Edward Bain

Teddy Bain was born in Toronto on February 15,1919. He was the youngest son of George Bain and Clara Barclay.

Edward Bain On left. with brothers Jack and Melvin.

Teddy died August 29, 1929. when he climbed into a train tanker car and was overcome by the fumes.
I have transcribed the newspaper story of his accident.

NAPHTHA FUMES FATAL TO 8-YEAR-OLD BOY

Edward Bain Loses Life While Playing On Gasoline Car

FIREMAN OVERCOME

Brockton Station Firefighters Rescue Comrade and Recover Lad’s Body

In boyish bravado, eight-year-old Edward Bain, of 247 Lansdowne Ave, climbed on top of a large C.N.R. tank car that stood a stone’s throw from his home on the Lansdowne and Dundas St. siding last night and dropped through the dark opening in the tank to his death.

Overcome by the fumes of naphtha gasoline that lay six inches deep on the floor of the tank, the little fellow was found dead, lying on his back and badly burned by the gasoline that flowed about him. The boy’s body was removed by fireman Albert Grealls ? of Cowan Ave. station, half an hour after he took the venturous plunge into the tank.

In a heroic attempt to rescue the boy, Fireman Eric Reid of 214 Silverthorne Ave. attached to Brockton fire hall, nearly lost his life when he was overcome by the same fumes that proved fatal to young Bain.

A few minutes after Reid descended into the tank his companions heard him call faintly “Spiser, quick” and speedily dragged the half fainting fireman to safety. Artificial respiration was used to revive him.

In the meantime, Cowan Ave. station arrived with gas masks and lifesaving equipment and Fireman Albert Grealls of 143 Liagar St. equipped with a mask, hurriedly descended into the tank opening while others held back the frantic father who fought to go to his boy’s rescue.

In a short time the fireman appeared with at the opening with body of the Bain boy in his arms. The first to reach the fireman’s side and to take the boy from his arms was George Bain the father, who passed the limp body to waiting firemen who hurriedly applied the pulmotor and other lifesaving equipment.

With the aid of Coroner Dr. J.H McConnell who responded to the call for help, the firemen heroically worked for an hour and a half hoping to revive the spark of life in the boy’s body. Their attempt was useless as the boy failed to respond and was finally pronounced dead by Dr. McConnell. When the boy was finally pronounced dead and the police stooped to lift the lifeless body to remove it to the morgue, the father roughly pushed them aside and tenderly picked up his boy for the last time.

The body was removed to the city morgue where further investigations into the cause of the boy’s death will be made by Dr. McConnell. An inquest will be held sometime next week.

It was shortly after eight o’clock last night that Edward “Bain “spikey to his friends, accompanied by Jimmy Findlay of 267 Lansdowne ave climbed the fence leading onto the C.N.R tracks where the gasoline tank cars stood. Climbing up to the top while Jimmy stood ground, Edward said “I’ll be back soon, I’m going to get some gasoline.” With these words the boy just dropped from sight.

“Spike just started to slide down the pole and then fell dead” was the graphic way in which little Jimmy described it.

 The pole he refers to is a pipe that runs from the aperture at the top of the tank to the bottom. Evidently the unfortunate lad was sliding down this pipe when he was overcome by the fumes.

Further details furnished by Jimmy Findlay are very vague. He claims they were playing on the tank quite a while and that young Bain lifted the top off the tank with the remark that he was going down to get some gasoline. Jimmy Findlay’s father, who visited the scene after the accident states that he considers the top was too heavy to be removed by the boy.

“If my boy Jimmy had fallen into the tank too it might have been weeks before we had known what had become of them,” said Mr. Findlay. “If they had been playing with matches they might have been blown up too,” he added.

“Do you like playing around tanks?” Jimmy was asked. “No more tanks for me. Not even a little bit of a one,” he replied firmly.