new memorial headstone for John Foley, commonly known as Jack Foley. This was part of the Unmarked Graves Project by the British Titanic Society (BTS). Amongst those attending the ceremony were relatives from Youghal, County Cork, Ireland where Jack Foley was born. Priest Kevin Melley led a service. Of the 908 crew who perished, 542 people who signed on in April 1912 gave a Southampton address. In Malmesbury Road, Shirley alone eight men died. In addition to Jack Foley, Hollybrook Cemetery has over thirty Titanic related graves of survivors who died in later years. The most well-known memorial at Hollybrook Cemetery is to Fred Fleet, who died in Norman Road, Freemantle in 1965.
Suggested Titanic Reading
[Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.]
Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)
Lord, Walter, THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)
On 2 October 1944 the Warsaw Uprising came to an end with the surrender of surviving Polish rebels to German forces.
The uprising began as the Red Army approached Warsaw two months ago. Supporting the Polish government-in-exile, they had hoped to seize control before the troops arrived as they did not want a Communist regime in Poland.
Despite initial gains, they were poorly supplied. The Germans, on the other hand, received reinforcements. While the Red Army did take a Warsaw suburb, Stalin’s ordered them not to assist the rebels. The Warsaw streets saw brutal fights between the Polish rebels and German troops. Both Churchill and Roosevelt wanted to aid the rebels, but Stalin denied use of air bases to supply the rebels. This action would be long remembered in Poland. Churchill ordered supplies be air dropped using a combination of RAF, the South African Air Force, and even the Polish Air Force. This caused Stalin to relent and use Soviet air bases to make supply drops.
However, it was too late as the Polish rebels were out of all essential supplies. After 63 days of fighting, they were forced to surrender. The Germans would swiftly deport the remaining population of Warsaw to concentration camps for extermination or slave labor. Those that participated in the uprising as members of the Polish Home Army were, according to the surrender documents, to be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. Many choose to blend in with the civilian population to fight again another day.
Hitler ordered that Warsaw be destroyed in retaliation. This had already started after the earlier Warsaw Ghetto uprising but was accelerated. Using explosives, flamethrowers and other implements special units went through and destroyed whole neighborhoods, historical monuments, libraries, museums, government buildings, churches and anything else they could get to. By January 1945, 85% of Warsaw had been destroyed. A list compiled after the war shows how complete this destruction was.
10,455 buildings
923 historical buildings (94% of these were destroyed)
25 churches
14 libraries which includes the National Library
81 schools
64 high schools
The University of Warsaw and Warsaw University of Technology
Also, all Jewish synagogues, schools, and businesses were wiped out as well.
Warsaw, the capital of Poland, destroyed by German Nazis, January 1945. Public Domain (Wikipedia)
Aftermath
Stalin would claim later that the rebels did not coordinate their plans with them. The Polish Home Army though was both fiercely anti-German and anti-Communist, so Stalin was never going to support them. Since his prewar goal was to allow the western governments to fight and weaken themselves, the events in Poland fit with his plan. After the war and with a Communist government in place, the Soviets tried the leaders who led the uprising on a variety of charges including, ironically, fascism and even collaboration. The usual Soviet show trial was held and upon conviction sent to a gulag for the rest of their lives.
Those fortunate enough to have been captured by the Germans escaped this. Soviet propaganda tried to play both the Polish Home Guard and the Polish government-in-exile in the same way as fascists, collaborators, or worse. The Polish people, however, knew the truth so laws were enacted in Poland to forbid its citizens from criticizing either the Soviet Union or the Red Army. All references to the Polish Army in any media were banned or edited out. This did not work so they tried depicting the average Polish Home Army soldier as being led by corrupt officers. These laws remained in effect until the 1980’s. The rise of the Solidarity movement that challenged the Soviet backed regime along with the demise of the Soviet Union would end those laws. In 1989 a monument to those who revolted against the Germans was built.
