Share/Save/Bookmark

Presented by the
Newfoundland's Grand Banks Site
to assist you in researching your Family History

Click on the graphic below to return to the NGB Home Page
Newfoundland's Grand Banks

To contribute to this site, see above menu item "About".

These transcriptions may contain human errors.
As always, confirm these, as you would any other source material.

Bell Island Submarine Miner
January 1955

   

General Plant News

Congratulations to Ted Parsons of the Cost Department who successfully completed a correspondence course in Accountancy from La Salle University. Mr. Parsons began the course in June, 1952, and received his diploma this month.

Deepest sympathy is extended to Jack and Douglas Mansfield on the death of their mother, Mrs. Mary Mansfield, who passed away on December 13th in her 78th year. Also, to the family of Richard Butler, an employee of the Patrick Harrison Company, who passed away at the Company's Surgery on December 11th after being severely injured in an accident in the Forsyth Slope on December 10th.

The many friends of Parker MacDonald, who was employed here with the Patrick Harrison Company last year, were pleased to learn that he had broken into big time hockey as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Parker was an outstanding member of the Bell Island Baseball team last summer and led the League in batting averages. Parker was also an outstanding pitcher.

Gerald Hutchings, who served with the Canadian Army in Korea, spent the Christmas holidays on Bell Island with his wife and family. "Hutch," as he is better known locally, is remembered as one of Bell Island's most outstanding athletes and is still active in that respect in the Army.

Mike Power, who was employed in the Mechanical Department prior to leaving here in 1929 to take up residence in the United States, spent the Christmas holidays on Bell Island with his parents, Mr. And Mrs. James Power, the Front. "Mike" was one of the Island's leading boxers during the early 1920's.

Cablegram extending Christmas and New Year's greetings to friends on Bell Island was received from members of the crew of the British ship S.S. "Zinnia," upon her arrival at a United Kingdom port a few days before Christmas. The message was signed by Captain Irwin, Bill Watkins, Chief Officer; Bob Taylor, Chief Steward; Allan Foster, Second Officer; John Armstrong, Third Officer; Will Prior, Chief Engineer; Charlie Bonen, Third Engineer; Mark Forward, Bosun, and the apprentices. All were very pleased that they had arrived in time to spend Christmas with their families. The chief Officer, Bill Watkins, who was left in charge of the ship during the Christmas holiday, was joined by his wife and family. Needless to say, the children were delighted to have the opportunity of spending a few days aboard a "real" ship. On behalf of their many friends at Wabana, and especially from the employees of the Scotia Pier, the "Submarine Miner" extends best wishes to Captain Irwin and his crew for a happy and prosperous New Year.

Congratulations to the following who celebrated wedding anniversaries during the month of December: Mr. And Mrs. Clem Ezekiel, Mr. And Mrs. John Fifield, Mr. And Mrs. Fred J. Rose, Mr. And Mrs. Riv Parsons, Mr. And Mrs. William Pearce, Mr. And Mrs. William Cole, Mr. And Mrs. Thomas Duggan, Mr. And Mrs. J. G. Archibald and Mr. And Mrs. William Clarke.

Edward Bennett of No. 3 Slope made his annual hunting trip to the interior of Newfoundland during his vacation in November and was successful in bagging a moose.

Birthday greetings are extended to the following Pensioners who celebrated the occasion during December:
Josiah Gosse, 71 on the second;
Walter Lahey, 67 on the tenth;
Bernard Hawco, 73 on the sixteenth;
William Janes, 67 on the twenty-second;
Bert Gosse, 69 on the twenty-fifth;
John Hedd, 76 on December 28th, and
Patrick Hickey, 76 on the twenty-ninth.

Sympathy is extended to John Commings, No. 4 Slope, on the death of his father, Mose Cummings, who passed away at his home, the Front, Bell Island, on December 16th, after a prolonged illness.

Ralph Bickford of No. 6 Slope and John Kennedy of No. 3 Slope, who sustained injuries during non-working hours and who were forced to lay off work as a result, were the first members of the Employee Welfare Plan to receive the weekly benefits.

Dr. J. B. Young and family returned to the Island in December after having spent a vacation in England

Douglas, son of Mr. Herbert Harney of No. 6 Slope, who is a teacher at Twillingate, spent the Christmas season with his parents.

Harry Norman, who enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces and served in Korea, was at home for the Christmas holiday. Harry is the son of Mr. And Mrs. R. D. Norman.

Corporal Wallace Fowler, son of Mr. And Mrs. Leo Fowler, and Paratrooper Peter Warren, son of Mr. Leander Warren, returned to Wabana in December on leave.

