William Henry Aldrich

1848 - 1897  (49 years)

• Name	William Henry Aldrich
  Born	1848	Saint Marys, Blanshard Twp., Perth Co., Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/174285036
  Interesting	accident, misfortune
  Occupation	1881	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Engineer
  Residence	1881	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Presbyterian
  Occupation	1891	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Engineer
  Residence	1891	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Presbyterian
  Misfortune	1897
  	burned to death
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-135063
  Died	26 Jan 1897	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Buried	Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Person ID	I135063	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Family	Mary Jardine,   b. 7 Mar 1850, Haysville, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Apr 1923  (Age 73 years)
  Married	22 Sep 1869	, Perth Co., Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Children	1. George Aldrich,   b. 1870,   d. 10 Dec 1872  (Age 2 years)   2. Henry A. Aldrich,   b. 1873, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Myrtle J. Aldrich,   b. 24 Mar 1878, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   4. George Aldrich,   b. 1879, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   5. Fred Aldrich,   b. 1883, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F33939	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  ALDRICH (Berlin, Ont.) Jan. 26 - A terrible fire which has already resulted in one fatality and through which others may follow, happened here tonight at 7: 30. Two terrible explosions in rapid succession frightened people living in the near vicinity of the Gas company's works. A reporter lives near the scene, and running out of the house, saw the gas works were on fire. The sound of a man's voice shouting "Help! help!" in a frantic voice was heard. Not long after an alarm was sent in, and the firemen were on the scene in quick time, and had streams playing on the flames. Those who arrived on the scene first found E. Carl Breithaupt, manager of the Gas company and who is also manager of the electric street railway, lying on the low roof of a shed adjoining the burning building. He was terribly burned and bruised about the head and body. He was taken to Dr. G.H. Bowlby's residence and his injuries looked after. He was unconscious. It is feared his back is broken. When the reporter called at the doctor's residence shortly after, he was told that Mr. Breithaupt had recovered consciousness, but that it was not known, whether he would live or not. Near the burning building, a workman employed about the works, named Weller, was found in an unconscious state. He was carried to an adjoining house, where he now lies at this writing, unconscious. But a horrible discovery awaited the searchers. A smothered cry was heard inside the burning building, and two brave firemen rushed in the teeth of the flames to attempt a rescue. The other firemen turned the hose on them, and by this means they were enabled to get at the imprisoned man, who was lying near the oil tanks, under a heap of burning wood and bricks. Before they got him out, however, he was dead. His hands and feet were literally burned off, and his face was burned beyond recognition. Though he could not be positively recognized, it was known that the poor wretch was William Aldrich, the electrician of the building. He was laid out on the snow, until Suraris' undertaking wagon was brought, when he was taken to the undertaking establishment. There are different stories as to how the fire originated, but as all those in the building, at the time are dead or unconscious, it can only be a surmise. The general impression prevails, that the three men went into the building where the gas is made and the tanks of oil are kept, in order to make some repairs. One must have had a cigar, and a spark from it evidently dropped into one of the tanks. Immediately the oil must have exploded, and Mr. Breithaupt, and Mr. Weller were thrown outside, while poor Aldrich, less fortunate, was dashed against the stone wall of the building to die horribly, being literally roasted to death. Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday, January 27, 1897

  
  

• Sources

  [S158] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1881, Div. 2 Pg. 46. [S1592] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1891, Section 2 Page 13. [S3231] Find A Grave, (2018). Findagrave.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/174285036.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1848 - Saint Marys, Blanshard Twp., Perth Co., Ontario, Canada Married - 22 Sep 1869 - , Perth Co., Ontario, Canada Occupation - Engineer - 1881 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1881 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Engineer - 1891 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1891 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 26 Jan 1897 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth