DISASTER at the No.26 Colliery in Glace Bay

摘要

On February 24,1979, fifteen Members of UMWA Local Union 4520 and a production foreman entered Cape Breton Development Corporation's (DEVCO) Colliery No. 26 in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada to begin their shift. The sixteen men, working the 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. - midnight shift -descended into the mine and made their way five and a half miles to the No. 12 Southern Section of the mine. Referred to as the "Big Producer" by miners, the No. 26 Colliery was the leading coal producer in the area for many years and the No. 12 Southern Section, with its massive longwall, was key in establishing that reputation. The Section was also unique because it was located nearly 2,500 feet below the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.