Patricia, the ten-year-old daughter of Robert Lane, No. 3 Slope employee, was rushed to hospital after being hit and knocked down by a truck on December 26th near the War Memorial. The latest report is that Patricia is well on the road to recovery.

John Delahunty of No. 3 Slope and Robert Bickford, No. 4 Slope, were married recently. To Mr. And Mrs. Delahunty and Mr. And Mrs. Bickford, we extend best wishes for happiness and prosperity throughout the years that lie ahead.

Miss Patricia Cull of London, England, recently arrived at Wabana to take up the duties of Private Secretary to Mr. H. P. Dickey, Vice-President and General Manager of Dominion Wabana Ore Limited. Already, Miss Cull has made several friends and the "Submarine Miner" extends the heartiest of welcomes to the newcomer and hopes that her stay amongst us will be most pleasant.

The stork visited the homes of the following employees during November and December bringing boys to Mr. And Mrs. Joshua Parsons of Upper Island Cove on November 29th, Mr. And Mrs. Frank Jarvis, Wabana, on December 5th, Mr. And Mrs. Michael Brown, Wabana, on December 24th, Mr. And Mrs. Tom Kent, Wabana, on December 29th, Mr. And Mrs. John Hann, Wabana, on the 25th, and to Mr. And Mrs. Ray Gendreau, a girl on Christmas Day.

Employees presently hospitalized are: Miss Eleanor Thistle and Corbett Pitts of the Accounting Department; Mr. William J. Cantwell of the Traffic Department. Mr. Dennis Dwyer, Pensioner, is also in hospital, and to all we wish a speedy recovery.

Congratulations to the following who celebrated birthdays in December: Nathan Batten on the fifteenth; and William Clarke, Cashier, on the twenty-fourth.

The last cargo of iron ore for Sydney, N.S., in 1954 was taken by the S.S. "Arthur Cross" when she sailed from this port on December 30th with 9080 tons.


WABANA APPOINTMENTS

On January 10th, the following appointments were announced by Mr. J. G. Archibald, Plant Engineer, and were effective as from January 1st, 1955.

Mr. G. H. Rees, formerly Shops Superintendent, to be Master Mechanic succeeding the late Wallace Rees.

Mr. G. W. Hiscock, formerly Shops Superintendent, to be General Foreman, Shops.

Mr. Edwin Petrie, formerly Rebuild Supervisor, to be General Foreman, Mechanical Department.

To all three the "Submarine Miner" extends congratulations and best wishes for continued success.


ACCOUNTING APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED BY SECRETARY AND TREASURER

 

The many friends and acquaintances of J. A. Turner were pleased to learn of his appointment as comptroller of the Dominion Coal Company Limited announced recently by Mr. G. C. Broadbent, Secretary and Treasurer of Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation Limited.

Mr. Turner came to Wabana in 1951 as Office Manager and two years later assumed the duties of Chief Accountant for this Company.

 

Prior to his arrival on Bell Island, Mr. Turner had held positions in several Companies in the Corporation. He was first employed in 1927 by the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company Limited as a junior clerk. In 1938 he was appointed storekeeper for Old Sydney Collieries Limited and in 1945 was transferred to Trenton, N.S., as Accountant for Old Sydney Collieries Limited and Acadia Coal Company Limited. In 1947 he was transferred to Sydney with special duties under the General Manager of Coal Operations. In 1949 Mr. Turner was appointed Accountant, Dominion Wabana Ore Limited.

The "Submarine Miner" joins with his legion of friends and acquaintances in congratulating him on his appointment and in wishing him every success in the future.

 

Mr. A. T. Bonnell, former Assistant chief Accountant of Dominion Wabana Ore Limited, was appointed Chief Accountant for the Company as of January 1st, 1955. Mr. Bonnell was born in Sydney, N.S., and received his education in that city, graduating from Sydney Academy prior to joining Dosco in August, 1937. During his seventeen years of service with the Corporation, Mr. Bonnell worked his way up through the Coal Audit Department and on August 1st, 1953, was transferred to Wabana as Assistant to his predecessor, Mr. J. A. Turner.

We join his many friends in congratulating him on his new appointment and wish him continued success in the years to come.

 

The appointment of Mr. C. E. Carew, Storekeeper, as Assistant Purchasing Agent effective January 1st, 1955, was announced by Mr. H. P. Dickey, Vice President and General Manager, Dominion Wabana Ore Limited, on December 14th, 1954. We join with his many friends in wishing Charlie, who has been with this Company since the early 1930's, continued success in his career.

