Little Mystery Solved

While reading one of Glen Phillips' picture history books of Sarnia (I believe it was the second), I saw an interesting photograph of a double funeral procession heading north down Front St., conducted by the Salvation Army.  Glen had the photo dated c1910, which turned out to be very close. 

Photo courtesy of the Archives of Canada

Anyway, I finished the book and thought nothing more of it, until one day I was walking through Lakeview Cemetery here in Sarnia and I just happened to see a large stone marked 'Salvation Army'.  Looking at the top, I was surprised to find that it was for two sisters - Bertha and Daisy Brace - who both drowned in the St. Clair river on July 16, 1909.  While pondering this tragedy, up from the depths of my memory pops the photograph I'd seen in Glen's book.  Having my camera in my pocket, I took a few photos of the stone and later hit the library to see if I could find a newspaper account of the tragedy.

Photo by John Rochon

Sure enough, listed in the index to the Sarnia Observer, I found the first detailed account in the July 17, 1909 edition on page 1.  Bertha Brace, Ensign of the local Salvation Army aged 28 and her younger sister Daisy, visiting her sisiter for the summer from Boston, MA, age 20, where visiting friends who lived on the river road near the Pere Marquette roundhouse.  The sisters decided that they would like to swim, so after donning their swimsuits, they and their friends went to the river bank.  Daisy, an excellent swimmer, was some distance from shore while Bertha, who could not swim, was content to wade in the cool water near shore.  Wading out to be near her sister, Bertha suddenly dropped into the channel bank - a drop of thirty to forty feet.  Struggling in the water, she grabbed hold of Daisy and they both went under.  Their friends on shore did not realize the trouble they were in until one of the women re-surfaced and cried out, waving her arms.  Even though immediate assistance was had from the nearby chain works, the women were pulled down and swept away by the strong currents.

Photos from the Sarnia Observer July 20, 1909

One week later, July 23, 1909, a Mr. Charles Conkey was rowing down the river looking for the body of his brother who drowned in Lake Huron on July 17th, when he found the body of a young woman about 3 miles below where the tragedy occurred.  The body was identified as that of Daisy Brace by her father,  who had arrived here on the 22nd from Charlottetown, P.E.I..  Shortly after 7pm the same day Bertha's body was found about a mile below Corunna.  The coroner, Dr. Logie, seeing no reason for an inquest, had the bodies released to the G.L. Phillips funeral home.  The funeral was held from the Salvation Army Citadel on Front St. on Sunday, July 25, 1909.  Services were conducted by Lieut.-Col. Sharp, of London, Provincial Commeander for the Salvation Army in this district.

The site of the tragedy was notorious for the number of people who drowned there.