The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record

November 10, 2010

Remembering the miners

Each year since the explosion of 1956 and the bump of 1958 the men who lost their lives have been remember for the hardship they had to endure while working underground to provide for their families and the ultimate sacrifice they made with their lives.  This is how it should be.

     This year I would also like to pay tribute to those who were trapped in the mines and were lucky enough to make it out alive.  Many people know the names of those who were killed in the explosion and the bump but only a few who made it out alive are known for their heroism during this time.

     Here is a list of those who made it out of the mines in the Nov. 1, 1956 explosion:

WELCOME  |  ABOUT  |  SERVICES  |  PROJECTS  |  PUBLICATIONS  |  PHOTOS  | LINKS

Lewis Austin,

Douglas Beaton,

Earl Boss,

Lawrence Boucher,

Douglas Bourgeois,

Percy Brown,

Philip Brown,

Wilfred Brown,

William Brown,

Charles Buck,

Charlie Burton,

Don Campbell,

Darrell Casey,

Harold Casey,

Maurice Casey,

Bruce Canning,

David Churchill,

William Cormier,

Gerald Curry,

Lorne Dakin,

Gerald Davis,

Conrad Embree,

Glen Embree,

Jack Fraser,

Reg Gibson,

Kenneth Gilbert,

Angus Gillis,

Hugh Guthro,

Ingle Greenhow,

Neil Hamilton,

Chesley Harrison,

Alton Herrett,

Herb Holloway,

Joseph Holloway,

John Hopkins,

Art Hunter,

Frank Hunter,

Doug Henwood,

Clarence Hyatt,

John Jackson,

Donald Kennedy,

Archie Legere,

William Light,

     Some of these men went back into the mines and ended up being killed in the bump.

     Those fortunate enough to make it out of the bump on Oct. 23, 1958 were:

Joseph McDonald,

Peter McDonald,

Edward McGraw,

Earl McMasters,

Gerald Matthews,

Emile Melanson,

Kenneth Melanson,

Leon Melanson,

Charles Michelson Jr,

Gerald Millard,

Eli Miller,

Gus Myers,

Alfred McArthur,

Bert McArthur,

Ed McCallum,

Charles McSavaney,

John McLeod,

John McLeod Jr,

James Noiles,

Fred O’Brien Jr,

Baker Pepperdine,

Hedley Rector,

Percy Rector,

Lester Reid,

Robert Reid,

John Ross,

Hubert Skelton,

Herbert Spence,

Percy Spence,

Carl Smith,

Len Smith,

Kennedy Smith,

Robert Smith,

Wayne Smith,

Ronald Stonehouse,

Merrill Stonehouse,

Harold Tabor,

Elbin Taylor,

Murray Terris,

James Thompson,

Victor Ward,

Harrison Williams,

Harold Wood.

Those rescued after six days were: Harold Brine, Hugh Guthro, Joe Holloway Jr. Wilfred Hunter, Gorley Kempt, Larry Leadbetter, Eldred Lowther, Bowman Maddison, Theodore Michniack, Levi Milley, Caleb Rushton and John Scott.

Those rescued after twelve days were: Garnet Clarke, Frank Hunter, Douglas Jewkes, Byron Martin, Herb Pepperdine, Maurice Ruddick and Currie Smith.

     These men, along with those who were killed in the mine disasters, the draegar men, the bare face miners and everyone who help in the rescue and recovery of the men in the mines are all heroes and should never be forgotten.

     With November 11th this week it is also time to stop and remember those who made the supreme sacrifice for our country during the two Great Wars, the Korean War and the present war in Afghanistan. May those who are serving overseas now come home safely.

* * *

The Springhill Heritage Group will hold their next meeting
at the Isabel Simpson Heritage Centre on Nov. 16th.

Charles Alderson

Layton Amon

Ben Bacon

Ray Best

Charles Bird

William Blenkhorn

Carlyle Boran

Dick Boss

Donald Boyce

Frank Brown

James Cameron

Robert Carter

William Casey

David Churchill

Miles Churchill

Charles Corkum

William Cormier

Herbert Cox

Harold Cummings

Joseph R. Cummings

Peter Cummings

Ira Davis

Henry Dykens

Glen Embree

Ira Farnell

Donald Ferguson

Carman Fraser

Kenneth Gilbert

Doug Godfrey

George Goldrich

Fred Hahnen

George Hayden

Eddie Hayes

Stan Henwood

Maurice Herrett

Joseph Holloway Sr.

Percy Hunter

Archie Legere

George McCallum

J.B. McArthur

John McDonald

Percy McDonald

Charles McKay

Russell McLellan

James McManaman

Joseph McManaman

Edgar McMasters

Hilton McNutt

Herb McPhee

John Martin

Leon Melanson

Gerald Millard

William C. Miller

Ray Murphy

Clyde Murray Jr.

James Murray

John Newman

Arthur Noiles

George Pederson

William Phillips

Carl Porter

Herb Porter

James Pyke

Hedley Rector

Nelson Rector

John Scott

Steve Sertich

Ken Smith

Ronald Smith

Harvey Somers

Bedford Spence

James Spence

Bill Stevenson

Frank Tibbetts

William Totten

Henry Welsh

Archie White

Alex Wilson

Alfred Wood.