The Toronto Streetcar Tickets Found in the Titanic's Wreckage
Plus one last chance to catch Love Stories Of The Humber and more...
In 1987, a Russian submarine travelled to the bottom of the Atlantic. Its mission: to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, looking for artifacts they could bring back to the surface. And down there on the ocean floor, beneath four kilometres of water, the expedition found something surprising: twelve tickets for the Toronto streetcar.
I’ve shared the story of how those tickets got there on Twitter a few times around the anniversary of the disaster. But with this week’s surreal news of a submarine disappearing during its own visit to the wreck, I thought I’d tell it here as well…
It’s the story of Major Arthur Peuchen. He was a successful Toronto entrepreneur. He did lots of business in Europe, so he was used to crossing the Atlantic. He'd done it forty times; once on his own yacht. But his voyage in 1912 would be the most dramatic: he decided to head home from a meeting in London by booking a trip on the Titanic.
As the doomed ship set out on its maiden voyage, Major Peuchen was far from the only Canadian on board. There were at least thirty-four of them, including some of the most famous names in the country.
Many of those Canadians knew each other; some were good friends. Every night, Major Peuchen would head to the Titanic's lavish dining room for dinner with Harry Molson — heir to the famous brewing fortune and former mayor of Dorval. They were joined by the Allisons, one of the richest families on board — which is really saying something on a ship full of Astors and Guggenheims. Hudson Allison had made a fortune on the Montreal stock market, one of Québec's most successful brokers. And after dinner on that final night, Peuchen headed to the Smoking Lounge to hang out with a couple of Winnipeggers on their way home from a cruise down the Nile. Thomson Beattie and Thomas McCaffry were inseparable and shared a cabin; many believe they were deeply in love. They weren't even supposed to be on the Titanic. They'd cut their trip short when their best friend — John Hugo Ross; people called them "The Three Musketeers" — came down with a terrible case of dysentery in Egypt.
That night, as Ross suffered in bed down below, Major Peuchen stayed up late with the other two Winnipeg musketeers, smoking and chatting until about 11:30pm. Ten minutes later, the major was back in his cabin getting undressed for bed. That’s when the ship hit the iceberg.
It's believed to be this exact iceberg, spotted just hours later with a streak of red paint along its side:
“[The Titanic] quivered under it somewhat,” Peuchen later remembered. “I would simply have thought it was an unusual wave which had struck the boat; but knowing that it was a calm night and that it was an unusual thing to occur on a calm night, I immediately put on my overcoat and went up on deck.”
When he ventured outside to investigate, he found the deck littered with ice — chunks carved off the iceberg. Still, he was sure it was nothing serious. The Titanic, after all, was unsinkable. And he was quickly reassured by one of the most powerful Canadians on board.
Charles Melville Hays was the president of the Grand Trunk Railway and governor of McGill University. He was rushing back to Canada to attend the grand opening of his brand new hotel: the Château Laurier in Ottawa. Hays had been personally invited to sail aboard the Titanic by the ship’s owner, but the railroad tycoon wasn’t entirely impressed by ocean liners. Just an hour before the iceberg hit, he'd made a troubling prediction: “The time will come soon when this trend will be checked by some appalling disaster.”
Still, as Peuchen showed him the ice scattered across the deck and the great ship began to list to one side, Hays wasn’t worried. “You can't sink this boat,” he explained. “No matter what we've struck, she is good for eight or ten hours.”
Two hours later, Hays would be dead. And he was far from the only Canadian to die that night. The sinking of the Titanic claimed more than 1,500 lives, including twenty Canadians — more than half of those who had been on board.
Harry Molson was last seen taking his shoes off, claiming he could see the lights of a ship on the horizon, about to make a desperate attempt to swim for it. His body was never found.
Bess Allison got into a lifeboat with her daughter. But her baby boy was still missing, so she climbed back out at the last second. She had no way of knowing he was already safe aboard another boat. He was the only member of the family to live through the night.
Thomson Beattie made it into the last available lifeboat. But the rescue ships didn’t find it — not for a month. When they finally did, they found Beattie’s corpse inside, still in his evening dress — along with two dead sailors, their hair bleached white by the sun.
Beattie's constant companion, Thomas McCaffry, died too. His body was found adrift in the water soon after the sinking.
Major Peuchen tried to save the third Winnipeg musketeer — the ailing John Hugo Ross — after seeing the ice on deck. “Is that all?” Ross asked. “It will take more than an iceberg to get me out of my bed.” He went straight back to sleep and is thought to have drowned in that bed.
