The Drillers Rock - Princeton, British Columbia
Posted by: T0SHEA
N 49° 27.503 W 120° 30.548
10U E 680502 N 5481396
This history lesson teaches us what hardrock miners did 101 years ago to while away their spare time. It is part of the outdoor displays of the Princeton Museum at 167 Vermilion Avenue.
Waymark Code: WM17ZAP
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 04/26/2023
Views: 0
Princeton and District Museum and Archives (PDMA) is a Society committed to protecting, restoring and collecting items pertaining to the history of Princeton and the surrounding area. The PDMA has a wide range of historic collections reflecting Princeton's history.
There are several restored buildings as part of the museum. This Drillers Rock is in front of Firehall No.1 dated 1934.
The Drillers Rock
This historic rock received its large bore holes when used in a drillers competition in 1913. Miners would drill holes into the rock to provide a place for dynamite to be placed prior to blasting, which loosened the ore. One miner would hold hand drills of various lengths to be driven into the rock with a sledge hammer by the other miner. The drillers twisted the drill to create a cutting action to the sharp edges on the drill rod. The objective of the contest was to see which team could drill the deepest hole in 15 minutes. The drillers would change positions after the first and second minute and in 30 second intervals thereafter.
From the Sign by the Rock