Thetford Mines, Québec, Canada (Saint-Alphonse-de-Thetford) (Kingsville)
1938 - DEATH PIT. 7 QUEBEC MINERS DIE IN ROCKSLIDE.

Thetford Mines, Que., Dec. 8. (CP) - A rock-slide two hours after a dynamite blast in the Bell asbestos mine here brought death last night to seven miners who were buried alive. Early today three of the bodies had been recovered.

Thirty-four children were left fatherless when the men died.

The victims and their respective families:
LEDGER AUBUT, 46, father of six.
EDMOND EMERY, 43, father of seven.
DONAT GREGOIRE, 42, father of six.
ALBERT LEMIEUX, 37, father of five.
LOUIS NADEAU, 54, father of two.
JOSEPH PERRON, 44, father of five.
ADOLPHE THERBERGE, 35, father of three.

The men were only 20 feet below the head of the shaft, clearing away debris from the blast, when the sudden slide occurred. One body was recovered last night, another about midnight and the third early this morning. Two men escaped uninjured in the slide.

Reports said nine men were clearing away loose rock in the mine after the dynamite blast about 5:40 p.m. yesterday. About two hours later, without warning, a pile of rock swept down on the working men.

Workmen from the Johns-Mansville plant here and the Asbestos Corporation immediately set to work with employees of the Bell mine clearing away the rock.

PERRON'S body was the first to be recovered, not long after the slide occurred. After several more hours of feverish work the searchers found the crushed body of EMERY. Throughout the night they worked, finally coming upon the body of AUBUT.

Manager O. C. Smith, of Bell mine, said all seven of the men were married and all had been employed at the mine for some years.

The mine is controlled by the Keasby-Mattison Corporation, a Pennsylvania firm.

Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
December 9, 1938

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