The Miracle of Woodside

"It should be called the miracle of Woodside" said Mrs. Murray Harnish this morning as she viewed the wreckage of the home of her next door neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Baker of Woodside Avenue. The building from which the family of 7 escaped injury following a 5.25 blast believed touched off by an exploding hot water boiler, is shown above. Top right is the four bedroom frame home, torn from its basement and the structure's interior showing rooms ripped asunder with beams, plastering and a section of the chimney in the centre of one of the two bedrooms. Four of the family's five children who escaped in nightclothes are shown inset. Left to right James (5), Cheryl (4), Darrell [sic] (1) and Brenda (2) at the home of relatives in Halifax. Infant Cheryl [sic] (not shown) suffered a head scratch. The parents were admitted to hospital for x-rays but were not believed injured. (Conrod)

As you look through the photos available here, try to remember that it was 5.25 AM when the blast resounded through our home. As I've heard it - since as far back as I can remember- we are all very lucky to have survived. Had the explosion occurred during daylight hours - when we would have been perhaps roaming throughout the home - it is unlikely we would have escaped serious injury. We were all asleep in our beds. Myself, being five weeks old, wrapped and bunted tightly in my bassinette. Apparently we all flew up with the furniture underneath us and came back down with it on top of us.