Richard Ardagh
Plot F, Section 7, Lot 9
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
One of this city’s most serious fires erupted early Sunday morning, January 6, 1895. Within twenty minutes the entire Globe newspaper building at the northwest corner of Yonge and Melinda Streets was in flames. In the course of fighting the fire, fireman Robert Bowery was killed and his chief, Richard Ardagh seriously injured. The latter’s injuries were sustained when he was forced to jump from the third floor of a building next to the Globe.
Ardagh and two firemen were inspecting the neighbouring building when the south wall of the Globe structure gave way, striking the building in which the firemen were located. Forced to get out fast, all three jumped to safety. While the two firemen recovered from injuries sustained from their 45-foot leap, the chief was not so fortunate and died three weeks later on January 27, 1895. Because frost was in the ground making the digging of his grave impossible, Ardagh was placed in a vault at Mount Pleasant Cemetery and buried on April 19, 1895. Ardagh Street in west Toronto was named for this valiant firefighter.
Mike Filey
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide
Second Edition Revised and Expanded