Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Could it be?


Chas. Newbury; James G. Watters; Malcolm McGregor (Trainer);
Wm. E. Fraser; Howard McIntosh; Neil McLean;
and Alf. Hughes
 This picture is of the Rescue Team at the reopening of the Allan Shaft after the explosion of December 20th, 1914. The Reopening commenced March 31st, 1915 and finished April 18th, 1915.  I understand that two miners were lost in the explosion.  The type of mining that was going on here was Coal, dark dirty stuff.

Take note of the second individual on the left side.. James G Watters.  We have a James G Watters our tree, but I don't think this is he, for in 1915 James G would be only 22. And this man looks older than that.  There is a James L Watters that is 45 year in our tree, could it be he.  After all, James L was a miner in Stellarton.  I really don't know, but thought it interesting enough to share.  Trish you should like this picture of its steampunk qualities of this picture.




Picture is from the Stellarton Mining Museum and used with permission.  http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/

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3 comments:

  1. TrishymouseNovember 9, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    You're darn tootin' I like the photo - you got my number! lol I've seen closeups of the men who wore this era's gear, which looked like the old deep sea diving helmets, shots after they took them off, and still they would be grimy after a day's labor. When they had to use such gear, that meant they were going very deep indeed! The other reason they had to sometimes, was safety due to poisonous gases them might encounter. I'm sure they never got paid enough for the danger they endured...

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  2. AnonymousNovember 9, 2011 at 7:42 PM

    I love the picture and the story it tells. Good find

    Sister P

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  3. Fake NateNovember 20, 2011 at 1:06 PM

    First I wanna say I like the new winter theme. Second, these were brave and heroic men. Family or not it got me interested in their story. I found more on the Allan explosions here http://museum.gov.ns.ca/moi/en/home/whattoseedo/coalandgrit/bloodandvalour.aspx and apparently the mine is still giving the good folks of Stellarton a hard time http://www.ngnews.ca/Business/Freight-industry/2009-11-09/article-799031/Town-officials-in-Stellarton-ponder-mystery-of-growing-sinkhole/1.

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