The 1887 Nanaimo Mine Disaster Mining Victims from Many Nations _____ This article is reproduced in it's entirety from Volume 13, Issue 4, Winter 1996 of AncesTree, and cross indexed over to Volume 11, Issue 3, Fall 1994 for the level numbers, published by the Nanaimo Family Historical Society. Another excellent reference resource about the lives of miners on Vancouver Island is the soft cover book "Three Dollar Dream" by Lynne Bowen, (ISBN0889820651, Published in 1987 by Ooolichan Books, Lantzville, British Columbia, $19.95). Using photos, maps, testimony from the inquest, and vivid descriptions from the families of lost miners, Bowen paints a clear picture of the 1887 tragedy and documents the underground working conditions at that time. This well-researched book also chronicles the tales of immigrants from many nations who came to dig the coal, and the tragic accidents that befell them. _____ On May 3, 1887, a massive explosion erupted deep underground in the Number One Coal Mine in Nanaimo, British Columbia, taking the lives of 148 souls, many of whom had immigrated to Vancouver Island from countries all over the world. By the end of that week, the Nanaimo Free Press had published the names of most of those confirmed dead in the disaster. Because newspaper accounts on the tragic accident were incomplete (and the surviving clippings have deteriorated to the point where some names are almost illegible), the following transcription may contain errors and omissions. Victims of the 1887 Nanaimo Mine Explosion * Allen, Thomas(No. 5 Level)- Bristol, England, 24 yrs, single, runner * Benton, Edward(No. 1 Level)- Rothwell, Yorkshire, England, 34 yrs, left a wife & 6 children * Bertram, George S.(No. 3 Level)- Yorkshire, England, 37 yrs, left a wife & 3 children * Bevilockway, Herbert(No. 3 Level)- Nanaimo, 24 yrs, single * Biggs, George(New Slope)- Nanaimo, 27 yrs, single * Bjurling, Arvid(No. 5 Level)- Sweden, 30 yrs, supposed to be single * Blundell, Jonathan(New Slope)- Maryport, Cumberland, England, 33 yrs, wife & 5 children * Buffington, Robert(No. 1 Level)- * Bone, William(No. 1 Level)- Penzance, Cornwall, England, 42 yrs, left a wife & 3 children * Bowden, George(No. 1 Level)- Cornwall, England, 71 yrs, widower * Bramley, Jonathon, Jr.(No. 1 Level)- Rothwell, Yorkshire, England, 36, wife & 3 children * Brun, H - runner No. 5 Level - Old Slope * Burns, William(New Slope)- Scotland, 35 yrs, single, won silver medal as soldier in Egypt * Byers, James(No. 3 Level)- Wrickbridge, Cumberland, England, 22 yrs, left a wife & child * Campbell, William R(No. 1 Level). - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 28 yrs, single, engineer * Campbell, James(No. 1 Level)- Rye, Sussex, England, 39 yrs, married no children * Cochrane, William L.(Sinking Shaft)- step-son of J. Crave, Wellington Rd, single * Corcoran, Michael(No. 5 Level)- County Kerry, Ireland, 46 yrs, left a wife & 6 children * Davey, William(No. 3 Level)- Whitehaven, Cumberland, England, 33 yrs, single * Davey, James(No. 3 Level)- Whitehaven, Cumberland, England, 33 yrs, single * Davis, William(Sinking Shaft)- Ruthin, Denbighshire, N. Wales, 36 yrs, wife & 2 children * Dawson, Daniel(New Slope)- Cletermore, Cumberland, England, 28 yrs, single * Dawson, Thomas(New Slope)- Cletermore, Cumberland, England, 32 yrs, single * Drake, Charles(New Slope)- Sweden, 27 yrs, left a wife & 3 children * Ducca, Peter(No. 5 Level)- Formaco, Italy, 25 yrs, single * Ellis, Arthur(No. 1 Level)- 21 yrs, son of David Ellis * Ellis, David(No. 1 Level)- Rothwell, Yorkshire, England, 48 yrs, left a wife & 4 children * Evans, Thomas(No. 3 Level)- Llwynpia, Glamorgan, S. Wales, wife & 4 children * Fallen, John C.(No. 1 Level)- Michigan, U.S.A., recently from California, 30 yrs, single * Fillipea, Anderoti(No. 5 Level)- Genoa, Italy, 28 yrs, single * Forrest, Joseph(No. 1 Level)- Longhurst, Northumberland, England, 28 yrs, just married * Gilbert, William(No. 1 Level)- Goldsithney, Cornwall, England, 43 yrs, wife & 4 children * Gorman, Thomas(New Slope)- Middleton, County Cork, Ireland, 24 yrs, single, runner * Hague, William(New Slope)- Oldham, Lancashire, England, 23 yrs, left a wife & child * Hoggan, James(No. 3 Level)- Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 21 yrs, single * Hoy,William(New Slope)- Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, 21 yrs, left a wife & child * Hughes, Thomas(New Slope)- Buckley, Flintshire, N. Wales, abt. 32 yrs, wife & children * Hunter, Andrew(No. 1 Level)- Nanaimo, 15 yrs * Isbister, James(No. 3 Level)- Nanaimo, 17 yrs, single * Johns, Nicholas(No. 5 Level)- Cornwall, England, 26 yrs, left a wife * John, Edward(No. 1 Level)- Wales, recently from Minnesota, 40 yrs, left a wife & family * Johnson, John(New Slope)- Sweden, abt 31 yrs, left a wife & 4 or 5 children * Jones, Evan(No. 3 Level)- Llanarmon Yu Tale, Denbigh, N. Wales, 40 yrs * Lee, Hudson(No. 3 Level)- Rothwell, Yorkshire, England, 22 yrs, single * Lee, Henry(No. 3 Level)- Rothwell, Yorkshire, England, 48 yrs, left a wife & 10 children * Lewis, Abraham T.