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The Drummond Colliery Disaster
The following is the personal account of G.E. Dawson regarding the Drummond Colliery disaster in Westville as reported in “Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper”, dated May 31, 1873.
Another shock of those terrible events, which shock humanity and startle the world, occurred last week in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. It appears that the Drummond Colliery, near Westville, was (the center) of this disaster, by which it is believed 75 (people were) killed and wounded.
(At) half –past eleven o’clock, on the morning of the 13 of May, while Manager Dunn, Assistant –Manager Richardson, and 40 of the workmen, were in the pit of the Drummond Colliery, owned by the International Coal Company of Montreal, an explosion took place followed by another loud detonation. Cries for help were quickly heard at the foot of the air-shaft; men were lowered with ropes, and four of those below were raised to the surface. While the succorers were descending the shaft, two of the men were instantly killed.
It would be vain to attempt an adequate description of the terrible scene of excitement that ensued, and increased as the awful shocks of successive explosions were followed by raging fires in the shafts and chambers. Firemen came from the town of New Glasgow and every effort was made to put out the flames.
The accounts of this terrible affair are variously stated. Some say that a fire occurred in one of the bores on the first level, from firing shots to loosen the coal, and, though the cutters tried to quench the flames by means of wet banks, they did not succeed, and were obliged to flee to another slope for safety. Beneath them were 15 or 16 men at work, to whom the word danger was passed as speedily as possible, and messages for help were sent to the surface.
Upon the alarm being given, and about 20 minutes prior to the first explosion, Manager Dunn and several volunteers, descended the slope to offer the required aid. They had scarcely reached the scene of danger in the mine when their lives were immediately sacrificed.
The following is a list of those killed and wounded, as far as ascertained:
Married men: John Bounce, George Brynie, John Campbell, Colin Christholm, Robert Dunbar, James Dunn, John Dunn, John Ellis, Alexander Elms, John Emery, Hugh Gillis, Thomas Glenright, Abram Guy, Samuel Hale, John McElvie, Hugh McDonald, Hugh McGillivray, David McNeil, John McNeil, James Richardson, Angus Smith, John Thoslott, Henry Truman – 26.
Single men: Archibald Cameron, Kenneth Cameron, James Cummings, Matthew Doyle, William Elliott, Duncan Holliday, Timothy Howitt, Edward Jones, Matthew Manning, D. McDonald, Duncan McDonald, John McDonald (1st), John McDonald (2nd), John McKelvie Jr., Owen McLeod, Duncan McRae, John McRitchie, Nicholas O’Brien, Alexander Purves, Jr., John Sinclair, Donald Shaw, John Frazer Taylor – 22.
The following is a list of the wounded:
William ---, slightly, John Burnett, fatally; William ----, slightly; John Duntan; Patrick O’Brien, slightly; George Stewart, fatally.
Fires continued to rage in the mines, and dense clouds of smoke, through which, from time to time, sharp tongues of flames leaped up, issued from the air-shafts, and the surface buildings were all ablaze. The sky and surrounding neighborhood were all lit up and illuminated, and explosion followed explosion in rapid succession, terrifying the already fearfully excited villagers, and causing them to flee from the place for safety.
A large force of laborers were kept hard at work filling up the burning slope with earth, and directing streams of water into the air and pumping shafts. The cause of the calamity has been mere matter of speculation; but it is believed to have been the use of powder for blasting in the level, where it had been prohibited. An investigation has been going on, and the following statement of Robert McLeod will be found interesting.
“I was at work on the bottom of number 2 level on the south side; when I went into the ward I found only six inches of gas, and that on the high side; the mine was clear as usual, I fired two shots, but neither caught; at 11:45 I fired the lower bench, but it did not blow well; tried to dislodge coal, but did not succeed; was obliged to return 15 minutes after, in consequence of the coal catching fire; after getting fresh aid I endeavored to return, but could not get into the ward; then met Joe Richardson, who said he could go in the lodgement way; went after him; and could see that the fire had caught the latticing; orders were given to start the pump, but the smoke was increasing. Richardson then sent out for Mr. Dunn, the manager, who came down; on return on a rake, which carried a number of boys. Richardson told me to call all the men who were inside, but that was a lost cause; then went up the slope; when within 200 feet of the opening the blast caught him; when he felt it coming he threw himself down, held onto the rail, and succeeded in getting out, with the assistance of a man whom he did not know; one of the men ahead of him was his brother who was lost.”
On being questioned by the Inspector, witness said, “He had already tried the faces of the coal on his ward before firing a shot; he had frequently seen the gas catch from a fall shot, but never from a bench; he never saw a shot operate in the same way as the one which caused the fire did; Richardson gave him permission to use powder; if he had had two or three men with him when the fire occurred, it would have been put out; he had been required to stop the use of powder in his place two months ago, in consequence of the low level having been fired the day before; in this level the gas would accumulate so rapidly that , if the ventilator were disturbed, it would fill the level in a few minutes, before he left his ward the first time, smoke was backing down against the air, which would interfere with the ventilation.”
A coroner’s inquest has been held, and the jury decided “that John Dunn came to his death, on the 13th instant, by an explosion of gas in the Drummond Colliery, caused by derangement of ventilation of the mine, arising from fire in Robert McLeod’s ward. They say considerable care was exhibited in management of the mine, but express their regret that powder was permitted to be used in the ward worked by Robert McLeod.
The Drummond Mine, closed
(Tom Simpson photo)