The Great Halifax Explosion and Vincent Coleman

By Terrie Todd

A single warning can make a difference.

One of the nearly 2000 people killed in the Halifax Explosion was Vincent Coleman, a train dispatcher, at the age of 45. But thanks to him, others survived who would not have without his brave final act. Coleman was on duty on the morning of December 6, 1917, along with his boss, William Lovett.

Vincent Coleman by Unknown author - The Nova Scotia Museum, Department of Tourism and Culture, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46418062

Coleman’s job was to control the massive rail traffic generated by the crowded wartime harbor. He sent orders to the countless trains feeding freight into the ship-filled wharves of North End Halifax, as well as routing passenger traffic passing into the North Street Station.

As Coleman relieved the night dispatcher at the telegraph, he noticed a column of black smoke rising above the rows of parked freight cars in front of the station. The French munitions ship Mont-Blanc had caught fire after a collision with the Norwegian ship, Imo. A sailor burst in to warn everyone that the Mont-Blanc was full of ammunition and about to explode. Coleman started to leave with Lovett, but turned back to use the telegraph key.

Coleman was concerned about Passenger Train No. 10, the overnight train from Saint John, New Brunswick. Due to arrive in Halifax at 8:55 am, it had about 300 passengers on board. If not intercepted, it would pass along the tracks directly in front of the blazing ship.Coleman, knowing he could not possibly survive the imminent explosion, tapped out his final, famous message:

“Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye boys.”

Seconds later, the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic bombs destroyed much of Halifax. Later, Vincent Coleman’s telegraph key, watch, and wallet were found among the ruins and are on display in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. While his wife and children survived, their nearby home was destroyed. His wife, Frances, and their youngest child, Eileen, were wounded.

Coleman's Telegraph Key

Not only did Coleman manage to delay the No. 10 train, but his message got the word out about the explosion before it happened, taking down telegraph lines with it. Help was able to arrive far sooner from across Canada and the U.S, most notably, Boston. Vincent Coleman is considered a hero in Halifax and Canadian history. 

Coleman's grave in Halifax. CC BY-SA 4.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65632485

 

Sources:

https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/vincent-coleman-and-halifax-explosion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Coleman_(train_dispatcher)

Vincent Coleman is mentioned briefly in The Reluctant Healer of Halifax, a novel of the Great Halifax Explosion of 1917. It’s a story of love, loss, faith, and honor set against Canada’s most devastating moment of the First World War. It releases August 1, 2026.

 

 

 

Terrie Todd is the award-winning author of ten historical novels,
all set in Canada, where she lives with her husband Jon. A former church drama team leader and newspaper columnist, she’s also a frequent contributor to Guideposts Books, a mother of three, and grandmother of five.

 

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STUCK ON YOU

   

By Mary Davis

 

Have you ever put clay and plant fibers on a wound? No?

 

Well, if that doesn’t appeal to you, how about sawdust?

 

The Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Chinese, to name a few, used clay, plants, honey, poultices, raw meat, lint, as well as animal grease, among various other things to dress wounds and protect them. Any of those in your medicine cabinet?

 

These were all laborious, cumbersome, and didn’t always stay in place, especially while moving about.

 

 

We have newly married Josephine Dickson to thank for the modern-day self-adhesive bandage, or rather her husband. She was a bit of a hazard to herself in the kitchen with frequent cuts and burns.

 

Earle Dickson was a cotton buyer for the Johnson & Johnson company. He was concerned for his accident-prone, young bride, so in 1920, he combined two of the company’s products, gauze and adhesive tape. This allowed his wife to easily tend to her own injuries, rather than balancing gauze while trying to wrap tape around it.

 

These pre-BAND-AIDs were an eighteen-inch-long strip of adhesive tape two and a half inches wide. Gauze was placed down the middle of it. Then the next time Mrs. Dickson had a mishap while cooking, she could merely cut a width commensurate with the wound size and apply it unassisted.