(No. 3 Level)- Brymbo, near Wrexham, N. Wales, 47 yrs, wife & child * Linn, John(Sinking Shaft)- Ayreshire, Scotland, 34 yrs, left a wife & 5children * Lukey, William, Jr.(No. 3 Level)- Wisconsin, U.S.A., 27 yrs * Lukey, William, Sr.(No. 3 Level)- Cornwall, England, 50 yrs, left a wife & 5 children * Lyons, James(New Slope)- Ireland, 44 yrs, left a wife & child * Lyon, Michael(No. 1 Level)- 15 yrs, son of miner James Lyons * Martin, Thomas(No. 1 Level)- Nanaimo, 23 yrs, single * Mattison, Frederick(Sinking Shaft)- Sweden, abt. 30 yrs, single * McDonald, Alexander(New Slope)- Pictou County, Nova Scotia, 23 yrs, single * McDonald, Roderick(No. 5 Level)- Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 37 yrs, left a wife & child * McGuffie, John(No. 1 Level)- Nanaimo, 23 yrs, single * McLean, Malcolm(No. 5 Level)- Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, 31 yrs, single * Meakin, John, Sr. (No. 1 Level)- London, England, 57 yrs, wife & 9 children * Meakin, Arthur (New Slope) - Nanaimo, 19 yrs, youngest son of miner John Meakin, Sr. * Milton, James(No. 1 Level)- Indiana, U.S.A., recently from California, abt 30 yrs, single * Morgan, John W.(No. 5 Level)- County Down, Ireland, abt 28 yrs, single * Morgan, David(No. 1 Level)- Cowbridge, Glamorganshire, S. Wales, 27 yrs, single * Morris, William(New Slope)- Missouri, U.S.A., abt 30 yrs, left a wife & 3 children * Morton, John(No. 3 Level)- Lanarkshire, Scotland, 30 yrs, left a wife & 2 children * Morton, Andrew(No. 3 Level)- Lanarkshire, Scotland, 28 yrs, left a wife & child * Muir, Andrew(No. 1 Level)- Ayrshire, Scotland, 45 yrs, left a wife & 6 children * Muir, Archibald (No. 3 Level)- Ayrshire, Scotland, 57 yrs, left a wife & 3 children * Myles, John(New Slope)- Redding, Stirlingshire, Scotland, 39 yrs, single * Myers, Samuel H(No. 5 Level)- Ireland, 49 yrs, single * Nicholson, Robert(New Slope)- Northumberland, England, 34 yrs, left a wife & 2 children * Old, George(No. 3 Level)- Penzance, Cornwall, England, 46 yrs, left a wife & child * Perry, Thomas(New Slope)-Backworth, Northumberland, England, 32 yrs, wife & 2 children * Popplewell, Benjamin(No. 1 Level)- Methley, near Leeds, Yorkshire, England, 28 yrs, single * Richards, John(No. 1 Level)- Birmingham, England, 45 yrs, wife(son in England by 1st wife) * Ridley, William(No. 3 Level)- Clifton near Workington, Cumberland, England, 28 yrs, single * Scales, William(New Slope)- New Westminster, B.C., 27 yrs, single * Simmons, George(No. 1 Level)- London, England, 35 yrs, left a wife & child * Smiley, Allan(New Slope)- Glasgow, Scotland, 34 yrs, left a wife & child * Smith, J.J.(No. 1 Level)- Liverpool, England, lately Australia, 25 yrs, Brakeman * Smith, John(Sinking Shaft)- Scotland, 21 yrs, single * Stephenson, William Henry(New Slope)- Macon County, Missouri, 18 yrs, married * Stevens, John(No. 1 Level)- Iowa, U.S.A., 23 yrs, single * Stove, John(No. 3 Level)- Nanaimo, 23 yrs, left a wife & child * Stove, Robert(No. 3 Level)- Nanaimo, 21 yrs, single * Tellaro, Jubert(No. 5 Level)- Turino, Italy, 29 yrs, single * Thomas, James(No. 1 Level)- Wales, 35 yrs, single * Thompson, Joseph(No. 1 Level)- Peltonfell, Durham, England, 37 yrs, wife & 3 children * Thompson, John(New Slope)- Maryport, Cumberland, England, 32 yrs, single * Tulley, Frank(New Slope)- California, 28 yrs, left a wife & child * Watson, Joseph(No. 1 Level)- Weardale, Durham, England, 30 yrs, single * Westfeldt, John Henry(No. 3 Level)- Holland, 43 yrs, left a wife & 5 children * Wilkins, Edward(No. 1 Level)- Cowbridge, Glamorganshire, S. Wales, 26 yrs, single * Willis, Caton(New Slope)- St. Charles, Canada, 40 yrs, left a wife & 3 children * Woobank, John(No. 3 Level)- Leeds, Yorkshire, England, 41 yrs, left a wife & 2 children * Woobank, Copley(No. 3 Level)- Rothwell, Yorkshire, England, 18 yrs, son of John * Zermani, John(No. 5 Level)- Matte, Parma, Italy, 38 yrs, left a wife & 3 children *********************************************************************** If one of your ancestors was a coal miner on Vancouver Island, you may find evidence pertaining to him among a wealth of information on file at the Nanaimo Community Museum and Archives. The museum has built a life-size replica of a mining shaft into which visitors can descent and displays and personal artifacts donated by the families of miners. The upper floor archival holdings include mining company payroll books, accidents reports, maps and photos of coal mines and mining towns in the region. <http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Ebcvancou> back to the Vancouver Island GenWeb Project