WELLAND CANAL
BRIAN NARHI
SPECIAL TO POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Many of the men killed while constructing the Welland Ship Canal either met with an instantaneous death, or did not suffer long as a result of their injuries.
Others suffered significant trauma and lingered in what must have been excruciating pain for several hours (or days). The latter was the fate of Marcin Wachowicz.
Few details are known about the early life of Wachowicz. He was born in 1901 in Zabrze in southwestern Poland. His father was Michael (Michal) Wachawic; his mother’s name appears to be spelled as “Adwiji Wozica” on Marcin’s death registration.
The history of Zabrze dates back to the Middle Ages when it was first mentioned in records dating from the mid-13th century. This part of Poland was included within the Habsburg (Austrian) Empire from the 16th century until 1742, when it was annexed by Prussia. Nearby coal mines, worked since the 18th century, contributed to the economic prosperity of the town, as did metal works and several other factories. In 1915, during the Great War, the town was renamed Hindenburg in Oberschlesien. The area was controlled by Germany between 1921 and 1945, and then reverted to Poland.
By January 1926, the unmarried Wachowicz had made final preparations for immigration to Canada. Having acquired landed immigrant status, he set out from Danzig on Feb. 13, bound for Copenhagen. Six days later, he left for Halifax aboard the S.S. Oskar II, with $30 cash and the dream of becoming a farmer in Western Canada. Wachowicz arrived in Halifax on
Marcin Wachowicz, 26 (a.k.a. Martin Wachawic)
Born: 1901 (Zabrze, Poland) Died: Nov. 13, 1927 (Section 2, near Homer, from an accident that occurred Nov. 12, 1927) Cause of death: struck by train Occupation: labourer, Hill & Sibbald Ltd. March 3 with the stated intention of settling in Winnipeg.
His voyage aboard the S.S. Oskar II was more pleasant than that experienced by other trans-Atlantic immigrants. This ship had been built in Glasgow and launched in 1901, and formed part of the fleet of the Scandinavian-America Line. The company offered thirdclass passage rather than steerage accommodation. All of the thirdclass passengers had clean, comfortable staterooms, service was provided by stewards and stewardesses, and Scandinavian-style cuisine was served in a formal dining room. An examination of the passenger list for this voyage showed that the ship sailed with 210 thirdclass passengers. The majority were from Poland, with many others divided between Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. A few were from the Ukraine, and one passenger was from lndia.
Wachowicz evidently changed his mind about life in Western Canada, and instead settled in Ontario. By 1927, he had been hired by the firm of Hill & Sibbald Ltd., grading contractors, as a general labourer and construction worker on Section 2 of the canal.
On the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 12, 1927, Wachowicz was working near Homer. He was standing on the construction railway tracks with a fellow workman, and failed to notice behind him the approach of a dump train operated by the firm of Peter Lyall & Son. The conductor (engineer) yelled out a warning and waved his hands, but due to the high winds that day the men were unable to hear him. Just at the last second, the other workman realized the danger and was able to jump clear, but Wachowicz was struck by the train.
Four of the dump cars passed over him before the train was brought to a stop. His legs were “severely mangled” which included a “partial amputation of the left thigh” and a fracture of the femur. Wachowicz also sustained injuries to his abdomen. He was rushed to the Homer Construction Hospital (some newspaper reports state it was to St. Catharines General Hospital), where he lingered until shortly after midnight on Nov. 13.
His remains were taken later that day to Grobb Bros., undertakers, on St. Paul Street, where a post-mortem was conducted. It was determined that Wachowicz died from shock and hemorrhage caused by his legs and abdomen being crushed by a train.
His funeral was held at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church on Nov. 15, with interment at Victoria Lawn Cemetery in Old Section Q, Row H (R.C. Singles).
A coroner’s inquest was convened by Dr. Douglas V. Currey at the police station on Dec. 1. After hearing testimony from a number of witnesses, it was concluded that the death was “accidental,” and that “the conductor did all in his power to avoid the accident, but the unfortunate man was unable to hear him.”
It’s hard to escape your genetic fingerprint.
A Niagara Falls man appeared in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Friday to answer to a crime he committed 11 years ago.
Police were only able to track down their suspect after DNA left at the crime scene was matched to Nicholas Roditis, who years later was ordered to submit his DNA to a data bank for unrelated offences.
In December 2009, court heard, a break-in occurred at a home on Dieppe Road in St. Catharines. A variety of personal property was stolen, including a quantity of jewelry.
A brick was used to smash a small window in the front door to gain access to the home. The culprit cut himself on the broken glass and blood was left at the scene.
“The investigation hit a road block early on and the police had no suspects,” assistant Crown attorney Bob Mahler told Judge Ann Watson.
In 2011, Niagara Regional Police were notified a DNA sample taken from Roditis linked him to the unsolved crime.
Police received a DNA warrant for a blood sample from Roditis and it was determined to be a match to blood found at the break-in.
Mahler said it appears his “conduct in the past was driven by a substance abuse problem,” and that Roditis is now a productive member of society.
The Crown requested the judge impose a sentence of four months to be served in the community.
Defence counsel Jeff Root agreed.
“He was in a bad spot in 2006,” he said. “That’s over now. He’s clean and sober.”
The judge agreed to the fourmonth conditional sentence and placed the defendant under house arrest, which the exception of continuing his employment.