Video Transcription
With the recent pandemic and the courageous work done by our frontline workers, The Young Canuckstorian Project looks to celebrate some of the outstanding community leaders from the past who have gone above and beyond the call for their Lambton, our home.
At 5 o'clock in the morning on July 17th, 1945, the Hamonic was docked at the CN freight sheds, carrying 300 passengers on a seven-day Detroit to Duluth holiday. When the CN freight sheds caught fire that morning, many of the Hamonic passengers were still asleep. Embers from the fire rained down on the Hamonic, and the fire rapidly spread aboard the ship.
Many passengers jumped overboard to escape the flames and were rescued by local boats. Captain Horace Beaton pulled the Hamonic away from the burning docks and rammed the ship aground, enabling a land rescue. Elmer Kleinsmith, a crane operator with the Century Coal Company, saw the fire break out. He quickly navigated his coal crane to the wreckage, and used the bucket to evacuate passengers from the bow.
“When I lower the clam bucket to the deck, 10 of you climb in. Take it easy. I’ll be back for more until your all clear. Time and again he repeated this operation, until everyone on the Hamonic were ashore.
Despite the tragic end to the Hamonic, there were no fatalities. Nineteen people from Sarnia and Port Huron were involved with the miraculous rescue, and Elmer Kleinsmith, from Sarnia, was credited for his "quick thinking and courageous actions" that saved numerous lives. The site of the Hamonic wreck is now the Point Edward Casino.
We celebrate Elmer Kleinsmith - an outstanding community leader from the past who went above and beyond the call... for his Lambton. Our home.
Additional Details
On July 17th 1945, The Hamonic luxury steamship had docked at the CN freight shed around 5 a.m at Point Edward. Around 8:30 am, a truck making a delivery to the ship caught fire. The fire spread rapidly to the freight sheds, and fiery embers from the sheds rained upon the ship. Instantly the whole ship was consumed by fire. Passengers and members of the crew trapped when flames roared through the dining room, the main lounge, dance hall and cabins, made their way fore and aft. People were unable to use the lifeboats, and some jumped from the ship to avoid the fire. Capt. Horace Beaton freed the ship from its cables and steered the ship away from the burning embers immediately, and ran it hard aground, then lowered ropes to get people off the ship.
Elmer Kleinsmith was just starting his work day at the Century Coal Company in Point Edward when fire broke out. Kleinsmith quickly drove his coal crane over to the dock and hoisted his bucket to the bow of the Hamonic and loaded eight to 10 people into the bucket at a time until all the passengers in the bow were removed. All 350 people aboard the ship survived but unfortunately the Haromic did not.
As well as Beaton and Kleinsmith, other honourees included Ronald T. Purdy, local fisherman and Alvin A. Bright, who worked with Purdy. Their boat was the first on the scene. A second Purdy boat was involved in the rescue and its operators Robert Roland, Daniel R. George and Earl Brissette of Kettle Point were also honoured. Robert King reached the fire in his boat as well and helped in the rescue work, The Observer noted.
French Version / Version Française
Transcription Vidéo
À 5 heures du matin le 17 juillet 1945, l'Harmonic a accosté aux hangars de fret du CN transportant 300 passagers sur une vacance de 7 jours entre Detroit et Duluth. Lorsque le hangar de fret CN a pris feu ce matin-là, de nombreux passagers de l’Harmonic dormaient encore. Les braises du feu ont plu sur l'Harmonic et le feu
s'est rapidement propagé à bord du navire.
De nombreux passagers ont sauté par-dessus bord pour échapper les flammes et ont été secourus par des bateaux locaux. Le capitaine Horace Beaten a retiré le Harmonic des quais en feu et a échoué le navire, permettant un sauvetage terrestre. Elmer Kleinsmith, un grutier de la Century Coat Company, a vu l'incendie se passer. Il a rapidement conduit sa grue à charbon jusqu'à l'épave et a utilisé le seau pour évacuer les passagers de la proue. « Quand j'abaisse le seau à palourdes sur le pont, 10 d'entre vous y grimpent. Allezy doucement. Je reviendrai pour plus jusqu'à ce que vous soyez tous clairs. Plusieurs fois, il a répété cette opération, jusqu'à ce que tout le monde sur le Harmonic soit à terre.
Malgré la fin tragique de l'Harmonique, il n'y a eu aucun mort. 19 personnes de Sarnia et de Port Huron ont participé au sauvetage miraculeux. Elmer Kleinsmith, de Sarnia, a été reconnu pour sa rapidité d'esprit et son action courageuse qui ont sauvé de nombreuses vies. La vue de Hamonic est désormais le point Edward casino.
Nous célébrons Elmer Kleinsmith - un leader communautaire exceptionnel du passé qui est allé au-delà de l'appel… pour son Lambton, notre maison.
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