The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record

June 3rd, 2015

June 18, 1942 – Springhill Record – Mine Accidents

     Elton Clark, son of William Clark, sustained a broken hip and other severe injuries when he was caught between two boxes in No. 4 mine on Tuesday.

     Richard Noiles was also injured in No. 4 mine on Friday by a fall of coal.  His right leg being broken just below the knee.

     The third accident occurred in No. 2 mines within twenty-four hours of the previous accidents, when Carl Grebin, Sr. was caught by falling coal, sustaining a broken rib and other injuries.

     All were admitted to All Saints Hospital.  Mr. Noiles has since been removed to his home.

     Four miners were injured in No. 4 Colliery Monday night of last week in different sections of the mine.

     Douglas Terris was badly hurt about the body when he was caught between two boxes. Andrew Pozec had his left leg broken, Millard Skidmore had his leg injured and John Reedy received injuries to his side and was otherwise bruised.  The two former were admitted to All Saints Hospital but have since returned home.

July 23, 1942 - $2.00 and Cost for Sitting on Steps

     Sitting on the steps of the various business places cost five young men $2.00 and cost when they appeared before Magistrate Hugh Lambert, Friday morning.  It looks as though, loafing around the stores will have to be done standing up in the future, unless those who wish to rest are willing to pay the highest price ever before paid for a seat in the old town.

Sept. 3, 1942 – Fire Rages at Bent’s Brook

     The forest fire that broke out at Bent’s Brook, Tuesday afternoon, is still raging.  At its height, Wednesday afternoon, the smoke rose high over the town and there was growing alarm on the Valley Road that some farms would be wiped out.  As a matter of fact, the fire was right in Mrs. Oscar Mill’s pasture and only a couple of hundred yards from the house when extinguished.

     This morning when your reporter visited the scene workmen were busy setting up their hose in an effort to stamp out the blaze, but there was little hope that this could be accomplished today. A Johnson engine was ready to go to work at the brook with 3,000 feet of hose attached. The plan was to pump the water into casks and at this point another engine would be set up to force the water to the fire. The Johnson pump is gas operated and throws 60 gallons of water per minute with a pressure of 150 lbs.  The hose used is an inch and a half.

     In charge of the firefighting is Norman Trueman, of Truemanville, Chief Ranger for Cumberland County.  He is being assisted by John W. Winter and J. Russell King, Sub-Rangers and J. H. Goodwin from the Chignecto Game Sanctuary.

     No heavy timber has been involved in the blaze so far, but Lloyd Mills is casting an anxious eye on a block which the fire skirted yesterday.

     The general opinion is that the fire started from a campfire at the old Bent swimming hole Tuesday and it was allowed to go unreported until Wednesday afternoon. 

Sept. 10, 1942
– Fire Destroys Two Houses, Damages a Third on King Street, and Dr. Murray, who arrived on the scene quickly, took the lad home.

     Forced by a high wind, fire breaking out in William Lowther’s half of Peter Twombley’s house on King St, Monday afternoon, destroyed the building and everything in it.  The embers, fanned by the wind, set fire to Archie Legere’s house across the road, and occupied by himself and Harold Tabor, and it, too, had been gutted but everything in the house had been removed.  The home of John Lowther was also partially damaged.  The blaze was one of the worst seen in Springhill in some years and the Fire Department worked desperately to hold the fire from spreading further.  For a time it looked like nothing could save the whole street. 

     The fire was first noticed when smoke was seen coming from the half occupied by Mr. and Mrs. William Lowther.  No one was home at the time and when the door was forced by neighbors, there was little hope of saving anything.  The flames spread quickly to the other half and in a moment the place was an inferno.

Jim Johnson Saves Boy

     At noon today, while on his way home, Jimmy Johnson saved the life of young Jimmie Beaton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Beaton, when he rescued the lad from the lower pond.  Taking a short cut across the pond, Johnson noted what seemed to be a pair of overalls floating on the water, but closer observation revealed a youngster floating face up.  Jumping into the water, which is quite deep at this point, Johnson brought the boy to shore and started artificial respiration.  It took seven or eight minutes to bring the boy around.