Blood on the Coal: The True Story of the Great Springhill Mine Disaster

by Ken Cuthbertson

The riveting true story of one of Canada’s worst mining disasters, told in the voices of the men who survived it

Foreword by Anne Murray

They said it was the world’s deepest and most dangerous coal mine. That claim was probably correct. What is certain is that in October 1958, the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation’s No. 2 colliery at Springhill, Nova Scotia, was a leading candidate for both those dubious distinctions. The mine was the proverbial “disaster waiting to happen.” And it did.

Springhill was the quintessential one-industry town. Its existence depended on coal, and in 1958 the market for that commodity was dying. And yet something far worse was to come. On the night of October 23, a “bump” in the mine—actually a small earthquake—shook the ground beneath the town. Seventy-five miners died and scores more were injured in what remains one of Canada’s worst underground disasters. The lives of the survivors were shattered, and Springhill would never be the same again.

In compelling detail, Ken Cuthbertson tells the stories of three of the miners and one of the doctors who cared for them following the disaster. This remarkable book is based on historical documents and interviews, as well as new interviews with the last of the surviving miners and their loved ones. It is a story of heroism, sacrifice and the indomitable strength of the human spirit. 

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Canada, Audiobook, Survival

366 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[JR · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Prison Book Club*

This is the herring tale of one of Canada‘s worst mining disasters. Taking place in Springhill, Nova Scotia in 1958 a mini earthquake or bump as the miners called it, took place and basically collapse the mine with people inside. Miner trapped for days with little water and food and some with horrific injuries. 75 died that day.

Cuthbertson did a terrific job putting me right into the middle of the action. A great background and history of the mine as well. I like the personal stories of a bunch of the miners as well, made me connect with them a lot more. I feel the desperation through the pages, and the coal dust on my face.

I would have given this five stars but Cuthbertson use the phrase“small wonder“ at least 15 times in the book and it bothered the hell out of me every time. It was like he had a very limited vocabulary or maybe it’s just his go to. In any case it’s a “small wonder“ I didn’t throw this book across the room every time I saw that phrase.

Overall, an amazing detailed story about heroism, leadership, and hope and the other side of a small town coming together to help each other in the most extraordinary way. 4⭐️

[Kalei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been told when I was a kid and a few other times growing up, that my Grandfather was a worker in the Springhill mine and that he was lucky to be alive. He was supposed to work that night shift when the big bump happened, but had switches shifts with another worker. It's surreal to think that myself and many other family members would not even exist if he had worked that shift and died in that disaster.

I thank the author for writing this book, as I knew next to nothing about coal mining or this disaster. This was very educational and eye-opening as to what so many men went through daily to live a decent life; putting food on the table for their families. My Grandparents were one of many families who after the mining disaster, moved away to find other means of income. Everytime I drive past Springhill, I think of what happened there and am glad that there are no more men entering that mine every day, putting themselves in danger.

[Mary B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was 8 years old when this disaster happened. I lived about an hour away & it was the topic everywhere for some time after. I don't believe most of us had any true idea of what happened and why. This book makes it much more clear, with much of the information having been gleaned from the survivors themselves. It's not easy reading, but very informative.
The book contained a lot of detail & explanations, especially in the early chapters, which made it plod long, but it was gripping nonetheless. Repetition was its biggest downfall, as the writer felt it necessary to inform us of certain facts/details repeatedly in various chapters. For example, we were told every time singer Anne Murray was mentioned who she was/is to inform us as to why she was mentioned in the first place. This occurred with a lot of people, incidents, etc. throughout making me feel each chapter was its own entity, even though it was told in chronological order.
Regardless, it is a good informative book, with points of view only possible from the miners' perspectives. Their agony was real; their experience was horrific; their bravery, heroic. God bless them all!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly tense and captivating story of a true Canadian disaster

[William Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1959, Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl composed “The Ballad of Springhill.” In 1965, Peter, Paul and Mary performed the ballad on their album A Song Will Rise which is where I believe I first heard it. Its haunting retelling of the disaster and the miracle—for there were both—in the DOSCO Mine #2 on 23 October 1958 ensures the song's longevity, and its performance by numerous popular folk musicians has ensured its wide acquaintance among enthusiasts of the folk music genre. Despite having been pulled into the siren call of the song many years ago, I never knew much about the events of the fateful day in Springhill, Nova Scotia, when, as the song reminds us, the earth was restless and miners died. I must have always wondered about it somewhat, for, when I saw mention of Ken Cuthbertson's book Blood on the Coal: The True Story of the Great Springhill Mine Disaster, I eagerly added it to my to-be-read list.

