Cape Breton's Magazine

in the seams of coal. That fire started a- bout 7:00. At 11:30 I was in the lamphouse and the underground manager said, "Just the man I wanted to see. Get a thousand feet of telephone wire and an electrician and somebody to lower us away into the col? liery, and take it in there"--that's how I arrived in there that night. Dragermen were called. Oh yes, that was a real smokey fire. What they were trying to do was take the water they were pumping out of the mine and pump it into this 3 Deep and flood it. And on the way in there was 1 Deep and 2 Deep. They were changing the air line into a water line. You know, your compressed air runs into the mine to run your different air engines and what? ever. They were changing the air line into a water line. Well, they made the change? over on the pit bottom. But they had so many leads off it for air to different parts--and they wanted to direct it right into 3 Deep. To do that, they had to close valves to 2 Deep and 1 Deep, the Arch Deep. The dragermen did that. That's where all your smoke was. You couldn't go in there without equipment in this low level. That's your return air, you know, that's where all your smoke and carbon monoxide was. It was in 2 Deep where one man--his ma? chine ran out of oxygen. He was in fresh air when he found out about it. So he just sat there. And his buddy went and shut the valve off to stop the water from coming down 2 Deep. And when he came back, he was dead. The gas was after coming out the low? er level and backing down to where this man was. All they could do was take him up, carry him up into the fresh air again--but it was too late. They worked on him about 3 hours--artificial respiration--and the doctor gave him a few needles. Stuff like this, trying to revive him. I worked on him quite a long while myself. I had gone in with this telephone wire. After this man--we'd sent him to the sur? face- -we went out the Arch Deep. There was coffee and a few sandwiches sent in. And we were sitting in a box, eating, and this fellow, a dragerman, said, "My gosh, you're lucky you haven't got one of these on"-- you haven't got the drager gear on, some? thing like that. "Yes," I said, "all I have to do is sit here and look wise." So while we're in the box, word came to go and shut the valve off in 1 Deep. So it was shortly after that we got word that this fellow I was talking to was down. In Mine Rescue competition, each team arrives under guard and is turned over to the judges. The team gets the sealed problem • details of disaster in mock mine • studies it, decides what to do, requisitions supplies. They test their breathing apparatus and answer questions. Then they are taken to the smokehouse. A GARDEN CENTRE FOR ALL OF CAPE BRETON EdgehJII Landscaping Ltd. ''' 929-2523 2971 Plan to visit us this spring for all your garden needs. Landscape Design Service Available on Request Fruit Trees, Shrubs Fertilizer, Lime, Peat Moss Seeds, Bedding Plants Strawberry & Rhubarb Plants Bluegrass Nursery Sod Concrete Planters & Fountains -Beside the Englishtown Ferry- AREYOUR SHOCK ABSORBERS THIS OLD? ...Then they could be causing excessive tire wear, rough riding, and endangering your safety. New shock absorbers win prevent the veering, bottoming, swaying, and rock? ing that makes your ride rough, steering difficult, and braking unsure. Replace your worn shock absorbers today. LET US INSPECT YOUR SHOCK ABSORBERS TODAY! THE MASTER MUFFLER 349 G?orge St., Sydney 639-6691 muff ler centre (49)