Polish exiles and others in the West told stories about the heroism of the Polish Home Army. Criticism of the Soviets standing and doing nothing as the Germans battled them countered the Soviet propaganda that portrayed them as fascists or collaborators. Books were written about them along with news articles and interviews that relayed what happened in Poland. Back in Poland, despite the official bans on all reference to Polish Uprising of 1944, was not forgotten. It simply became one of many grievances the people had against both the Soviet backed Polish government and of the Soviet Union itself. Poland was invaded in 1939 by the Germans to eradicate its people, culture, and history. It is often forgotten that was the German goal. When the Soviet troops liberated Poland, if that term can apply here, they simply put another brutal dictatorship in its place. It would not be, until the Solidarity movement took shape in the 1980’s, that Poland would see positive change and with the collapse of the Soviet Union finally get back its freedom it lost in 1939.
Gideon, Lester P. “The Warsaw Uprising of 1944.” The Personal Notes and Diary of EUGENIUSZ MELECH. Last modified 2004. Accessed October 2, 2026. https://www.gideon1.net/uprising/.
[Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.]
October, meaning eight in Latin, is the 10th month in Julian and Gregorian calendars. Originally it was the eighth month under the old Roman calendar and retains its name. The month begins the full transition to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere but spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
Harvests are underway in October, and seasonal produce appears in the grocery stores. Apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins are part of this season along with others as well. Autumn festivals are starting to appear as well to celebrate the harvest. A major Autumn festival is Oktoberfest, an annual event that began in 1810 in Munich, Germany. Originally a royal marriage event, it has blossomed into a two-week festival the showcases agriculture, fun games and entertainment, lots of food, and of course beer. Lots of beer. The Munich festival, which every major beer brewer participates in, sees over 2 million gallons consumed. When Germans migrated to other countries, the festival came with them, and many cities now have the event.
Another rite of October is pumpkin carving. Back in Ireland, turnips were carved and a candle lit nearby to keep a rather disreputable wandering spirit named Stingy Jack from entering their homes. When the Irish migrated to America, they discovered a unique squash called pumpkin that was much easier to carve. Already useful for pumpkin pie and roasted pumpkin seeds, they started carving their Jack O’ Lanterns and placing them out for people to see. Others liked it and to the delight of pumpkin growers, people wanted more pumpkins to do their own versions. Now it has become its own unique American seasonal hobby to carve the most interesting or scary pumpkin face. Many festivals feature pumpkin carving contests. And today there are serious competitions each year. A related one, but without carving, is the growing of the largest pumpkin. Each year growers try to make a few reach that gargantuan size that will beat the previous year. Half Moon Bay in California is one such place where it takes place annually.
October, of course, is the countdown to All Hallow’s Eve or just Halloween. A time for kids to trick or treat, for parents to fret about all the candy they need to hand out, and of course to watch scary movies. Costumes vary from the simple to the very creative. Thoughtful parents get together and have an event together so that kids can have some fun, eat some creepy looking candy suited for the occasion and hear ghost stories when the lights are turned low. Perhaps that sound of a horse approaching outside is the headless horseman!
At any rate, welcome to October and may it be fun for you!
The Munich Conference of 1938 saw both Britain and France abandon its ally Czechoslovakia forcing them to cede part of their territory to Germany to avoid war. Let’s look at what the situation was in 1938 and why this happened.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”(George Santayana-1905)
Nevile Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier, Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Count Ciano 29 Sep 1938 (German Federal Archives)
By 1938 there was no doubt anymore about the intentions of Germany’s Third Reich and Adolf Hitler. European nations were generally worried about a major war and to that end the two biggest powers in Europe -France and Great Britain- sought to avert it. It was based on the experience of the First World War in which millions had died. The aftermath of that war was a sentiment that total war must be averted at all costs. So far all of Hitler’s violations of treaties, such as occupying the Rhineland in 1936, had caused no major retribution even if it was a major violation of the Treaty of Versailles that Germany had agreed to in 1918. Nor had rearming Germany, also a violation of the treaty, caused any significant reaction.
While worldwide opinion of their open antisemitism was negative, they successfully held the 1936 Olympics in Germany. This despite the fact Germany was a fully authoritarian state ruled by the Nazi Party. All private schools (including religious ones) were shuttered forcing all children to go to the public school. All major corporations and businesses that were controlled by Jews were systematically targeted and forced to sell to Germans backed by the Nazi Party. All media was likewise controlled and could only report exactly what the Reich Propaganda Ministry told them to report. Movies, radios, and newspapers repeated only what was allowed to be reported or dramatized. American movies, in order to be shown in Nazi Germany, had to comply with Nazi rules which prohibited showing Jews in a positive light, criticize German policy in any way, or show any theme the Nazi Party objected to.