There is much to be gleaned from Cuthbertson's book, including the fact that a few of the song stanzas reflect more of the composers' creativity than historical accuracy. Yes, a few were indeed rescued even after hope had vanished, but the dead were not left “to lie alone.” Both bare-faced miners and draegermen (both terms being clearly explained and differentiated in the book) continued to labor in the devastated mine until all 74 bodies were recovered and brought to the surface for burial in the sunshine, as was a 75th miner who had died in hospital. Another revelation in the book took me by surprise. As many others likely assume, according to Cuthbertson, I always envisioned collapsing walls and roofs brought down by a “restless” earth, but no, that was not the case at all. Conversely, the floors in the mine levels sprang upward as removal of tons of material from the upper layers lightened the weight pressing down on lower strata.

Using only a few miners as his focus, the author conveys quite a bit of sociological and psychological information about the society of a single-industry mining town and the culture of a close-knit group of colliers. Readers are also shown the expanding conflict between Springhillers and the news reporters and photographers that descended upon the small, isolated community as word spread of trapped miners. We also see the effects of racial bigotry in play both in Canada and especially in the United States as the governor of Georgia, who had invited the rescued miners and their families to his state for an all-expense-paid visit, realized that one of the miners and his family were Black. There is a great deal more in this book than the “Bump” in the mine, tragic as the event was.

One of the author's objectives, however, unfortunately remains unfulfilled for me, although for a miner or mining engineer it is most likely clear enough, and that is the underground structure of the mine itself. Cuthbertson devotes a bit of the “Introduction” to an explanation of how the mine was worked, but I remain rather confused. Page 7 tells us that the “mine's vertical depth from the pithead down to its nethermost reaches was 4,600 feet.” However, page 29 tells us that “the operating levels in the No. 2 mine at Springhill were at slope depths of 12,600, 13,000, 13,400, and 13,800 feet.” Page 33 states that “when mining operations descended below 10,000 feet . . . underground working conditions became more precarious than ever.” A simplified drawing of the mine layout on page 31 fails to clarify the structure entirely, probably because it is by necessity a two-dimensional attempt to portray a three-dimensional space. Were it a three-dimensional map, I suspect that levels appearing to be stacked vertically were actually offset horizontally. This would also explain the slope “depths” since horizontal in addition to vertical travel would be required to reach them. However, this attempt to reconcile the depth given on page 7 and the depths from pages 29 and 31 is only my surmise and not the author's hoped-for clarification.

To return for a brief moment to the song that inspired me to read this book, the musical references to “living and the dead men two miles down” and “two miles of earth for a marking stone” are obviously the result of artistic creativity. Two miles of earth equate to 10,560 feet. If the mine was, in fact, dug to the depth of 4,600 feet, it was less than one mile deep. The two pockets of survivors were discovered at the 13,000 foot level, but, as discussed in the previous paragraph, this was seemingly not the vertical depth. We'll consider the two miles mentioned in the song as poetically illustrative of great depth, shall we?

Only one other question niggles at me. This is not the only book to have been written about the Springhill mine disaster (which, by the way, was not the only disaster occurring in Nova Scotia coal mines nor the deadliest, but which was covered by the new media of on-scene television). The bibliography cites at least six published books whose titles indicate that they deal with the same subject matter as Cuthbertson's book. Inasmuch as his is the only one that I have yet read, I cannot say whether or not his is the one to read. I can say that, despite some lack of clarity as to the mine's structure, I found his Blood on the Coal informative, instructive, and quite readable. I am pleased to have devoted some time to its reading and may have even been inspired to seek out one or two of the bibliographical entries for comparison. The details in this book do give me a new appreciation for the song that inspired it (as well as an understanding that the song should not be taken too literally).

[Enid Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminds me a lot of the musical - yes, a musical! - based on the story of Floyd Collins, and the tragedy at Sand Cave.

N.B. The musical is brilliant… I saw it a number of years ago at the Shaw Festival. If you ever get the chance to see it, you must.

This title also has more than a little in kind with The Wake by Linden McIntyre… and that is where my (slight) hesitation with this comes into play.

This is a great telling of the story of the Springhill Mine Disaster of 1958 (since there were many more, just not quite as devastating):
A captivating social history of the town, the people and the disaster.
Yes, a little repetitive at times, but, I can live with that.

Part of the repetition is a natural consequence of the way he has laid out his narrative - introducing us in general terms at the outset, then diving deep into specific individuals and/or days in during the recovery effort.

However, the whole way through listening I kept wishing that he had - as Linden McIntyre had - situated the conversation/presentation within the broader political economy of the time, and also had looked forward to the present day.

I get that this was clearly not his intent - but I think that was a wrong decision on his part.

My ‘concern’ about this - what I felt to be a great and significant omission on the part of the author - was brought home - with full force - in the Epilogue… were he does exactly what I felt was missing.

And what struck me most? That he brought up the matter of the Westray Mine disaster, and dispensed with it in a sentence or two.

So, as much as I enjoyed listening to this book:

While I think the author did a great service to the people of Springhill in memorialising the events of 1958;

I think he did a great dis-service to the on-going legacy of the same, and missed a golden opportunity to extend the conversation and make it relevant to today’s reader as something more than just a lovely little historical artefact.

