Re: Obit: TAGGART Roger Todd

Thanks Deb.

A real tragic story to read for someone so young and so far from home and family.

In doing some research today at the Archives, one of his grandsons and his wife suffered a similar tragedy.

Dave

On 15-01-26 10:22 AM, "nscumber" <nscumber@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Vital Event Death Registration

Name:     Robert Taggert

Event Date:     1905 2 7 (Yr/Mo/Day)Age:   26 Gender:         male

Event Place:    Arrowhead

Reg. Number:    1905-09-162697B.C. Archives Microfilm Number: B13104GSU Microfilm Number: 1927132

TAGGART, ROBERT

Word has been received here that Robert Taggart, a former and well known resident of River Hebert was burned to death at Arrow Head, British Columbia, he being in a lumber camp boarding house which was totally destroyed by fire. The manager, a Mr. Beattie, who had just returned from Ottawa, was so badly burned that he died twelve hours later. Taggart left River Hebert for Halifax and from there went to British Columbia. He leaves a wife and three children in Nova Scotia. His wife was to have joined her husband this spring.

(Amherst Daily News Tuesday, February 21, 1905, page 5)

"FATAL FIRE

Arrowhead Lumber Company's Boarding-House Burned.

Manager Beattie Died from Injuries and R. Taggart burned to death.

A terrible fire took place at Arrowhead on Monday night when the Arrowhead Lumber Company's boarding house was destroyed. W. R. Beattie, manager was so badly burned in getting out of the building that he died and R. Taggart, who was saw filer, was burned to death. The fire spread rapidly. It had such a strong hold that when Mr Beattie awoke with the noise of the flames he was surrounded by fire and had to rush through it to get to the balcony, from which he jumped.

The boarding house, which is shown on the left of the picture, was three stories in height with broad verandah on two sides. It covered a ground space of 32 ft. by 70 ft. and provided dining, sitting, and reading rooms for the company's employees, large kitchen fitted with two ranges, private dining room and well-furnished sleeping rooms.On word being sent to the C.P.R. they promptly furnished a special engine and caboose and, accompanied by Dr. Sutherland, brought Mr. Beattie to the hospital, where he suffered great pain and died Wednesday morning, twenty-four hours after his admissionThe cause of the fire was the up setting of a lamp by a dog which was in the building.Mr. Beattie had been east, and only returned the night before the fire.Fortunately the night was calm or the mill and its enormous stock of lumber might have been destroyed. As it was 50,000 feet of lumber was burned.Mr. Beattie was one of the best lumbermen in America, having made a great reputation in the Parry (Perry?) Sound district, which he also represented in parliament for some years, being returned by increasing majorities in recognition of his ability and integrity.He was appointed manager of the Arrowhead Lumber Co's. mill in 1903, and ran the old DeCew mill to supply the lumber for building the new mill. That

mill was destroyed by fire last fall. Mr. Beattie designed and built the new mill for the Arrowhead Lumber Co., and it was recognized as one of the best designed and economically managed mills in British Columbia.Mr. Beattie was unmarried. He leaves three brothers and three sisters, two of whom are at his old home at Parry Sound. A brother who resides at Red Deer came to take the remains east. The deepest regret at his death is expressed throughout the district, for during his residence at Arrowhead he became highly esteemed by all who came in contact with him, and his death is not only a loss to the company with which he was connected but to the industrial interests of Kootenay. Mr Beattie was 58 years of age.W.B.W. Armstrong, secretary to the company, arrived in the city yesterday to complete arrangements for sending Mr. Beattie's body east.The Free Mason of the city, in reglin, accompanied the remains to depot.Mr. Taggart was a married man, his wife and family living in the east, and much sympathy is felt in their bereavement. They were about to come west to join him.Taggart did heroic work. He went from room to room raising his sleeping fellow employees, and hauled several of them out of bed, throwing one of them out of the window in the rush and breaking the sash. He fell through the burning floor and died, risking his life for others.It was due to the citizens of Arrowhead that the huge piles of lumber at the mill were saved, for they turned out splendidly and worked hard under the direction of J. Ludgate, whose cool headyness and splendid organisation of

the bucket brigade resulted in such excellent work.Andy Edgar twice got Mr. Beattie and urged him to follow him to a place of safety, but instead he got stupefied and rushed into the heart of the fire."

(Kootenay Mail printed in Revelstoke on February 11, 1905 of the fatal fire that killed R Taggert who was the saw filer of the Arrowhead lumber Company, he died in the boarding house when it burned.)