The Irish standard., 1913-09-06
REDEDlcATIoN o. olNT
ST. CHARLES MONUMENT
Monument Erected in Memory Of Ship Fever
Victims. and Moved by Railway Co.,
Replaced and Rededicated Under
Auspices Of A. O. H.

Specially Written for The Irish Standard
dent Of A. o. H.
In the year 1851, the Grand Trunk
Railway System, in order to facilitatel
tramc. conceived the idea Of erectingl
a bridge now known as the Victoria
bridge, across the st. Lawrence river
at the city Of Montreal. This, for this
time, was considered gigantic under
taking. The contract was let to Messrs.
Oeto Brassey & Belts, and they began
operations. In those days no provi-
sion was made by law for the protec-
tion Of workmen. and an arrangement
was made whereby a fund was cre-
ated to which all the workmen en-
gagged on that undertaking, contrib
uted 60 much per month. This fund
was to be used in the care Of those
who were injured by accident or the
burial Of those who were killed, and
for any other purpose Of a like or
similar nature in connection with the
workmen engaged upon the structure.
When this bridge was completed in
1859 or the early period Of 1859. quite
q large sum was in the treasury from
the above mentioned fund, and no pro-
vision had been made for it's disposal.
About the years 1s47-1s4s, the immi-
grants coming from Ireland were at
tarksd with what was then known as
ship fever but what today would
hA regarded a. typhoid fever. Owing
ar 'asis vslys III ioas 1T
travelling in those days, and the hard
ships to which poor immigrants were
put, they died by the thousands. At
Grose Isle twelve thousand Of our kith;
and kin lie buried. and much to the
honor and credit Of the A. o. H. their
graves have been marked by suit
able cross. which was properly and
httingly unveiled on the 18th Of Aug
ust, 1909.
Some Of the immigrants who did not
die at Grose Isle and along the banks
Of the st. Lawrence, reached Montreal.
where death finally overlook them,
and six thousand Irish immigrants are
buried at Point st. Charles in the city
Of Montreal, which. point is at the
westerly end Of the Victoria bridge so
erected.
When no provision had been made
for the disbursement Of the Oeto Bras
sey Workmen Fund, those in charge
conceived that it would be fitting
disposition of the same to erect some
suitable monument over the graves Of
the Irish immigrants and accordingly
they secured a large boulder, weighing
over thirty tons, had it suitably in
scribed, and erected over the graves
of the plague-stri Irish.
The Grand Trunk Railway Company,
in its desire to extend its railway
facilities in that section Of the city Of
Montreal, sought to have this stone re-
moved, but such removal was vigor-
ously opposed by Irishmen throughout
the city of Montreal. irrespective Of
class or creed. Matters remained in
allegiance for some time until one
morning, to the astonishment Of the
Inhabitants of Montreal, they found
that the stone had been surreptitious-
ly removed from its resting place on
Point st. Charles, to another part Of
the city known as st. Patrick's
Square. The leading Irishmen of
Montreal, being justly indignant at
such a procedure, Immediately set the
law in motion to have the stone re-
placed but with the spirit of CONNER
cialism and the large financial infiu-
ence of the Grand Trunk Railway,
they were thwarted at every turn in
their efforts.
Another difficulty with which they
met was the fact that the deed Of the
land upon which this stone rested was
in the Anglican Corporation, and for
4 time that body did not interfere very
strongly in the matter, until the citi-
zens as g whole were thoroughly
aroused to the situation.
For twelve years our brothers in the
city of Montreal, together with other
distinguished Irishmen of that me-
tropolis interested themselves in hav-
ing the stone replaced. On two or
three occasions the matter was prac-
tically dropped, leaving the g. T. R.
Eompany in possession Of the land;
&.