Thread by @jeremy_hopkin

#OnThisDay in 1914 the Canadian Pacific ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sank near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River after colliding with the SS Storstad in thick fog. Of the 1,477 people on board, 1,012 died, making it the worst peacetime marine disaster in Canadian history.

167 members of the Salvation Army were among those who perished on the Empress early that morning, only 22 were found. Their remains were ceremoniously interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.

In 1916 a unique monument was erected at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in sacred memory of Salvationists lost in the Empress of Ireland disaster. Designed by Salvation Army Major Gideon Miller, it depicts ocean waves with a crowned cross, beautifully sculpted in granite by Emanuel Hahn

The Salvation Army has held a special Sunday service of remembrance at the memorial ever since the year of the Empress of Ireland disaster.

Thanks for reading this. Take care out there!

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