Cape Breton's Magazine

1891 Springhill Explosion victims with a Cape Breton connection NAME + BOYD, John + BURCHELL, William * CAMPBELL, Donald CAMPBELL, John D. * FINLAYSON, Daniel + GILLIS, John LIVINGSTON, Henry MURPHY, Richard Mcdonald, John j. * Mcdonald, Rory b. MacKINNON. Angus * McLEOD, Neil J. * McLEOD, Rory (Roderick) McNEIL, John F. MacNEIL, Joshua McNEIL, Neil S. * MacNEIL, Roderick D. * McPHEE, Neil NEARING, James NEAPING, John NEARING, Malcolm * NICHOLSON, Malcolm + ROGERS, Thomas AGE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 21 b. MIRA, s/o Norman & Mary Boyd. Burled in Hardwood Hill Cemetery, SYDNEY. 22 son of Peter & Ellen Burchell. Buried in Greenwood Cemetery, GLACE BAY. 47 native of Bridgend, Cape Breton. 24 nephew of Donald, from Cape Breton, locality not yet known, grave not yet located. 29 from the Middle River area of Victoria Co., Cape Breton. 17 from Jamesville, Victoria Co., Cape Breton. Buried in lONA, Cape Breton. 24 b. 30 March 1867, baptized 9 April 1867, Low Point, Cape Breton. 21 from Sydney Mines. 42 from Cape Breton, locality not yet known. Grave not yet located. 40 reported to be from Cape Breton, locality not yet known. 51 born at Long Island, Cape Breton. 23 reported to be from Cape Breton, locality not yet known. 29 born at Big Intervale, Cape Breton. 32 reported to be from Glace Bay, Cape Breton. 21 from Port Hood, Cape Breton. Remains fonwarded there, grave not yet located. 23 died one week after, remains brought to Cape Breton, possibly Glace Bay. 25 from lona, Victoria Co., Cape Breton. 28 from Reserve Mines, Cape Breton. 20 b. 27 February 1870, Lingan, Cape Breton. Son of John Nearing (info below). 50 born in North Sydney, Cape Breton. Father of James and Malcolm. 22 b. 27 June 1868, Glace Bay, Cape Breton. Son of John Nearing (info above). 42 born in Cape Breton; locality not yet known. 21 native of Old Bridgeport, Cape Breton. Buried in DOMINION, Cape Breton. The asterisk (*) indicates graves located in Hillside Cemetery, Springhill, N.S. The plus sign {+) indicates graves located in other places (typed in CAPS). the church. No John Gillis. grave marker. N.J.G." Neil And, of course, when I saw that statement, "no grave marker," I thought, if there was some way that I could do it, that eventu? ally I would make sure that there was a marker put there. I wrote back to Mr. Gil? lis right away, but I never heard from him any more. And then in 1989 I came up to Cape Breton. And the train was still run? ning. I got off that train at lona and I ANOTHER GREAT CAPE BRETON TRADITION t,"; 'iNAPOLI PIZZERIA 539-6109 465 Charlotte Street, Sydney DOWNTOWN MOTELS & HOTELS Stayed at the Highland Heights Inn. And I called Mr. Gillis and asked him if he would take me to the ce? metery and show me where John Gillis's grave was lo? cated. And af? ter I went home again, I made arrange? ments to have the marker made at Tin? gley's Monu? ment Works in Amherst. And they made a lovely marker. And the next year I got in touch with Mr. and Mrs. Gillis to make sure that they would be home, because I wanted to bring this marker to them. They wanted me staying at their house, and things like this. And so I stayed with them, and met some other members of the family, and saw where John Gillis was brought up on the property that he lived in when he was a youngster. And so, any? way, that's the marker. And there's the picture of John Gillis with one-half his ear--you can tell that it's been cosmeti? cally fi3'ed.... (That somebody's added something to the picture, painted in a different kind of ear.) Yes. (5ee photo on page 35.) This (letter) is from another fellow in Mabou (John Gillies, a schoolteacher). And he says that he had heard that I was look? ing for information about Joshua MacNeil, who was killed in Springhill. He says: ' = JJ. BARRINGTON LTD. WHEEL AUOt4MENT & AUTO BODY LTD. 137 Kings Rd. SYDNEY, NS B1S2Z5 (AT THE TRACKS) H] Collision Repairs & Painting rTl Frame Straightening [V] Computer Wheel Balancing & Alignment [T] We stock Brakes & Shocks for most cars rn We now carry a Full Line of Tires FREE E/TIMATO 564-8150 FAX 539-4501 tt Talk to Us for Your Complete Investment Needs - CONTACT ANY BRANCH - Community Banking in Cape Breton Bank of Montreal We're Paying Attention upe urciun tt