That was the day five Italian immigrant workers were killed in Toronto, Ontario in what is known as the Hoggs Hollow Tragedy.
Referred to as sandhogs, workers sought to connect a pumping station to the water distribution network.
They were building a water main in a tunnel under the Don River.
The project was already far behind schedule and over budget.
Workers were welding in a compression chamber when smoke began to overwhelm the main shaft.
Some workers made it out.
Firefighters were prevented from releasing water into the tunnel to extinguish the fire over concerns that it would cause a collapse.
There was no backup safety equipment at street level.
The tragedy shed light on the appalling wage and working conditions immigrant workers faced just outside the city borders.
The persistent public outcry prompted exposes and investigations that revealed just how bad conditions were.
It was truly a tale of two cities.
Within the city, union requirements guaranteed breaks and enforcement of safety regulations.
But just outside it was a different story.
According to Jamie Bradburn, who wrote for the Toronto Historicist in 2010, “workers on suburban projects faced conditions that included lack of proper sanitation, poor safety inspections, illegal withholding of vacation pay, unpaid overtime, cheques that often bounced, and groundless threats of deportation. The coroner’s inquest determined that callous management, incompetent foremen, inexperienced workers, a disorganized rescue, and inefficiency at the Department of Labour caused the disaster... Though no criminal charges were ultimately laid, the sacrifice of the five men at Hogg’s Hollow brought about improvements in the conditions that had led to their demise.”
October 2 - Rebuilding in Tough Times
October 1 - The Jerry Level
September 30 - The Elaine, Arkansas Massacre
September 29 - Creating a Standing Army
September 28 - Solidarity on the Docks
September 27 - Wreck of the Old ‘97
September 26 - Disaster on the Job Around the Globe
September 25 - Martyred for the Vote
September 24 - Banned in Canada
September 23 - Dr. Harriet Louise Hardy is Born
September 22 - The First Farm Aid
September 21 - Fighting Just to Maintain Standards
September 20 - The Fight for Equality
September 19 - The End of My Sweet Jennie
September 18 - The Atlanta Compromise
September 17 - Striking in the South
September 16 - NHL Managers Lock Out Players
September 15 - The Invergordon Mutiny
September 14 - The Murder of Ella Mae Wiggins
September 13 - Attica!
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