 

 

Dickson showed his design to one of the Johnson brothers. In 1921, J & J started producing these first BAND-AIDs, all made by hand. They were not popular in this form, so the company precut them and individually wrapped them. To help with sales, they distributed free BAND-AIDs to the Boy Scouts of America.

 

 

I remember those tins on the right. Brings back memories of scraped knees.

 

In 1924, they automated and produced them by machine. But it wasn’t until 1939 that they began selling a sterilized version. The red pull string was added in 1940, which remained unchanged for fifty-two years until they introduced the pull-apart design.

 

 

As a child, I thought those tiny round ones were useless because of their size and would put them on for fun.

 

The first decorative ones, stars and stripes, were introduced in 1956. Various other prints and characters have graced them. Throughout the decades, the types of tape have evolved to include fabric, plastic, clear, and water resistant.

 

The famous jingle written by Barry Manilow, "I am stuck on BAND-AID Brand ’cuz BAND-AID’s stuck on me", didn’t come along until 1976.

 

Over a hundred years later, BAND-AIDs are still sticking to people.

 

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)
3rd Place 2023 SELAH Award

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident. Order HERE!

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a SELAH Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW'S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection, Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Rocky Mountains with her Carolina dog, Shelby, and her mini black lab, Willow. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at: Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub

Sources

Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, Charles Panati, p250-251

https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-band-aid-1991345

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band-Aid

https://www.band-aid.com/about/history

https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-band-aid-1991345

Stepping Away from the Ballroom: The Ladies’ Retiring Room in Regency Times

If you’ve ever read a Regency romance or historical novel set in the early 1800s, you’ve probably come across a scene where a heroine feels faint, overheated, or simply overwhelmed and needs to step out of the ballroom. In my Christian Regency romantic suspense, Lissa and the Spy, my heroine encounters a moment of distress and retreats to a retiring room to escape the gossip at the event.

But what was that private space actually like? The ladies’ retiring room was a very real—and very practical—part of every grand ball or assembly.

The Retiring Room

At a Regency ball, the main rooms were often packed with people, blazing with candlelight, and filled with the sounds of music, laughter, and conversation. Women in elaborate gowns, tight stays (the corsets of the day), and layers of petticoats could quickly become overheated or short of breath. The ladies’ retiring room was always available to offer a much-needed place to rest, refresh, and recover without drawing too much attention.

A retiring room is described in Domestic Duties; or, Instructions to young married ladies, on the management of their households and the regulation of their conduct in the various relations and duties of married life, by Mrs. William Parkes, published in 1825:

A retiring room should be in readiness for ladies who may wish to disburthen themselves of shawls and cloaks and here a female should be in attendance to receive them, and to perform any little office of neatness which a lady’s dress may accidentally require. Tea and coffee may also be presented in this room, if any be deemed necessary; but of late the custom of introducing these refreshments at balls has been nearly abolished.

These rooms were usually located near the ballroom and set aside specifically for female guests. They were staffed by attendants—often older women or servants trained for the role—who helped ladies with everything from re-pinning a loose curl to repairing a torn hem or flounce. Some rooms even had sofas or chaise longues where a woman could lie down for a few minutes. There were also chamber pots that were cleaned after each guest used them.

The attendants kept the room stocked with practical items like pins, needles, thread, spare gloves, and combs. More importantly, they were ready with remedies when a lady felt faint or distressed. They helped many a young woman compose herself and return to the dancing looking as fresh as when she arrived.

In Lady Palmerston and Her Times, a collection of letters by Lady Cowper who would later become Lady Palmerston, in 1820, the Countess Cowper wrote in a letter some gossip about the Queen:

Did I tell you that when she went to the House she staid the greater part of the time in her retiring room, laughing with Gell & others or playing at Backgammon & Chess? About the latter here is her bon mot. She said to somebody who came in, “I am sorry you are come just now for I was just going to give Check to the King."