Peuchen headed back up to the deck. As one of the lifeboats was being lowered, a crew member called out, asking if another experienced sailor could join him on board — he was afraid he couldn’t manage the boat alone. Major Peuchen, the yachtsman, stepped forward. He was forced to make a daring leap into the lowering boat, but he made it. This is a photo of that same lifeboat getting rescued the next morning:
Thanks to his jump, Peuchen had survived the sinking of the Titanic… And would be publicly reviled. Men weren't supposed to have lived through the disaster. When he got back to Toronto, Peuchen was ostracized from society. His business suffered. And though eye witnesses defended him, he was repeatedly accused of having disguised himself as a woman to escape the sinking ship.
He finally died in 1929, just after the stock market crashed, and was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. But his reputation wasn't the only thing he left behind out there in the middle of the Atlantic…
It seems to have been during that daring leap that Major Peuchen’s wallet fell out of his pocket. So when the Titanic sank, the wallet sank with it.
It settled onto the sandy ocean floor, not far from where the hulk of the Titanic rests. And even though it spent decades down there, it was remarkably well-preserved: the tannins used to treat the leather kept it protected from the water.
So when the Soviet submarine crew brought it back to the surface in 1987 and it was carefully cracked open, they found Peuchen's things still inside it: A season’s pass for the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, traveller's cheques, business cards, and twelve tickets for the Toronto streetcar.
Last year, I also shared the dramatic tale of another one of the Canadians on board. Mary Fortune survived the wreck and spent the later years of her life in Toronto. You’ll now find her at rest in the mausoleum of Mount Pleasant Cemetery, not far from where Major Peuchen is buried. You can read that story here:
I also wrote a blogpost that combines the stories of Peuchen, Fortune and some of the other Canadians on board — you can check it out on the Canadiana website right here.
One Last Chance To Catch “Love Stories of the Humber”!
One of my favourite memories of 2022 was Love Stories of the Humber, the walking tour I created in partnership with Myseum: a romantic stroll uncovering stories of passion and heartbreak that have shaped the landscape over the last few hundred years, complete with live music. Now, we’ve brought the tour back — and there’s one more day left to check it out: this Saturday.
“Take in the beautiful city lights at dusk with accompanying music as you listen to stories from tour host Adam Bunch, who will tell tales of heartbreaking farewells, torrid affairs, and long-lasting romance. Hear about the legacy of two artists who challenged the city’s attitudes toward same-sex relationships, the war-time romance behind Toronto’s most notorious highway, a French-Canadian fur trader’s four weddings, and many more.”
June 24 — 5pm & 7:30pm — I recommend the 7:30 “sunset” timeslot
The Toronto History Weekly Has Hit 2,500 Subscribers!
The Toronto History Weekly hit a big milestone this week: 2,500 subscribers! Thank you all so much for reading, and for spreading the word. I’m incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful group of readers, and for all the support you’ve given me since the newsletter first launched last year.
I especially want to thank everyone who has become a paid subscriber. The newsletter is a ton of work! Only about 4% of the subscriptions are paid — which means that every person who pitches in with a few dollars a month is basically giving the gift of Toronto history to 25 other people. It’s your support that allows me to the keep The Toronto History Weekly going!
If you haven’t already, but you’d like to make the switch, you can do it by clicking right here:
QUICK LINKS
The best of everything else that’s new in Toronto’s past…
HONEST ED’S SIGNAGE NEWS — One fragment of the old Honest Ed’s branding will be returning to the streetscape of Bathurst & Bloor. It won’t be one of the massive iconic signs that once dominated the intersection, but a smaller vertical marquee. Still neat to see some piece of that glittering history will be preserved, though! Read more.
TIME TRAVEL MAP NEWS — A new map lets you explore aerial photos of Toronto from the 1930s to today. Check it out.
MAYORAL CHAOS NEWS — Jamie Bradburn writes about the rowdy days before Toronto’s mayors were selected by popular vote, and the chaos that often ensued. Read more.
MEGACITY MAYOR NEWS — Jamie also takes a look at the first mayoral election held after the city was amalgamated in the 1990s, which saw Mel Lastman become the first leader of the Megacity. Read more.
OLD BUS STATION NEWS — The beautiful old Art Deco bus station on Bay Street is slated to become a mixed-use, mixed-income development with “affordable housing, a Paramedic Services Multi-Hub, and office spaces for the life science and biomedical sectors.” The City just revealed a shortlist of developers who are in the running for the project. Read more.