As Germany re-armed, it looked to expand its frontiers and bring into being a Greater Germany. Hitler was Austrian and both countries had close ties sharing a common language and culture. Many in Austria already supported such an idea long before the Nazi’s came into power. The Nazi’s had tried in 1934 in supporting a coup attempt, but it failed. By 1938 Germany was in a better position. Politicians and groups sympathetic to Hitler and unification in Austria were loudly calling for it. Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg hoped that a referendum on the issue set for 13 March 1938 would resolve it. Hitler instead threatened to invade and through his agents asked him to resign. The referendum was canceled and on 12 Mar 1938, German troops entered Austria and were unopposed. The long-wanted Anschluss had finally occurred. Neither Great Britain nor France was willing to offer any assistance to stop it from happening. In fact, many supported it in those countries.
Sudetenland 1938-1945 Stamp Collecting World (via Wikipedia)
About the same time, Hitler was also claiming that German-speaking people living in the Sudeten region of Czechoslovakia wanted closer ties with Germany. And that if this land was not given to Germany, it would have to be done by force. Needless to say, the Czechoslovakian government was alarmed especially after what happened to Austria. Leaders in both Britain and France were becoming alarmed that this could spiral into a general war. The position of both governments was to avoid total war; they did not want another World War I that devastated Europe. This policy of appeasement had many supporters in politics, academia, and the media. Those who argued against it were called warmongers, or worse. The problem was that both countries had signed treaties with Czechoslovakia that if they were attacked, their enemy became theirs. Hitler knew this and stepped up the pressure.
Hitler ordered his generals to come up with a plan to attack Czechoslovakia. It was set to commence in October. Meanwhile Czechoslovakia tried to gauge the support it had and found Poland would only assist if the French did. And the French were reluctant to support Czechoslovakia if it meant direct conflict with Germany. Britain was also cool on the idea and forced President Benes to accept an arbitrator. Benes, feeling he had no choice, gave in to the idea. Lord Runciman was sent to Prague on 3 August 1938 to persuade Benes to accept a plan for Sudeten Germans. In public both powers appeared to support Czechoslovakia but in private made it clear they would not go to war with Germany over the Sudetenland. As German forces appeared to be poised to invade, it was clear to both London and Paris something would have to give.
Hitler continued upping the pressure by giving speeches that blamed the crisis in Sudetenland on Czechoslovakia. He denounced the state as illegitimate, that it was targeting the German speaking people for extermination, and many other things as well. German media was full of stories that depicted the heroic German people in Sudetenland as suffering and that other nationalities would be targeted as well. Hitler made it clear that the situation could no longer be tolerated, and that Germany was prepared to resolve it if either Czechoslovakia or the other powers involved failed to stop the atrocities. German troops were poised to resolve the situation. And Hitler surmised both the British and French would deal to avoid war.
With Europe seemingly on the edge of war, this precipitated the Munich Conference of September 1938. Without consulting with Czechoslovakia, British leader Neville Chamberlain and French president Edouard Daladier decided to resolve this situation by agreeing that any territory in the Sudetenland that had over fifty percent German speaking people would be given to Germany. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, also at the conference, argued for a German military presence along with an international commission to resolve disputes (this was a German proposal but felt that it was better made by the Italians).
It was formally agreed to on 30 Sep 1938. Czechoslovakia was presented with this agreement and had no choice but to accept or face immediate invasion. Czechoslovakia found itself totally alone and the two powers-Britain and France-who had pledged to protect them now abandoned them to their fate. They had no choice but to accept but left an awful taste in their mouths knowing they had been betrayed. It would end with President Benes resigning in October knowing his country was to be invaded by Germany. This would occur in March 1939. The Germans would hold the Sudetenland until 1945. Chamberlain would proclaim later, upon arrival in Britain, that he delivered “peace for our time.” Daladier concurred and later France would sign a nonaggression pact with Germany.