So apparently, the retiring room was not merely for women to rest but could also be a side room with games and entertainments. However, I’m not sure how happy the other women in the room were with the Queen, if they’d retired to get some peace and quiet.

Two women “retiring” at a ball. From Ackerman’s Repository, 1810

Why Fainting Was So Common

Fainting wasn’t just a dramatic plot device in novels—it happened for very real reasons. The tight lacing of stays compressed the ribcage, making deep breaths difficult. Add the heat from hundreds of candles, the excitement of the evening, emotional moments, or simply standing for hours in heavy fabrics, and it’s easy to see why a lady might suddenly need a quiet corner.

In an era when propriety was everything, the retiring room gave women a graceful way to step aside without causing a scene. It was accepted and expected that a lady might need a short rest.

Smelling Salts and Lavender Water

Two items you’ll often find mentioned in historical accounts are smelling salts and lavender water.

Smelling salts (usually a form of ammonium carbonate) came in small bottles or elegant silver containers called vinaigrettes. When waved under the nose, the sharp scent helped revive someone who had fainted by stimulating breathing. Attendants kept them on hand for exactly these moments.

Lavender water, on the other hand, was used more for calming and refreshing. A few drops on a handkerchief or lightly sprinkled could help soothe nerves or cool a flushed face. Both were simple but effective tools in an age before modern medicine.

A Quiet Escape from the Crowds

The next time you read a Regency story and a heroine slips away from the ballroom, picture the retiring room as more than just a convenient plot stop. It was a small but important part of the evening’s rhythm—a place of quiet care, quick repairs, and sometimes a much-needed breath of calm amid the glittering whirl of the ball.

About the Author

Camy Tang writes Christian historical and contemporary romance filled with intrigue, adventure, and faith. Under the pen name Camille Elliot, she writes the Christian Regency romantic suspense series Lady Wynwood’s Spies, set in 1811 London where secrets, espionage, and slow-burn romance unfold against the glittering backdrop of high society.

If you enjoy Regency romance with adventure and a dash of humor, you can receive her novella Lissa and the Spy free when you join her newsletter.

Lissa and the Spy

A Regency Romantic Suspense Novella

In her quest for a marriage of convenience, plain and unpopular Lissa finds herself entangled with the enigmatic Lord Jeremy Stoude, who has a secret mission for the Crown. As danger stalks them, they must navigate a labyrinth of society’s expectations and their own insecurities to find love.

Click here to get Lissa and the Spy

The Most Powerful and Notorious Address on Earth - Domus Augustana Part 1

by Liisa Eyerly

by1 #1 AI image  #2 https://romeitaly.ca/images/domusaugustana.jpg

Today, the Domus Augustana is one of the most impressive ruins on the Palatine Hill, but only a fraction of the palace remains standing. Perched atop Rome's famous hill, the private residence of the emperors was one of the most powerful addresses in the ancient world. In 96 A.D. when my Secrets of Ephesus murder series takes place, Domus Augustana was the Heart of an Empire, and the palace would have looked vastly different than today. The first image reimagines what it could have looked like two thousand years ago.

 The first image reimagines what it could have looked like two thousand years ago.

• White marble columns lining the peristyles
• Pools reflecting sunlight
• Cypress trees, roses, box hedges, and topiary
• Colorful frescoes covering walls
• Bronze and marble statues
• Water flowing through fountains and channels

From the Palatine Hill, emperors ruled with seemingly unlimited power; adopting the title of Principate instead of emperor or king, to enforce the illusion that they were not dictators. During the period from Augustus in 27 BC through the reign of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180—the emperor, supported by alliances within the army, the Senate, and the Praetorian Guard, was essentially untouchable. There was no legal impeachment, voting him out, or forcing him from office. 