Don’t get me wrong here… I am still going to score this a ‘4’ out of ‘5’ - and I highly recommend this title.

AND.. I will put this out there to the universe - and specifically to the author! - in hopes that maybe there is more to come on this? Maybe he has another title in the works that extends the story he has told here and fills in what I consider to be the gaps?

If he does, sign me up to read that one now.

Last comment - I listened to an audiobook version of this - courtesy of the publisher - and I highly recommend the audiobook version.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping story of a major Canadian disaster. I was only 7 at the time, living in Alberta, which is still a major coal producing province. I don't remember anything from that time about the Springhill disaster, but I do recognize the major political names of the time and was interested in reading the relationship between the development of the media and it's relationship to the event. The focus on a selection of the miners and their families made the story more immediate and compelling. And that made me wonder why I am currently having much the opposite reaction to the reporting on the Israel/Hamas war at the moment. I don't like listening to the individualized stories about people and families and their suffering because it feels wrong in the scope of the destruction and death that is currently happening. The epilogue is informative in the context of the current climate issues and worth reading and considering. Well worth the time

[Adrian]

The story of 1958s coal mining disaster in Springhill Nova Scotia. One of the deepest mines in the world 'bumped' on October 23rd sending 74 men to their deaths. Amazingly two groups of men survived 6 and 8 days underground before being rescued. All hope had gone of rescuing any. Cuthbertson does a terrific job profiling a handful of the men who were trapped and drawing out just how horrible conditions were. Mine operator DOSCO closed the mine permanently afterward permanently effecting the lives of people in this one-industry town. Not surprisingly they adapted. A tale well told.

[Carolyn Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful book about a terrible disaster. I've read other books on the bump of 58 and this one held up well. Torn between rating a 4 or 5.

[Maggie Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might have cried

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. The Springhill Mine Disaster occurred 0n October 23, 1958. One hundred seventy-four miners were working underground at the time of the explosion, and 75 died. Most were crushed when the floor rose up to the ceiling. The men were working at the 13,000, 13,400, and 13,800-foot levels; the mine was said to be the deepest, gaseous, and dangerous coal mine. This one industry town was no stranger to tragedy. In 1956, 39 miners were killed in another Springhill coal mine. The brave rescuers could not wear protective face coverings against the toxic gas because the masks interfered with their vision. Nevertheless, they were anxious to save the men, and others volunteered to help.

The disaster attracted photographers, newspaper reporters and magazine journalists from all over Canada and the USA, and radio and TV reporters. A few had no feelings for the miner's families and were rude and pushy. At one point, a group of miners threatened them. In a few days, all hope for further rescue was abandoned, and many left when all the miners still underground were considered dead. Most reporters departed believing their story was over when all hope was abandoned.

I did not intend to be at the Springhill pit head on October 31. I had been hitchhiking home from university with a neighbour and fellow student. Usually, our way home would not go near Springhill, but all cars were heading in the Springhill direction, so we needed to take the detour. Reporters and photographers were rushing back to cover the Miracle of Springhill. That morning, rescuers discovered and brought out 12 miners trapped in appalling conditions for six and a half days. We ended up among the crowd of relatives, bystanders, and volunteers, feeling very uncomfortable and embarrassed. Prince Philip, tall and handsome, walked among the crowd waiting for news at the pit head. He was on his way to visit the dozen rescued miners and their families at the hospital. I clearly remember him telling me sharply to get out of his way.

This was a well-researched book illustrated with many historic photographs. Although reporting had been extensive, the powerful descriptions and vivid writing made the miner's terrible ordeal seem much more painful, disturbing, and emotional than the coverage at the time. It was amazing how the writer built up a feeling of suspense, even while I knew the outcome. My nerves were on edge while reading what the men were going through. Many had injuries, no water, only a couple of stale sandwiches they found, passing out from toxic fumes, vile smells, close to decomposing bodies, and losing all hope of rescue. They resorted to eating coal and the bark torn from some lumber.

Two days after the rescue of the twelve, seven more men were found barely alive, injured, starving, dehydrated, and delirious. There was much coverage of the man they called the Singing Miner. He was a light-skinned Black man who supported a wife and twelve children on his miner's salary. He kept up the spirits of others by singing until he was too weak to do so. The Governor of Georgia thought it would be good publicity to invite the miners to a seaside resort. This publicity stunt ended badly because the Governor was a segregationist. The Singing Miner could not stay with his group, his wife and children and had to stay in a trailer, was excluded from the beach and organized activities.


The mines were closed, and there was no other work for the town's men. Many moved away, but a few remained.
The story of the mine disaster didn't begin until 30% through the book. The first part told about mine work and cooperation, people in the town, the geology of coal and the history of coal mining, and a description of the layout of the mine. This was a scholarly effort, more of interest to a historian than to the general reader.

[Moira · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this latest book about the Springhill mine disaster. It was a nice mix of big picture, mine history, and focus on individual people.