Aftermath
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain waving to enthusiastic crowds of his triumph upon returning to Britain. Waving a paper signed by Hitler, he pronounced peace in our time. Hitler later chuckled that the agreement he signed with Chamberlain meant nothing. Image: winstonchurchill.org
Germany acquired not only territory but the industrial resources that it needed (raw ore, steel and iron production, electrical plants). Czechoslovakia was diminished as a result. While many in public in Britain and France heralded the agreement as avoiding war, there were warnings it was wrong. Winston Churchill was critical of the deal and how they had abandoned Czechoslovakia to Hitler. The British Labor Party opposed the deal as well. A view began to emerge and would continue long after, that Britain and France wanted to get out of the military pact as they were not ready for war. Was Hitler bluffing or not also is discussed as well. The evidence is that Germany could have invaded but got what it wanted without firing a shot. And it was handed to Hitler on a platter by two powers that in the last war had been Germany’s enemies. It could not have been a greater present for Hitler.
Czechoslovakia was doomed by the pact. In October 1938, it was forced to hand over under the Vienna Award territory in its south to Hungary and a small concession to Poland. In March 1939, after Slovakia seceded to become a pro-German state, Hitler demanded Czechoslovakia accede to German occupation, which it did. Czechoslovakia then became a protectorate of the Third Reich. Churchill’s warning had come true. With his policy of appeasement now deemed a total failure, Neville Chamberlain realized that it was time to mobilize for war. The French would likewise prepare (but so entrenched as the avoidance of total war doctrine failed to act when it had the option to do so when most of the German army was invading Poland). In September 1939, World War II would officially begin with the invasion of Poland and declaration of war by Britain and France on Germany.
Both Chamberlain and his French counterpart would live to see how badly it would turn out. After war broke out, Chamberlain’s popularity fell and would resign as Prime Minister on 10 May 1940 and be replaced by Winston Churchill though remained in the Cabinet. He would die in November 1940. Édouard Daladier, who was under no illusions as to Hitler’s goals (but knew support for standing up to Hitler was thin), had resigned his position in March 1940 but was still minister of defense when Germany invaded. He would be arrested and charged with treason by the German supported Vichy government and imprisoned. He would be imprisoned in several places, including the Buchenwald concentration camp and ended up in Itter Castle in Tyrol with other French dignitaries until liberated on 5 May 1945 after the Battle of Itter . He would return to the Chamber of Deputies after the war, served as mayor of Avignon, and died in Paris in 1970.
September is nearly over and October is just itching to get started. Already signs of autumn are everywhere. Pumpkins are now available, both large and small (and in-between) at most grocery stores. The pumpkin spice flavoring, which began in late August and early September, now comes into full bloom. And all kinds of spooky items start showing up in stores from costumes to outdoor decorations. Haunted houses and hayrides are now back in style as well. And of course online streaming is screaming about the Halloween movies ready for you to watch. Then of course all the candies. The downside is that they are more expensive and some are not quite the same anymore (looking at you Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups). And now for the Titanic news….
Judge Rules in Salvage Case
Judge Gavel George Hodan publicdomainpictures.net
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith has ruled that RMS Titanic Inc, which sought to sell a certain part of the recovered artifacts, specifically the items in the French Collection, cannot be sold. RMS Titanic had sought to sell them arguing they were not under the jurisdiction of the U.S. federal court but a French one. The judge ruled that the salvage award covered this collection and it must be kept as part of the whole artifact collection retrieved from the wreck. Many groups opposed the sale from Titanic groups, museums, and even governments that are party to the current treaty in place to protect the wreck.
Judge Smith has also ordered a complete inventory of the collection for the court to review. In a previous decision, it was ruled that any sale would be for the total collection and not piecemeal, and that the buyer would have to commit to specific conservation requirements. An attempted sale some years ago resulted in no successful bids. Most experts valued the collection in very high figures making it out of the reach for most museums to purchase.
The RMS Carpathia was also a passenger ship. But unlike the glittering Titanic, that brand-new floating 5-star hotel and pride of the prestigious White Star Line, Cunard’s Carpathia did yeoman’s service in the transatlantic trade. While Titanic catered to millionaire travelers, Carpathia was its blue-collar cousin. For nine years it had shuttled mostly poor immigrants between the Old and New Worlds. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was profitable and helped keep Cunard afloat during several lean years.
