Skip to content

1919: Nelson doctor drowns in Kootenay Lake saving child

And other news from a century ago in the Nelson Daily News
17988778_web1_190808-KWS-Hussars_1
The White Hussars performed in Nelson a century ago. This photo appeared in the Nelson Daily News on Aug. 12, 1919.

From the archives of the Nelson Daily News a century ago, chosen by Greg Scott

Dateline Aug. 13, 1919

A scale of minimum wages and maximum hours for persons engaged in an office occupation, ordered by the minimum wage board, comes into effect throughout the province Saturday.

The term “office occupation” is taken to include the work of persons employed as stenographers, bookkeepers, typists, billing clerks, filing clerks, cashiers, attendants in physicians and dentists offices, and all kinds of clerical help.

For women 18 years or over, the wage must not be less than $15 per week, if weekly, or less than $65 per month, if monthly, and hours of labour are limited to 48 per week.

Dateline Aug. 16, 1919

Nelson auto owners yesterday were getting ready for a weekend minus gasoline. A carload of tanks of gasoline had somehow been delayed on the road, and the oil companies supplying the local garages were completely out of gasoline. Some of the garages had enough to last three or four days for private use only.

One garage did not have enough to carry them through last night. However, prospective joy riders drew one long breath of relief last night when they heard that the delayed carload of gasoline had arrived.

Dateline Aug. 21, 1919

Good music with oodles of pure fun composed the long program offered by the White Hussars yesterday, the fourth day of the Chautauqua in Nelson. In addition to a short program in the afternoon, the company of nine mirth-provoking young men spent a full two hours in the evening entertaining an audience which packed the huge tent to standing room. Every man in the company proved himself a master of his instrument.

Although the greater part of the program was composed of martial airs, many of them well known favourites by John Philip-Sousa, there were several songs of a humorous nature and others of the ballad variety, thus providing a versatile program.

The evening performance was divided into two parts. During the first part the company wore plain evening dress but when the second part opened the members trooped onto the platform in their Hussar uniforms of white with gold braiding, presenting an effective picture.

Dateline Aug. 23, 1919

After gallantly rescuing little Miss Elsie Turner, aged nine, at the bathing beach yesterday afternoon, Dr. W.J. Vigneux, the local physician, met death by drowning. It appears Miss Turner, who was a fair swimmer, had suddenly lost confidence when she was at a point out of her depth and Dr. Vigneux rushed to her rescue. He seized her and held her in his grasp until assistance reached him, when he handed her over to another.

While the eyes of the crowd which had gathered were centered on the rescued girl, Dr. Vigneux, who was unable to swim, had got beyond his own depth and, since when he handed over the little girl, he appeared to be safe, his cries for help were for the time being unheard. Suddenly it was noticed that he had disappeared from sight and efforts which were then made to find him in the water failed.

The lake was immediately dragged, his body recovered and efforts at resuscitation were continued for fully an hour and 15 minutes without result. Dr. Vigneux had been a resident of Nelson for the past 16 years and was in practice with Drs. Rose and Hartin. He also served overseas for a period of 18 months with the Royal Army Medical Corps and was in the field with that unit during many of the earlier severe engagements.

Dateline Aug. 29, 1919

All the latest electrical machinery for repairing automobiles will be installed in the new building erected by Nelson Transfer Co. Ltd. on Vernon Street, which is nearing completion. They expect to move into the new building from the old quarters within a few days. The building, which is 120 by 50 feet in ground plan, is a three storey one of frame construction, with a cement basement. On the main floor is the office and stock room plus the showroom, measuring 25 feet by 40 feet, and with a capacity for one carload of autos.

The largest space on this floor is to be used for general and transient car storage and will hold from 12 to 15 cars. The repair shop is at the extreme end of the main floor and will be fitted with all kinds of necessary machinery, including drill press, lathes etc, run by electrical power. The basement will be used for car storage and just off the basement is the space for gasoline tanks, which have a capacity of 400 gallons. The top storey of the building is used for baggage storage.