Some of our more sumptuous surroundings were once-upon-a-time scenes of horror, death and heartbreak.Such is the case of this lovely building in the heart of our city's tourist zone, right near the city's loveliest vista from Notre Dame to the statue atop Bonsecours market.
This building was the scene of a blood-curdling death-tastic experience that claimed many lives of January 1946 when a blaze broke out at a rooming house at 387 St. Paul E., corner Bonsec, now one of the loveliest parts of the city if you can put up with the shtoopid brick roads. About 25 were stuck in the fire but four proved particularly unlucky as they tried climbing to the top of the building to outrun the flames but ran out of racetrack and were found dead.
Hector Marjotte, 50, and Maxime Robillard, 60, died as did two others who couldn't be immediately identified.
Adelard Millette, 53, and his wife were injured as was their 15-year-old daughter Therese, although I dunno many teenage girls living in rooming houses, but as I've mentioned before there was a pretty tight squeeze on housing after the war.
Another suffered a broken leg as he leaped out of the third floor window to the icy ground below.