Jack-o-lantern Pumpkins Glowing in the Dark Petr Kratochvil, publicdomainpictures.net
“When I was looking at the Titanic archives, I noticed that there were a number of interesting tales of omens. There was a mum who had dreamed that her son shouldn’t go on Titanic and he didn’t, for example. That was what first inspired me and I discovered lots of omens and coincidences and things. I think there are bound to be when dealing with a tragedy like that when lots of people have died in one place in such unusual circumstances. “
Collapsible lifeboat D photographed by passenger on Carpathia on the morning of 15 April 1912. Public Domain(Wikipedia)
Completing this unique architectural ensemble, the mausoleum belonging to one of the few Spanish survivors of the Titanic tragedy stands opposite the pyramid. The heritage value of this funerary structure takes on a new dimension once you learn about its creator: the architect Eduardo de Adaro. Not only did he design the final resting place for the shipwreck survivor, but he was also responsible for designing and constructing one of the capital’s most important institutional buildings, the iconic Bank of Spain building.
Two lots light fittings salvaged from RMS Olympic are to be offered at Anderson & Garland’s Country House and Fine Interiors auction on Thursday October, 1, held at Anderson House in Newcastle. Lot 447, estimated at £5,000 to £8,000, is a fine brass three branch ceiling light fitting of scrolling form with cut glass acorn shades, each measuring 46cm wide overall. It is believed to have been removed from the ship’s First Class Smoking Lounge.
RMS Olympic First Class Lounge (1912) Photo: Robert John Welch (1859-1936), official photographer for Harland & Wolff Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Suggested Titanic Reading
[Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.]
Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)
Lord, Walter, THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)
Summer officially ends with the Autumnal Equinox that generally occurs between 20-23 September. An equinox, unlike the solstice, is when the sun is almost directly over the equator (the solstice is when the sun is the farthest north or south). Since the Earth is tilted, this allows our planet to receive more or less sunlight during certain times of the year. There are two equinoxes: the Autumnal Equinox in September and the Vernal Equinox in March. The Autumnal Equinox ends summer and begins autumn in the Northern Hemisphere but the opposite in the southern. For them it is the Vernal Equinox beginning spring. For the Northern Hemisphere, the Autumn Equinox for 2026 is 8:04 P.M. EDT. Check timeanddate.com for it to begin in your region.
The transition from summer to autumn begins a period where days begin to get shorter and the nights longer. While summer warmth will linger in some places, much cooler nights are to be expected. Harvests take place during the fall and preparation for storing food for winter also begins. There are many wonderful harvest festivals that take place during this time and since Halloween is not far off, pumpkins begin appearing in large numbers along with haunted hayrides and haunted houses. Oktoberfest, a major event in Germany, starts in September and lasts until early October (with many cities around the world having their own as well).
The full moon nearest the equinox is called the Harvest Moon and in the old days its illumination would help farmers harvest at night for several days. As less daylight occurs, leaves on trees begin changing color resulting in spectacular displays in many places. Some journey far and wide to see the breathtaking images that can occur at this time of year. If you grew up in an area with lots of trees, then another custom was often observed: raking up leaves! Piling them allowed for some creative fun with family members (and pets). Fall foliage comes into full bloom while other plants and trees begin to slow down in preparation for winter. Bird migrations (along with butterflies) begin as they follow the Sun south.
Bridge In Autumn Forest Lilla Frerichs publicdomainpibtures.net
Halloween 2026 will not only be the last day of October but also Daylight Savings Time in the United States (and other places it is observed) as clocks are switched back an hour on November 1 at 2 A.M. Usually this occurs on the first Sunday after Halloween but since the first Sunday is the next day in 2026, we set clocks back one hour that night. This will not occur again until 2037.
Three Titanic saucers made for RMS Titanic have been sold at auction for £46,800 ($62,593). Made for First Class passengers, the Copeland Spode demitasse saucers were made to be used on Titanic but were never put on board for its maiden voyage. Cheffins estimated they would sell between £1,000-2,000 but a California based Titanic collector paid extra to secure the saucers.
