The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record

August 26th, 2015

Mar. 11, 1943 – Springhill Record – Buried Alive

     Ernest Boutilier had a harrowing experience Tuesday morning when he was buried under a fall at the 5700 wall of No. 4 mine.  The accident was the result of a bump which brought down a section of the wall and filled the workings with dust.  Boutilier was caught, but by a curious circumstance he was covered first by small coal packed about his body leaving only his boots exposed.  On top of that the stone came down.  It did not look like much of a chance as the men began digging him out but apparently the loose coal formed an effective buffer.  He was rushed to All Saints Hospital, having received some painful injuries, but at latest word today, is resting quietly.

Fractures Toe

     Jack Brown, Company Blacksmith, suffered a painful injury last Friday.  Lifting a hot iron bar to the anvil, it slipped from his tongs and fell on his foot, causing a fracture of the big toe.  Due to numbness he did not realize the extent of the injury and was able to complete his days work; going into the mine in the afternoon to put a socket in the rope at 5100.  His foot, found to be badly injured, was placed in a cast. 

Mar. 4, 1943 – Police Make Changes

     A change was made in the working hours of the local policemen on Mar. 1st, when Constable Bonnyman went on day duty for the first ten days of the month with Constable McDonald doing night duty.

Mar. 18, 1943 – Dies In Plane Crash – LT. F.C. Robertson

     Mr. and Mrs. William Spence received with sorrow and pride, details of the death of their grandson Lieut. Frank C. Robertson, of Valley Stream, New York, 23 year old Army Pilot who died of crash injuries near Harper, Texas, late in January.  He received his training as an aviator at Flying Fields in Alabama and Texas; won his Wings and Commission last April and was advanced to his full commission as Lieutenant in October.  He was stationed at Goodfellow Field, Texas, as an engineering officer whose duty it was to check over and test planes.

     He is described in one of the home papers as a “Youth who loved flying” telling how, on graduating from Valley Stream High School in 1938, he had taken flying lessons at Roosevelt Field and was a tenth shareholder in a plane purchased with nine friends.  After completing a 14-month course at the Stewart Aeronautics School, New York, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in September 1941.  While waiting for his call he worked at the Brewster Aeronautical Corps, completely filling the interval from his school days to his early death.

     Every possible honor was accorded the young airman who was buried with full military honors, following services by the American Legion and the service by Rev. George Benson Cox, Rector of Trinity Episcopal Chapel of which he was a member of the Young Peoples’ Society.  Among the many tributes was a large American flag of red and white carnations, with “stars” in a field of blue violets, given by his colleagues.  At home, tribute was paid in a visit from the School Band, in which he played for six years while a student at school.

     Lieut. Robertson was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Robertson, Valley Stream, New York.  His mother being the former Bessie Spence of Springhill.  He had visited at the home of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Spence, on numerous occasions, the last being just previous to his call in 1941.  The sympathy of Springhill friends will be extended to members of the bereaved family.

Mar. 25, 1943 – Six Sons In The Service

     Another local family should be proud of the showing it is making in the present war.  Six sons of the late Mr. and Mrs. Rod Turnbull are now in the various branches of the services.  Roy and Ralph are overseas; Tom is in the Navy; Obie, Jack and Harold are in the Reserve Army.  The late Mr. Turnbull was a veteran of the First Great War.

Making New Cell

     In the basement of the Town Hall they are hewing out a new cell for lady visitors to the hoosegow, and it doesn’t look too inviting either.  Formerly the ladies were given special treatment in a private room on the third floor but many of them abused this privilege and the Chairman of the Police Commission tells us they had to condemn the room.  So now it’s the cellar for the ladies as well as the men.