 

 

On Monday, December 27th, Mr. H. P. Dickey, Vice President and General Manager, Dominion Wabana Ore Limited, announced the appointment of Mr. Robert Devlin as Development and Contract Superintendent for the Company, effective as from that date.

Mr. Devlin was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and received his education at Bishop's College, Lennoxville, Quebec, and later entered Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, graduating from that institution with a B.Sc. in Mining in 1939.

Prior to joining Dominion Wabana Ore Limited, Mr. Devlin held the position of Manager, Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Limited, in British Columbia. The "Submarine Miner" welcomes Mr. Devlin to our midst and wishes him every success in his new appointment.

 

Congratulations to Mr. Fred Hammond of No. 3 Slope who was appointed Assistant Mine Captain as from January 1st, 1955. Prior to this appointment which was announced by Mr. J. M. Gillis, Superintendent of No. 3 Slope, Fred had had a wealth of experience in all phases of mining. Starting work with the Company in 1920, he was appointed Section Foreman in 1949 and later an Overman.

 

 

Effective January 1st, 1955 Mr. William Bartlett who had been a Section Foreman, No. ? (cut off right at the edge of the scan) Slope, since December 1949, received his appointment as Overman of that Slope. The announcement was made on January 14th by Mr. J. N. Gillis, Superintendent of No. 3 Slope. Bill has been in the employ of this Company since 1918.

 


WABANA FLASHBACKS

One of the two submarine cables supplying hydro-electric power to Bell Island was damaged on December 15th, 1938 when the Norwegian ore carrier, S.S. "Eastern Star,” went adrift from her moorings at the anchorage during a heavy N.W. gale. Her anchors hooked the cable damaging it considerably and it was not until May of 1939 that repairs were completed and that source of electrical supply restored to the Island. The ship used to effect repairs was the S.S. "Imogene.”

Sincere sympathy is expressed to the bereaved families of the following employees who died recently:
Pensioner James QUINLAN, Bell Island, in his 72nd year, who passed away in a city hospital after a short illness, on Dec 9th.
John KENNEDY of the Mechanical Department, in his 65th year, died suddenly at his home, East End, Bell Island, on Jan 9th.


BELL ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

From 1885, the first year in which iron ore was shipped from Bell Island, to 1940, iron ore carriers entering Conception Bay bound for either the anchorage off Lance Cove or a berth at one of the loading piers had to proceed with extreme caution if they attempted to enter during the hours of darkness or when visibility was poor. This was due to the lack of any fixed navigational aid such as a foghorn or signal light. However, as Wabana grew in importance as a shipping port, the Governor recognized the need of providing facilities to aid shipping approaching this port. Accordingly a lighthouse was built – 290 feet above sea level - and a foghorn installed at the most eastern point of Bell Island and came into operation officially on Sept 1st, 1940.

To most Bell Islanders, the only evidence that such facilities exist, is the mournful voice of the horn sounding its warning at regular intervals to ships when the Bay is shrouded in fog.

Mr. John FLYNN, who was appointed Lighthouse Keeper when this service was established, is still on the job. Mr. FLYNN is a married man and has five children.

When it is realized that during a normal year approximately 225 ships, totaling some 2,000,000 tons, call at this port of Wabana and that scores of small coastal craft ply in and around Conception Bay, it is only then that we can realize the importance of "Keeping the light burning." To those of us who do not follow the sea for a livelihood, it is perhaps difficult to fully appreciate the sight of a welcome beacon or the sound of a foghorn, which means, in most cases, the end of a long and tedious voyage.

To Mr. FLYNN, and his hundreds of colleagues elsewhere who man these signal stations, the "Submarine Miner" offers this small tribute in recognition of the role they play in safeguarding the lives of those who sail the seven seas.

 

"Reprinted courtesy of The Submarine Miner"
A publication for the employees of the Dominion Wabana Ore Limited.
Any monetary or commercial gain from using this material is
strictly prohibited and subject to legal action.

 

Page Contributed by: Coleen Murrin-Norcott-Pieczewski

Page Revised by Ivy F. Benoit (July 20, 2003)

Newfoundland's Grand Banks is a non-profit endeavor.
No part of this project may be reproduced in any form
for any purpose other than personal use.

JavaScript DHTML Menu Powered by Milonic

© Newfoundland's Grand Banks (1999-2024)

Hosted by
Chebucto Community Net

Your Community, Online!

NOTE:
You can search the entire NGB site
by using the [Google] search below.

Search through the whole site
[Recent] [Contacts] [Home]