The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record

August 15th, 2013

June 10, 1937 – Local Car Turns Over

Amherst June 5 – Emmett McManaman of Springhill was discharged from Highland View Hospital Friday evening after receiving treatment for his ear which had been injured when the car in which he and three other companions were driving turned over three times near the home of Hedley Smith of Shinimicas.  McManaman did not notice an oncoming vehicle until it had collided with terrific impact.  Edgar LeBlanc, of Moncton, was the only occupant of the other car, while Marjorie and Eileen Bowden of Amherst and Earl Purdy of Springhill were in the other car with McManaman.

     R.C.M.P. Officers from Amherst and Pugwash investigated the accident and reported one of the front wheels of the Moncton car broken, while the fenders were smashed.  The car driven by Emmett McManaman had the front and rear wheels broken and the undergear was smashed. It was thrown several yards by the impact and toppled over, while reports state that the other car was thrown back on the road only a few feet. 

     LeBlanc was enroute to his home in Moncton from Sydney, and the young people from Amherst and Springhill were passing through Shinimicas when the accident occurred. 

     McManaman reported the only thing he saw before the collision was a pair of lights suddenly coming over a small incline.  He screamed a warning to his companions as the car toppled over under the impact and then rolled into a field.  The two young ladies were badly shaken up and bruised about their bodies.  Emmett McManaman was bruised besides suffering an ear injury which required treatment at Highland View Hospital.  Earl Purdy was uninjured except for shock. 

     R.C.M.P. officers have not completed their investigation, and could not state where the blame was to be placed.  It is expected that the matter will be settled without being taken to court. 

Accident Ties up Mines

Yesterday, June 9th, the King’s birthday, was one of those days that mining officials have nightmares about, but hope will never come around.  The Company decided to work the mines yesterday, but they ran into more grief than had been their experience for some years. No. 2 started the ball rolling at 12:30 when a broken strand in the main hoisting rope was noticed, and work held up until the damage was repaired.  The first rake after the hold-up went down at 2 p.m., and promptly jumped the road.  This was cleared up in time to get the miners down for the afternoon shift.

     No. 4, not having a great deal of coal on hand for the afternoon shift, had hoisted only a few rakes at 5 p.m. when, going over the brow, the chain box coped over, and uncoupled from the rest of the rake, nine boxes careened down the slope.  They were scattered from the 800 down.

     Even at that No. 2 was not through for the day, for at 9:30 p.m. Rod Johnson, driver of the main hoist, called attention to the condition of the same rope that had been repaired before, and it was found necessary to knock the mine off for the balance of the evening.  The rope was cut and spliced.

152 Springhill Men On Roads

     The highway men, who have been on strike for the last few weeks, have returned to work.  They have been granted an eight hour day and 30c an hour.  This is an increase of three cents per hour.  Many of the men, however, are working from 8 to 12 hours.

     Today Springhill has 125 men working on the highways.  Thirty more will find work when the culverts at the foot of Monument Hill and at Pettigrew’s near Miller Corner get under way.

     On North Street twelve men are engaged in cutting back brush.  This street will be graded and graveled.

     Brushing and ditching is also going on along the Athol Road, which will be scraped as far as Whittle’s Crossing.

     A further improvement is being effected at the corner of what is known as Slaughterhouse Hill.  The corner at this point is being removed and the road straightened out more.

June 17, 1937 - Walter Budd Killed in Mine 

     Walter Budd, miner in No. 4, was instantly killed Monday night when he was caught beneath a fall of stone in the 2000 ft. wall about 8 p.m.  When workmen pried the huge “horse back” or “cutter” from his body, his head was found badly crushed and his right leg broken.

     Working near the accident in the wall was James Rushton and Ed Hashie and the former narrowly escaped the fate that befell Budd.  Rushton had been working at the face making preparations for jibbing up the machine when Budd offered to clear away the accumulated coal with a shovel.  He had taken no more than two shovelfuls away when the stone fell.  The rock was stated by those at the scene to be about 12 feet long, three feet wide and almost a foot thick.

     News of the accident spread rapidly through the town and in all quarters it was received with the deepest regret.  The victim was a very highly respected resident, a steady and capable worker and was held very high in the esteem of his fellow workers.