Danger, Death and Disaster: In the Crowsnest Pass Mines 1902-1928

216 Pages·2004·10.37 MB·English

by  Karen Buckley

DANGER, DEATH AND DISASTER
IN THE CROWSNEST PASS MINES 1902–1928
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DANGER, DEATH AND DISASTER
IN THE CROWSNEST PASS MINES 1902–1928
KAREN BUCKLEY
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Published by the
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
www.uofcpress.com
©2004 Karen Buckley
No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
Cover photo courtesy Glenbow Archives, NC-54-836.
transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without the prior written consent of the Inside cover photo by Karen Buckley.
publisher or a licence from The Canadian
Copyright Licensing Agency (Access
Copyright). For an Access Copyright
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call
toll free to 1-800-893-5777.
Buckley, Karen Lynne, 1963-
We acknowledge the fi nancial support of
Danger, death and disaster in the Crowsnest Pass mines,
the Government of Canada through the
1902-1928 / Karen Buckley.
Book Publishing Industry Development
Program (BPIDP), the Alberta Foundation
for the Arts and the Alberta Lottery
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Fund—Community Initiatives Program
ISBN 1-55238-132-3
for our publishing activities.
1. Coal mines and mining—Crowsnest Pass Region
(Alta. and B.C.)—History—20th century. 2. Coal mine
accidents—Crowsnest Pass Region (Alta. and B.C.)—
History—20th century. 3. Crowsnest Pass Region (Alta. and
B.C.)—Social life and customs—20th century. 4. Crowsnest
Pass Region (Alta. and B.C.)—Social conditions—20th
century. 5. Crowsnest Pass Region (Alta. and B.C.)—
History—20th century. I. Title.
This book is printed on acid-free paper
Cover design, page design and typesetting
TN806.C22C76 2004 971.23’4 C2004-904311-0
by Mieka West. Printed and bound in
Canada by AGMV Marquis
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As always, for my parents.
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CONTENTS
List of Photos viii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
1: Danger 1
2: Death 33
3: Disaster 75
Conclusion 141
Appendix A: Tables and Charts 147
Appendix B: Mining Defi nitions 153
Bibliography 155
Notes 165
Index 187
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LIST OF PHOTOS
1. Hillcrest Mine Disaster, Families waiting on Hillside, 1914
2. Draegermen with Equipment Rushed to Scene of Bellevue, 1910
3. Convention of Alberta Undertakers in Edmonton, 1907
4. Hearse and Driver (probably Joe Plante, T.W. Davies’ assistant), Connor Tiberg’s
Funeral, c. 1916
5. Women with Casket, c. 1928
6. Man in Open Casket, c. 1928
7. Funeral gathering at Train Station, c. 1916
8. Miners posing with Davey Safety Lamps, 1910
9. Mourners with Coffi ns after Mine Disaster, 1914
10. Funeral of Frank Malec, 1923
11. Funeral Procession, Main Street Blairmore, c. 1924–30
12. Mass Graves at Hillcrest Cemetery
13. Mass Graves at Fernie Cemetery
14. Grave Marker of John Hovan, Fernie Cemetery
15. Grave Marker of James Mitchell, Fernie Cemetery
16. Grave Marker of Thomas Bardsley, Hillcrest Cemetery
17. Grave Marker of Henry Plasman, Coleman Union Cemetery
18. Grave Marker of Joseph Homenick, Coleman Roman Catholic Cemetery
19. Grave Marker of Henry and Harry Grewcutt, Coleman Union Cemetery
20. Grave Marker of Samuel Edwin, Hillcrest Cemetery
21. Grave Marker of George Lothian, Coleman Union Cemetery
22. Grave Marker of Robert Smith, Hillcrest Cemetery
23. Grave Marker of Charles Coats, Hillcrest Cemetery
24. Grave Marker of Jules Falip, Fernie Cemetery
25. Grave Marker of William Clarke, Fernie Cemetery
26. Grave Marker of Fred Alderson, Hosmer Cemetery
27. Hillcrest Mine Disaster Memorial, Hillcrest Cemetery
28. Hillcrest Mine Disaster Memorial, Hillcrest Cemetery
viii
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I owe a debt of gratitude toward many people for their assistance
during the writing of this book. First to Dr. Herman Ganzevoort
for his encouragement, enthusiasm, and his sense of humour; to the
knowledgeable staff of the Glenbow Archives, the Provincial Archives
of Alberta and the Provincial Archives of British Columbia; to Mike
Pennock of the Fernie and District Historical Society, Sr. Leona
Henke of the Roman Catholic Diocese Archives, and Apollonia Steele
of the University of Calgary Special Collections; to the University
Research Grants Committee and to Dr. Frits Pannekoek for assistance
with research time and funding; to the editorial staff at the University
Press for their patience and professionalism; to the people of the
Crowsnest Pass, especially to the dedicated staff of the Frank Slide
Interpretative Centre and to Roy Lazzarotto for the informative and
personal tour of the Bellevue mine and subsequent interview. Many
thanks are also due to Diane Peterson for her personal interest in the
subject, her knowledge of the area, and above all just for herself. And
for my parents who have supported me in so many ways for so long;
there are no words adequate to say thanks.
ix
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