If an emperor became egotistical, unstable, cruel, or simply unfit to rule, Rome had only two practical remedies: a military coup or assassination. As a result, the imperial throne was both the most powerful seat in the world and one of the most dangerous. Assassination of Julius Caesar By Vincenzo Camuccini - Own work, user:Rlbberlin, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145037989

The palace Domus Augustana was the perfect setting for murder. Thirty-seven emperors are documented as having been murdered—not including Nero, who died by suicide after the military turned against him. The palace’s vaulted chambers, stairways, and multi-level terraces descended the hillside, while subterranean rooms and passageways used by servants, guards, and maintenance workers still survive today. It offered countless hiding places for an assassin, escape routes for a guilty servant, or opportunities for a Praetorian bodyguard to abandon his post.
 

1. Nero's suicide, 2. Caligula assassinated, 3. Claudius poisoned, 4. Galba assassinated, 5. Domitian assassinated. As fascinating as the palace itself is, its most enduring legacy may be the assassination that occurred within its walls—an event that launches Powers of Death, the third book in the Secrets of Ephesus series.

Galba CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Domitian I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
Claudius Naples National Archaeological Museum, CC BY 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
Caligula Sergey Sosnovskiy from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Nero Glyptothek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Step into the shadowy streets of 96 AD Ephesus, where danger lurks around every corner, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin. Fortunes of Death, plunges you into a world where faith is tested, alliances are shattered, and one woman's courage could be the difference between life and death.

Sabina, a fierce young Christian widow, is thrust into a deadly game when a wealthy citizen is murdered. With her friend’s life hanging in the balance, Sabina must unravel a web of lies, deceit, and hidden motives. Every clue she uncovers brings her closer to the truth—and closer to becoming the next victim.

This isn't just a murder mystery. It's a gripping tale of faith, resilience, and the power of one woman standing against the darkness.

Visit me at https://liisaeyerly.com/ on my Author Facebook page

or purchase my books at:

Fortunes of Death

Obedient Unto Death

My Amazon book page 

Mystery, murder, and mayhem aren’t your typical Christian themes—but why should secular authors have all the fun solving crimes in ancient Rome? My love of history, scripture, and whodunits led me to blend faith with intrigue, bringing the world of the early Christians to life. Writing from my home in the woods of northern Wisconsin, I also draw inspiration from my travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy, where I’ve walked the same streets my characters once did. Through historical mysteries, I explore a time when faith was a matter of life and death—literally.

Western Hearths: A Quick and Easy Summer Supper

Western pioneers relied on whatever food they could grow, gather, or hunt. Summer suppers had to be simple, easy, and plentiful. Ingredients included vegetables from the garden, foraged berries and wild plants, fresh-laid eggs, milk from the family cow, homemade butter, and occasional meat from hunting or livestock. Corn, beans, squash, potatoes, onions, and herbs were common garden crops, while fruit pies and preserves made use of seasonal berries and orchard harvests whenever they were available.

For homesteading farmers, July brought long workdays of planting, weeding, watering, haying, and harvesting. Chores often began before sunrise to avoid the hottest part of the day and continued until dusk. In addition to tending crops, families cared for livestock, repaired fences, chopped wood, and preserved fresh foods for the months ahead. After so many hours of demanding labor, meals needed to nourish both body and soul.

Most cooking was done over a wood-burning stove or on an open hearth. One-pot stews, biscuits, cornbread, beans, and seasonal vegetables were quick staples. Settlers churned fresh milk into butter and pickled or canned extra vegetables to provide food through the winter. Waste was rarely tolerated, and leftovers often turned into the next day's meal.

Even a simple supper of vegetables and cornbread gave the family a chance to rest, share prayers and stories, and enjoy one another. On many evenings, neighbors gathered for suppers that combined fresh produce, homemade bread, and baked goods from different homesteads. These gatherings strengthened friendships, allowed families to exchange news and advice, and reminded everyone that cooperation was often as essential to survival as determination and hard work.

