Kays Clothing Fire 1950
Ten Perish in Flames - A three-alarm fire at Kay's Limited, Barrington Street, yesterday claimed the lives of 10 persons. The 10 victims were
Staff
Joseph Angus McEACHERN, Black Point.
Miss Marion MOSER, 17, 289 Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth.
Miss Ada GRAY, 89 King Street, Dartmouth
Mrs. Theo. L. ROBAR, 35 Erskine Street, Dartmouth.
Miss Dorothy MILLS, 26, of 15 Merkel Place, Halifax.
Shoppers
Mrs. Clyde PEACH, 36, Cuisack Street, Woodside.
Mrs. Guy CARTER, 45, 18 Cuisack Street, Woodside.
Mrs. Mary SULLIVAN, 23, of 80 Shirley Street, Halifax.
William Henry BUNDY, 51, and his son.
Milton BUNDY, 21, of 118 Creighton Street.
Mrs. Helen EISAN, 11 Williams Street, Halifax, was admitted to the Victoria General Hospital suffering a bruised back, shock, and cuts. She is a member of the store's staff.
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The fire broke out at 5:30 when interior window decorator Arthur RHUDE was putting the finishing touches to Christmas window displays. As he put in a plug to light an electrical Yuletide greeting, flames shot up, it was stated. Within seconds the window was a raging inferno, closing off the only means of escape from the bottom floor of the building. Most of the dead were trapped on the third floor, where attempts to escape through windows proved futile because of concrete encased iron bars, installed for protection against burglary. At least five of the bodies were reported found at the bottom of one of the barred windows.
The two Woodside women, employees in the laundry at the Nova Scotia Hospital, got the afternoon off to do a bit of Christmas shopping. Their charred bodies were found early this morning in a washroom on the third floor of the burned-out building.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 1.)
Mrs. Mary Sullivan, the first to be identified after the fire, was the wife of Robert Sullivan, 80 Shirley street, an employee of the Imperial Oil Limited. A bride of 14 months, she was the mother of a baby girl and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Spearns, 87 Hollis Street. Besides her husband and her infant daughter, Paula, she is survived by her parents, four sisters, Rita, Bertha, Genevieve and Theresa, and two brothers, John, at home, and Robert, a C.N.R. messenger. She had recently entered the employ of the Halifax Herald Limited. The remains are resting at Snow and Company. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 6.)
Joseph Angus MacEachren was a collector for Kay's Limited and had been employed there for some years. He is survived by his mother, his wife, Katherine, one daughter, Katherine, wife of Harry Norris of Halifax; three sons, David, 13; Harold, 8, and Ian, 7, all at home. Funeral arrangements have not been completed. The remains are resting at the Halifax Funeral Home, 90 Dresden Row.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 6.)
William Henry Bundy, 51, 118 Creighton Street, a disabled veteran of World War I, was a familiar figure in both Halifax and Dartmouth. He was greatly respected for his Christian Principles. He formerly resided at Crichton Ave., and at Cherrybrook, on the outskirts of Dartmouth. Mr. Bundy, with his youngest son, Milton, decided against having supper at home and proceeded downtown to open an account at Kay's. For some years he was fireman for the Department of National Defence, caring for the R.C.E. Stores at Young St. His eldest son, Allan, was an outstanding athlete of the Dartmouth high school and Dalhousie University. Allan became the first negro boy to win a commission in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War Two. Another brother, Carl Bundy, also served in the Air Force. He is survived by one daughter, Lillian, 208 Creighton Street, and two sons, Carl, 208 Creighton Street, and Allen, Toronto, who were well known athletes during their school years at Dartmouth. Allen was the first commissioned officer of his race to serve overseas with the R.C.A.F. in World War II. He is also survived by three sisters, Susie Smith, Preston; Lillian Turner, Halifax, and Lena Grosse, Boston.
Milton Bundy, 21, 118 Creighton Street, perished in the fire with his father. For the past few years he had been employed at the Victoria General Hospital. During his schooling at Dartmouth he was respected for his athletic abilities. He was formerly a member of the No. 18 Dartmouth Air Cadet Squadron. A double burial will be held for the Bundys with interment in Camp Hill Cemetery. Rev. W. P. Oliver of the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church will officiate.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 6.)
Mrs. Peach, the former Alfreda Hines, is survived besides her husband Clyde, by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hines, Woodside; one daughter, Verna, age 14, and three brothers, Kenneth, Raymond and Herbert Hines, all of Woodside.
Mrs. Carter, who boarded with the Hines family at Woodside while her husband worked in the lumber woods near Truro, is survived by one daughter, Charmaine, Mrs. Carson Beaver, of Woodsie, and one son, Boyd MacKenzie, Woodside. There are two grandchildren. She is a daughter of the late Captain and Mrs. A. Dickson, who lived on Fairbanks Street, Dartmouth. Surviving are three sisters, Marjorie and Katherine Dickson in Ottawa and Mrs. Vera Carter, Dehlia Street, Dartmouth.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 6.)
Youngest victim of the fire was Marion Moser, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Crandall Moser, 289 Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth. Marion, employed as a clerk at Kay's, would have celebrated her 18th birthday on December 10. Father of the young woman, Crandall Moser, a shipwright employed at the Dockyard, and his son, Robert Moser, were at the scene of the blaze last night, powerless to help. The Moser family originally came to Dartmouth from Moser's River. Marion Moser was a particularly attractive girl and her tragic death has come as a shock to many friends.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 6.)
Mrs. Theo L. Robar, wife of Allen Robar, 35 Erskine Street, Dartmouth, was the bookkeeper at Kay's. She was a daughter of Captain and Mrs. James Bagnell, Gaston Road, Dartmouth. Captain Bagnall, master of the Dominion coal freighter Petite Hermine, was at sea aboard his ship early this morning en route to Sydney. Surviving Mrs. Robar, besides her husband and parents, are three sisters, Audrey (Mrs. G. Palmer), Goose Bay, Labrador; and Joyce and Florence, at home; also two brothers, Donald and Ralph, of Dartmouth. Remains of Mrs. Robar are being removed to the Dartmouth Funeral Home, 29 Queen Street. Nor arrangements for her funeral have been announced.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 6.)
Miss Ada Gray, 89 King Street, Dartmouth, was employed as seamstres at Kay's. She had formerly worked with the T. Eaton Maritime Ltd., store in Halifax, and had taken the job at Kay's only last summer. She was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Gray, King Street, Dartmouth, and made her home with her brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. James Gray, King Street. Remains of Miss Ada Gray are being taken to Zink's Funeral Parlors. The funeral will be held at 2 o'clock, Monday, December 4, followed by service at 2.15 o'clock in Christ Church, General Archdeacon W.E. Ryder officiating.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 6.)
Miss Dorothy MILLS was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Mills, 15 Merkel Place, and had been employed in the office at Kay's for the last eight years as a cashier. She is survived, besides her parents, by five brothers, Jack, Harold, Kenneth, Gordon and Robert, all at home, and two sisters, Mrs. Joseph Paul, Fairview, and Betty, at home. The funeral of Miss Mills will take place tomorrow at 10 a.m. from her parents' home. Rev. B.R. Tupper will conduct the service and interment will be in St. John's Cemetery, Fairview.
(From the Halifax Mail Star Newspaper, published Friday, 1 December 1950, page 6.)