Nova Scotia Archives

Archibald MacMechan

Halifax Disaster Record Office Materials

Personal narriatve - Principal Matheson of St. Joseph's School

1 page : 30 x 38 cm.

view transcript 1

close

note: transcription publicly contributed - please contact us with comments, errors or omisions

Personal Testimony of Principle Matheson of St. Joseph's School.

Three children were killed in St. Joseph's school. Two others were killed after leaving. Many children were killed in their homes who were pupils of the school. 90 boys and 52 girls are dead.

Sister Maria Joseph's room floor gave way. It was in this room that the three were killed. The children were crushed. Children upstairs saved themselves by jumping through the window. A class was going on in the Assembly Hall. No one was killed. Mr. Matheson was in his own kitchen, sitting down. His hat was taken from his head by a piece of the Mont Blanc. The chair he was sitting on was broken under him. He was cut up and his eye was injured. He tied white silk stockings around eye and mouth and started for the school.

[crossed out] One little girl (Zwicker?) found her way out of Sister Marie Joseph's room. Then she came back and said "Follow me girls," and led them out.

Sister Rita took the children out in single file the foremost holding to her skirt and each child holding to the one in front.

Sister ------------------- held the steps up for the children to escape. Her leg was broken at the time. There was no panic.

Sister Maria Cecelia was buried under the ruins --- very little hurt.

Relief is mismanaged. In many cases visitors came, but nothing came but the visit.



Reference: Archibald MacMechan Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 volume 2124 number 184

Nova Scotia Archives — https://archives.novascotia.ca/macmechan/archives/?ID=184

Crown copyright © 2024, Province of Nova Scotia.