The Eastern Chronicle, New Glasgow, N.S. Tuesday, 24 Nov 1942: From Pictou Landing To South Africa The following tells of news in a letter that has been received by Mr. Wm. Dunbar, 248 Albert St., from a relative who has made her home in South Africa for a number of years, Mrs. Christena Larsen. She was the former Christena McKenzie and was born at Pictou Landing, a daughter of the late Alexander McKenzie and his wife, Jane McDonald McKenzie, who lived there more than half a century ago. There she spent her childhood days. Then owing to her father's work being removed to Stellarton, the family very soon became settled in Stellarton, where she grew up and married. After some time, along with her husband they found their way to South Africa, where they resided at 30 Garden Road, Orchards, Johannesburg, for years. Her husband died nearly two years ago following a short illness. At the present time she is living with a son, and his wife at Nelspruit, Eastern Transval, South Africa. In a letter written Aug. 23, 1942, she writes that it is beginning of spring. " We have planted a lot of vegetables, flowers and sweet peas and I am somewhat skeptical that they will be as handsome as those grown in Canadian soil." Kindly greetings come from her to all her former acquaintances and friends and relatives in Pictou County or wherever they may reside. She enquires personally about some former Pictou Landing friends and concludes with the following sentence: "Canada, our Home and native land, I often think of thee." xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Thursday, 26 Nov 1942: More Gruesome And Tragic Discoveries Four more skeletons of men who lost their lives in the Foord pit explosion of 1880, 62 years ago, have been recovered by miners as they pushed their way forward in re-opening the Foord seam in order to gain the coal left behind many years ago. Approach to this seam is being made through the Allan Shaft. Belts and boots were found with the remains but nothing has as yet been found to identify the men's remains. A furthur search is being made of the locality for something which may be used to make identification possible. Burial plans for the four bodies are being delayed pending furthur evacuation of the area as officials believe that more bodies may be found. The boots are the type worn at that time by all miners and have iron bands at the toes and heels and are heavily hobnailed. This makes a total of 13 bodies recovered out of the 42 miners involved in the explosion. In 1926 eight bodies were found and buried at the Miners Monument on North Foord Street, and in July of this year another body was found, that of the late Angus MacKay, whose son indentified the remains by a watch found at that time. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Carolyn Wallace