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14- "WEEKEND STAR" HL a aa a Lf FRIDAY, AUGUST n, 2000 The Day Brooklin Was Nearly Washed Away Hurricane Hazel, in October 1954, is remem- bered by many Southern Ontario residents as the worst storm in living mem- ory. But the worst storm ever to devastate Whitby, centered on the village of Brooklin in June, 1890. At that time, Brooklin was a sriiall community of busi- n@ssmen and retiredh fatmers with a population of about 800. Surrounded by rich farmland, it was a cde for milling in its ly days, but by 1890 re were only two mills seen rising from Murray's t left operating in Brooklin, ofe was run by John R@bson (1859-1902) and Peter Francis (1835-1910) ran the other. The commu- nity's other major industry was a tannery operated by William J. Murray (1849- 1932). During the hot humid days of June 1890 a pat- tern of unsettled weather was produced, punctuat- ed by violent thunder- storms. One of these storms passed over Brooklin on the night of June 3, filling the sky with "brilliant flashes of light- ning. After an unusually bright flash, flames were tannery behind the brick mill operated by Robson's BE The w.. Murra Tannery is at the left of this picture ol the Brooklin Mill taken in the 1880s. on' Mill "Street which is. now - Cassels * Road. Realizing that the tannery had been struck by light-- formed a bucket brigade, ROC] CAWAY TOYS| | TOYS THAT. RUN ON IMAGINATION CASE Il HUB INTERNATIONAL EQUIPMENT LTD. P.O. Box 189, Brooklin, Ont. Tel: (905) 655-8401 Fax: (905) 655-4401 12 Golden Mile Road, Lindsay, Ont Tel: (705) 324-6136 "Where service is more than a part or a promise -- It's an attitude" iE, the 'people in town for the village of Brooklin had no fire engine and - ; * Personal Attention * Professional Care » Prenced Planning * Traditional Services or Low Cost Funeral Alternatives Richard Barnes, Director 79 Baldwin Street, Brooklin Kubota © Meyer. MASSEY FERGUSON® Vallance Equipment & Rental Ltd. Tel. (905) 655-3291 114 Winchester Road Tel. (905) 655-3122 Brooklin, Ontario Fax (905) 655-8772 LOB 1€0 Toll Free 1-800-575-5656 L © (905) 655-3662 i they managed to confine the fire to the tannery building. However they couldn't save it from destruction. By the morning, it was estimated that the fire had caused $20,000 in damages, of which only half was covered by insur- ance. Twenty-five men had lost their jobs as a result of the fire. The creditors of the tannery were offered 40 percent payment on what was owed, for that was all the company could pay. The W.]. Murray tannery, which had been constructed in 1854 by Moses Bartlett, was wiped out physically and financially by the fire. As one of the largest industries in Brooklin, the loss was felt keenly by the villagers. Murray left Brooklin to set up another