BALLROOM NEWS — Raavya Bhattacharyya takes us inside St. Lawrence Hall, which has stood on King Street East since the 1850s, including a peek at the gorgeous pink ballroom. Read more.
TORONTO HISTORY EVENTS
MYSEUM TALK: PJ “FRESH” PHIL & THE GROGS
June 22 — 7pm — Myseum (401 Richmond)
“Get to know the stars of your 90s childhood! PJ “Fresh” Phil from YTV’s The Afterschool Zone will talk about his work, experiences, and inspiration gained from working in Toronto’s legendary kids’ TV scene. Phil Guerrero will be interviewed by the Mr. Dressup to Degrassi Curator, Ed Conroy of Retrontario. Seating is first come, first serve.”
Pay what you wish, with reservation!
SIDEWALK STORIES: FOR THE RECORD
June 25 — 2pm & 4:30pm — Meet at Play De Record (411 Spadina Ave.) — Myseum
“In the past few decades, the way we listen to music has transformed – and so has our city. On this tour, you’ll explore Toronto’s unique community of record stores and enthusiasts – an unlikely tale of retro resilience. As vinyl has withstood the journey from record player to smartphone streaming, Toronto’s record stores have stood strong – often serving as informal hubs for the city’s music scene, creating space for marginalized communities, and championing emerging musical movements, from reggae and punk to hip-hop and electronica. Developed in collaboration with Jonny Dovercourt and Paul E Lopes.”
Pay what you wish!
POST NO BILLS: TORONTO STREET POSTERS FROM THE 1950s TO 1990s
Until June 25 — TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library
“Get an up-close look at visually-striking street posters from TPL's archives. For the first time ever, we're showcasing our decades-spanning set of Toronto street posters in person. These rarities reflect trends in graphic design as well as in our city's shifting politics, businesses and cultures. The exhibit takes you back to when activists and business owners had to hit the streets of Toronto with stacks of posters to get the word out. There was no internet or social media. It was an era when utility poles, newspaper boxes and construction sites were the billboards of the people.”
Free!
PRIDE, PREJUDICE & PROGRESS
June 29 — 7pm — Toronto’s First Post Office — The Town of York Historical Society
“Enjoy this special presentation and learn about the history of the LGBTQ+ community in Toronto and Canada as our Museum Coordinator explores the legacy of laws that promoted prejudice, the reforms that allowed for change and progress, and the work that still needs to be done to achieve equality on a global scale. This presentation will take place in-person at Toronto’s First Post Office. Pre-registration is required and spots are limited!”
$6.66
MYSEUM TALK: LEGENDARY PUPPETEERS NINA KEOGH & BOB DERMER
June 29 — 7pm — Myseum (401 Richmond)
“Get to know the brilliant minds behind your favourite Today’s Special puppets! The work of Nina Keogh (Muffy Mouse) and Bob Dermer (Sam Crenshaw) left a long-lasting impact on children’s television. During this talk, they’ll share their stories, experiences, and inspiration from their careers. Nina and Bob will be interviewed by Myseum’s Executive Director, Heidi Reitmeier. Seating is first come, first serve.”
Pay what you wish, with reservation!
TERROR IN THE TOWN OF YORK: WAR OF 1812 WALKING TOUR
July 7 — 10:30am — Meet at St. James Cathedral — Toronto’s First Post Office
“Imagine a Toronto where the tallest building is only three stories high, where Lake Ontario reaches Front Street, where the wagon wheels grind through the muddy roads, the air smells of smoke and animal, and the surrounding lands is farms, fields, and forests. This was what the neighbourhood looked like in the early 1800s. In this walking tour, join us as we explore the beginnings of the area that would become the Town of York, the events leading up to the War of 1812, the Battle of York, and its aftermath while we walk the original 10 blocks of the early city.”
$17.31 for non-members; $11.98 for members
MR. DRESSUP TO DEGRASSI: 42 YEARS OF LEGENDARY TORONTO KIDS TV
Until August 19 — Wed to Sat, 12pm to 6pm — 401 Richmond — Myseum
“The TV shows of your childhood hit closer to home than you might think. From 1952 to 1994, Toronto was a global player in a golden era of children’s television programming. For over four decades, our city brought together innovative thought leaders, passionate creators and unexpected collaborations – forming a corner of the television industry unlike any other in the world. Toronto etched itself into our collective consciousness with shows like Mr. Dressup, Today’s Special, The Friendly Giant, Polka Dot Door, Degrassi, and more. Journey through Toronto’s heyday of children’s TV shows in this playful exhibition.”
Free!