Adams and Heatherbell - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada - Graves Mentioning a Cause of Death on Waymarking.com

This plot is the resting place of the victims of two separate incidents, who all died by drowning. One member of the Adams family drowned in the sinking of the tug Velos. Two members of the Adams family, along with Annie Blower Heatherbell, drowned in the Point Ellice Bridge disaster when a streetcar fell into the water.

A mention of the sinking of the tug Velos was published in the March 24, 1895 edition of the New York Times:
"Victoria, B.C., March 23 - The tug Velos, with the barge Pilot in tow, bound for Hoddington Island to procure a cargo of stone for the new Parliament Building, when passing Trial Island broke her rudder chain, and, at full speed, ran on the rocks.
The barge Pilot brought up against her, and, as the barge passed, Mate Christensen sprang aboard of her. The barge had some twenty-five stonecutters and laborers aboard. The Pilot drifted past, breaking the hawser, and went ashore on Trial Island, all who had been aboard her escaping to shore.
Nothing could be done to assist the unfortunate six left aboard the Velos.
Finally the tug went down, stern first, leaving her bow only partly above water. Contractor Adams and three of the crew were quickly washed away and drowned.
At last Capt. Anderson tried to reach Trial Island by swimming. Being caught by heavy seas, he was carried in on the tops of two big waves and stranded ashore in a half-frozen condition. The body of the engineer, who had stayed by the wreck, was recovered this afternoon.
The steamer Maude brought in all of the saved. The barge Pilot still lies ashore, and at low tide will be high and dry."

The next year, the Point Ellice Bridge disaster occurred.

On May 26, 1896, locals came out to watch mock naval battles in celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday. A streetcar filled with 143 people was on its way across the Point Ellice Bridge (now known locally as the Bay Street Bridge) when the bridge collapsed. The streetcar, along with two horse-led vehicles and a man on a bicycle, fell into the water. Nearby residents and bystanders rushed to help, but a total of 55 people died in the incident. An investigation later concluded that the streetcar's operator, Consolidated Electric Railway Company, was responsible for the incident by allowing the streetcar to be overloaded. The City of Victoria was also found partially responsible for not properly maintaining the bridge. The operator was forced into receivership as a result of the incident and reorganized as the BC Electric Railway the next year.

It isn't clear why, but Annie Heatherbell was buried in the same plot as the members of the Adams family.

In memory of
Annie
Beloved wife of
W. Heatherbell
who was drowned in the
Point Ellice Bridge
disaster
May 26th 1896.
Aged 37 years.
A native of
Shrewsbury Eng

In memory
of
Sarah Adams
who was drowned in the
Point Ellice Bridge
disaster
May 26th 1896.
Aged 52 years.

In memory
of
Fred Adams
who was drowned in the
Point Ellice Bridge
disaster
May 26th 1896.
Aged 29 years.

In memory
of
Frederick Adams
who was drowned in the
wreck of the Velos.
March 22nd 1895.
Aged 52 years.
A native of
Kirton-in-Linsey
Lincolnshire Eng.

Type of Death Listed: Accident Cause of death inscription on headstone: Drowned Website (if available): [Web Link]

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