The Moose River Gold Mines Museum honored victims and rescuers last Saturday afternoon during a special ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of a mine collapse that captured global attention and led to the first live radio broadcasts of the disaster.
The memorial ceremony began Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Moose River Gold Mines Museum, housed in a one-room schoolhouse still from the original settlement. The museum has preserved the story for four decades, and continues to attract international visitors interested in this pivotal moment in history and human resilience.
The tragedy began in April 1936 when three men descended into an abandoned gold mine 30 km southeast of Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia. The shaft collapsed without warning, trapping mine owners Herman Magill and Dr David Robertson along with timekeeper Alfred Scadding approximately 43 meters underground.
Credit: Museum Facebook profile
The mine was operating illegally at the time of the disaster. The owners had removed supporting columns remaining from previous mining operations to extract remaining gold deposits, weakening the structure and causing the catastrophic roof collapse.
Billy Bell, a 34-year-old diamond driller from New Glasgow, led the painstaking rescue effort. Working without any maps or mine diagrams, Bell followed smoke rising from the ground as the trapped men lit fires for warmth. He dug continuously at a rate of approximately two meters per hour, and refused supervisors’ orders to abandon the effort after five days.
Bill’s determination paid off when his drill penetrated the trapped chamber. Rescuers then worked from the opposite direction, creating a “rat hole” that eventually freed the survivors. The arduous operation extended over ten days, during which Magill died from the injuries he sustained in the collapse.
The first live broadcast of a disaster
CBC reporter Frank Willis turned the rescue into a media sensation, broadcasting live updates every half-hour for 69 consecutive hours. More than 100 million listeners across North America tuned in to his reports, with 58 Canadian stations and 650 American stations providing coverage. The broadcast was also picked up internationally by the BBC.
Willis used a telephone line to report from the scene, filming the dramatic moment Robertson emerged from the mine. The background cheers and clamor of rescue workers created an unprecedented sense of immediacy for radio audiences around the world.
The disaster struck during the Great Depression, yet local communities rallied to support hundreds of volunteers and media personnel who descended on rural areas. Families opened their homes and kitchens, and children as young as 10 learned to bake bread to feed the crowds.
The event honored both the volunteers who worked tirelessly during the rescue and the local residents who provided food and shelter during those intense 10 days that brought global attention to a small Nova Scotia community.
More information is available at www.Notyourgrandfathersmining.ca/moose-river-disaster
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