Prairie Vegetable and Egg Skillet

One classic midsummer supper, a vegetable and egg skillet, was a common meal enjoyed by settlers. It is light but filling and packed with flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, lard, or bacon grease
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup summer squash, diced
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and chopped
• 1–2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (or canned if necessary)
• 4 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, or chives

Instructions

1. Heat fat in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
2. Sauté onions until translucent, about 3–5 minutes.
3. Add squash and green beans; cook until tender, 5–7 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
5. Create small wells in the vegetables and crack eggs into each well. Cover and cook until eggs are set to your liking.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs. Serve warm, ideally with fresh bread or cornbread.

Tip: For a heartier version, add diced potatoes or leftover cooked meat from the larder.

Bringing Summer to Your Table

July is the perfect month to embrace fresh meals with friends and family. Preparing a homestead vegetable and egg skillet lets you step into history while eating healthy, seasonal food. As the smell of vegetables cooking in butter wafts through the air, picture the hard-working western families that once enjoyed it gathering for a brief respite from their labors.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics to her as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with tales "written" in her head. Today Janalyn is a storyteller with book series in the western historical romance and medieval epic fantasy genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all her novels.

Learn more about Janalyn, read the first chapters of her books, subscribe to her e-letter, and join her reader clubs at http://janalynvoigt.com.

Fall in Love with the Wild West

The Montana Gold series tells the stories of a family of Irish immigrants as it explores faith, love, and courage in the Wild West. Learn more.

Castles of the Thousand Islands

Scattered among the pine-clad islets of the St. Lawrence River, the castles of the Thousand Islands stand as some of the most romantic—and revealing—remnants of the Gilded Age. Built between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these dramatic structures were not medieval fortresses, but expressions of wealth, ambition, and imagination in an era when America’s elite sought to leave a lasting mark on the landscape.

The most famous of these is Boldt Castle, commissioned by hotel magnate George C. Boldt on Heart Island. Conceived as a grand tribute to his wife, the six-story castle blended Rhineland romanticism with modern luxury, complete with tunnels, towers, and formal gardens. When Mrs. Boldt died suddenly in 1904, construction halted overnight, leaving the castle unfinished for decades and turning it into a poignant symbol of love and loss.

Just downriver, Singer Castle on Dark Island offered a more fortified vision. Built by Frederick Bourne, president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, it combined Old World styling with modern engineering. Secret passageways, hidden staircases, and thick stone walls reflected both Bourne’s desire for privacy and the era’s fascination with security and intrigue. Unlike Boldt Castle, Singer Castle was fully completed and remains remarkably intact today.

Completing the trio is Calumet Castle, perched on Calumet Island and commissioned by Chicago industrialist Charles G. Emery. Smaller and more restrained than its neighbors, Calumet Castle nevertheless embraced medieval European design, with crenellated towers and solid stone construction. Emery envisioned it as a dignified summer residence rather than a public spectacle, emphasizing exclusivity and permanence. Though privately owned and less accessible, Calumet Castle adds an important counterpoint to the region’s grander showpieces.

Together, these castles helped shape the Thousand Islands’ identity. Steamship tours highlighted their turrets and towers, reinforcing the region’s reputation as a place where American wealth met European fantasy. Built of stone in a landscape dominated by wooden cottages, they signaled endurance in a seasonal world.

Today, the castles of the Thousand Islands remain enduring landmarks. They tell stories of immense fortune, personal aspiration, and the Gilded Age belief that architecture itself could declare legacy—rising from the river as timeless monuments to ambition and imagination.

ABOUT MADISON’S MISSION:

Step into the captivating world of Boldt Castle in 1903, where dreams are forged in the fires of adversity and love. Madison Murray, maid to Louise Boldt, harbors a singular mission—to care for her ailing mistress while hiding her own painful past. She meets Emmett O’Connor, but just as their relationship grows, tragedy shatters their world, and Madison is ensnared in a dangerous coverup. When Mrs. Boldt passes away, Madison is left reeling, can she move forward? Will Emmett forge a future alongside the woman who has captured his heart?

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has sixteen in her fiction line. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan lives in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling the world. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.