Of the hundreds of coal cars once running up and down the rails in the Springhill coal mines, several dozen have survived and have been collected at the Springhill Miners Museum.
Now a
Canadian National Historic Site, these coal cars are at the site of the museum, which is also the site of the infamous No.2 and No.4 collieries, at the corner of Industrial Park Drive and Memorial Crescent. Here, in 1891, occurred the worst mining disaster in Canada to that time when a coal dust explosion and fire killed 125 miners and injured dozens more.
More disasters were to occur, most notably in 1916, 1956 and 1958, ultimately leading to the closure of the mines and the end of coal mining in Springhill.
See a description of the museum site below.
Springhill Miners' Museum
Displays of mining equipment, tours of the wash house and lamp cabin are just a few of the things that one can experience at the Tour a Mine, Springhill Miners' Museum. Springhill thrived as a forestry and farming community until the 1830's when coal was discovered in massive quantities. It didn't take long for the first coal mine to open, setting the stages for a glorious, and often tragic, tradition. The Town quickly grew to become one of the largest producers of coal in Nova Scotia and eventually Canada.
A steep price was paid for this prosperity, though, and several hundred men lost their lives in the pits in a series of accidents and disasters in 1891, 1956 and 1958. It was in 1958 when this community entered the national spotlight when an underground earthquake slammed the floor of the No. 2 mine into the ceiling killing a number of men before they knew what had hit them and trapping countless others underground in small, dark pockets with little or no food and water and a dwindling air supply.
While 75 miners were lost in the bump, a number of others were saved after all hope was lost by the Springhill Miracle with the last survivors leaving the mine nine days after being entombed there by the bump. The never-say-die attitude of the rescuers and the perseverance shown by the community in the days following the disaster let to the awarding of the Carnegie Medal to the Town of Springhill. The Titanic survivors were the only other group to receive this prestigious award.
Visitors to the Tour a Mine can travel back in time to the days when coal mining was the lifeblood of Springhill. Operated by the Springhill Miners Heritage Society, the museum features many displays including the equipment used by the miners above and below ground, newspaper clippings, photos and other documents, as well as a dummy of a dragerman. Former coal miners are on hand to answer questions and to give guided tours of the wash house and lamp cabin. From there, visitors are asked to dress in "slickers" for the most exciting part of the tour - a trip underground into what use to be an actual coal mine!
From the Town of Springhill