The Victoria Day Disaster 1881	On Victoria Day, Tuesday May 24, 1881, the steamer, also called Victoria, overturned on the Thames River killing about 182 people. The day dawned bright and clear, a perfect day for a holiday. Firecrackers which cost between 5 and 7 cents were bought by excited children. Picnics were popular, especially at the new picnic area called Springbank Park. You could take a boat cruise down the river, walk or take horse driven carriages. There were three river steamers: the Forest City, the Princess Louise and the Victoria which made several trips each day from the Sulphur Springs to Springbank Park. It cost 15 cents for a round trip. At 5:25 PM, the SS Victoria pulled away from the Springbank dock with 600 - 800 impatient people on board, anxious to get home for their meals and rest. That many passengers was three times more people than should have been on board. Just by the Coves, the Victoria capsized tossing the people, deck parts, picnic baskets and machinery into the river. Some people were pinned by falling debris; others could not swim. Most of the 85 women who drowned, were pulled underwater by the weight of their heavy clothing. The bodies were lined up on the lawn at the old Sulphur Springs Bathhouse to be identified and driven back to their family homes. The story goes, one hearse driver found no one at home, so he propped the corpse on a chair on the porch with a brief note attached! The funerals went on for a week and there was a huge shortage of children’s coffins.
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More Information:    The Victoria Day Disaster by Ken McTaggart This Was London by Orlo Miller