Saucer sold at auction. Image: Screenshot taken from BBC news story.
Tony Probst, an avid collector of Titanic memorabilia who bought the saucers, said that when they came up for auction “I suppose I really didn’t have much choice.” Brett Tryner, director at Cheffins speculates that these saucers were part of a reserve made by White Star. “We can only assume that some china was kept back in reserve to then top up supplies should there have been breakages en route.” Probst states he intends to publicly display the saucers along with the rest of his collection.
On September 17, 1949, the SS Noronic while docked in Toronto, Canada suffered a catastrophic fire that killed at least 119 people that ended the golden era of Great Lakes passenger cruise ships.
The SS Noronic was launched in 1913 for the Canadian Steamship Company. It was built for passenger and freight service on the Great Lakes. With five decks and the capacity to hold 800 passengers and 200 crew, and 360 feet (110 meters) long, she was the largest and fastest ship on the Great Lakes when launched. And she had many luxuries that other ships did not have. She had her own ice plant, wireless telegraph, bandstands, restaurants, bars, decks lined with mahogany and lounge chairs upholstered with Spanish leather earning her the nickname Queen of the Great Lakes. With fourteen lifeboats in case of emergency, she was considered quite safe as well after the Titanic sinking. However the only entrances and exits to the ship were on the bottom E deck, a fact that would play a major role in the disaster of 1949
She began a seven-day pleasure cruise of Lake Ontario on September 14, 1949. She was carrying 524 passengers and 171 crew. Most of the passengers were American and only twenty Canadians. This voyage would be the last voyage of the season as the ship would be laid up for winter. The captain for this voyage was Wiliam Taylor. Pulling into Toronto Harbor on September 16, she docked at Pier 9 at 7 pm and was scheduled to depart the following day. Many passengers and crew, including the captain, spent the evening in Toronto. Most passengers had returned to the ship before the fire broke out. Only fifteen crew members were aboard the ship that night as many had gone ashore to be with family or friends.
Around 2:30 am (some sources say 1:30 am) passenger Don Church saw smoke on C deck and followed the smell to a locked linen closet. After finding smoke coming from it, he informed bellboy Earnest O’Neill. O’Neil did not raise an alarm and instead went to the steward’s office on D deck to get the keys. Upon opening the closet, fire exploded into the hallway spreading quickly. Church ran to get his family. Meanwhile O’Neill and another bellboy along with another passenger attempted to put out the fire. Unfortunately, the fire equipment did not work. He notified Captain Taylor of the fire, and the ship’s whistle was ordered to be blown. Unfortunately, either because of the fire or some other reason, the whistle only gave one blast. By 2:38 a.m., half of the ship’s decks were ablaze and noticed by people ashore alerting the fire department. However, no ship officer or crew member called them. Additionally there was no attempt by the crew to awaken the sleeping passengers.
Donald Williamson, aged twenty-seven, was the first rescuer. He had just come off a late shift and, as a former freighter deckhand, wanted to see the Noronic. He arrived just as the whistle sounded and could see the fire was spreading. He could also see people were frantically trying to get off the ship and jumping into the water. Acting quickly, he moved a large painters’ raft to the port bow and was able to pull people from the water onto the raft. Two police constables who arrived on the scene saw the ship ablaze and encountered survivors in shock and suffering from injuries and burns. Constable Ronald Anderson stripped off his uniform and assisted Williamson on the raft. Fireboats soon arrived to help rescue people in the water. Firefighting equipment arrived at the dock along with ambulances and other police to assist survivors and put out the raging fire.
Noronic Burns Photo by Norman James, September 17, 1949 Public Domain in US/Canada via Wikimedia Commons
Aboard the ship, people were desperate to get out. Portholes were broken by either crew members or passengers to get off the ship. Since the crew had failed to awaken the passengers, most only found out something was wrong when they heard screaming and running in the corridors. With most of the stairwells on fire, few could reach E-deck to escape using the gangplanks. Panic ensued and many were trampled to death. Many used ropes to climb down or to jump into the water. Those trapped on the upper decks–some on fire–jumped to the pier below and died. Others were unable to escape their cabins as the fire consumed the ship rapidly.
Noronic fire September 17, 1949 Unknown Author City of Toronto Archives via Wikimedia Commons Public Domain US/Canada
Attempts to get people off by rescue ladders were not always successful. One ladder was extended to the B deck and was swamped with passengers causing it to snap in two resulting in them being rescued by a lifeboat. Other ladders to C deck were successful and held up as people were able to get off. Despite a tremendous amount of water used to fight the fire, it was quickly realized that the fire would not extinguish. The high amounts of water used though, temporarily caused the ship to list to the pier resulting in firefighters having to retreat until it corrected itself.
By 5 am, the fire had gone out and an astonishing 1.7 million gallons of water had been used by 37 hoses. The ship was cool enough by 8 am to be boarded. Firefighters and others accompanying them found gruesome scenes. The fire burned so hot that instead of corpses they found mostly skeletons with little, or no flesh left. Some were found embracing each other while others were found in their beds. Identification of the remains proved difficult and a new technique, dental forensics was used. Additionally, all the glass fittings were melted, steel fittings warped, and only the bow stairwell survived. Due to a lack of records, the exact death toll is unknown, it is estimated between 119-139 may have died, Suffocation was the main cause of death for most, followed by severe burns, being trampled to death in the corridors, jumping to the pier, and one drowning. Initially it was 118 dead by one crewmember would die later from burns suffered on her body bringing the estimated death toll to 119.
Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), September 17, 1949, Library of Congress Public Domain
The disaster was well covered in the Toronto newspapers and on the American side as well since most of the passengers were American. The question everyone wanted answered was simple: how did this happen? The answers came from the official inquiry that took place later. Investigation showed that the fire had started on the linen closet on C deck and spread rapidly when it was opened by the bellboy. What started the fire is uncertain. A report that some laundry staff were seen smoking near the linen closet led some to believe that a carelessly dropped cigarette was the cause. Interviews of the crew members did not confirm this. The Canadian Steamship believed it was arson. Another one of their ships a year later would have a similar fire in a linen closet but it was contained, and no loss of life occurred. The inquiry found that several major issues contributed to how the fire spread so quickly and was so hot. The mahogany wood deck linings had been coated with lemon-oil which the flames fed upon. Additionally, the structure of the ship-as the ship decks were placed close together-spread the fire fast. Improperly maintained fire equipment and extinguishers meant little water could be used on the ship to put it out.
The crew failed to alert the passengers as most were asleep. The one blast of the ship’s whistle before it died was not enough. Many did not know how serious the situation was until they were awakened by noise in the corridors. Some of the crew just fled rather than assist. The lack of clear exit signage and what to do was another factor. Passengers had to make their way down, if they could, to the E deck where two planks were available to exit the ship. The rapid movement of the fire made that difficult and later impossible leading to mass panic. Without other exits, many were simply trapped forcing them to find whatever means they could. The fact that the crew mostly abandoned the ship and never had any emergency drills brought condemnation down on both the line owner, Canadian Steamship Lines, and Captain Taylor. Taylor had his master’s license revoked for a year; he would resign before it was made active. The company was sued in court and ended up paying out over two million Canadian dollars.
New regulations were enacted by both Canada and the United States to ensure this would never happen again. Ship design was altered, and new safety regulations were put in place regarding the use of flammable materials aboard passenger ships. Many ships were taken out of service as the cost of retrofitting was too high. The days of the Great Lakes luxury cruises came to an end as a result. With fewer passengers, there was not much profit anymore. Knowing that the Canadian Steamship had allowed ships to sail without properly maintained fire equipment and a crew that did nothing to help the passengers, all contributed to the demise. By late 1960’s the last of these old passenger cruise ships were retired from service never to return.
As for the Noronic, it was partially disassembled at the pier and the rest of it towed away to be scrapped. A memorial was erected in the cemetery where many were interred and a memorial plaque put up near where the disaster had occurred. It remains to this day one of the deadliest fires in Toronto history.
SS Noronic Memorial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto Photo: Nick Number, 9 September 2024 Wikimedia Commons
gorngreen. “The News Parade of the Year 1949 HD Castle Films 16mm S.S. Noronic Disaster Indi 500 Earthquake NATO.” Video. YouTube, June 22, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XVT1lgMVU4.
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