Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary

Subject: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: Bob Landry
Date: 23 Oct 98 - 12:02 PM

With reference to a recent thread discussing songs commemorating mining disasters in Springhill, Nova Scotia, please note:

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will be showing a one-hour documentary tonight and tomorrow about the 1958 Springhill mining disaster. For those of you with access to Canadian cable TV or satellite dishes, look for the program "The Passionate Eye" to be broadcast tonight, October 23rd, at 8:pm on CBC Newsworld (CBC's equivalent of CNN) . The regular CBC network will re-broadcast the documentary tomorrow afternoon at 3:pm. All times shown are Eastern Daylight Time ... the same time zone as the Mudcat.

I saw a short version of it 2 days ago on another CBC news program. It brought back vivid memories of watching the rescue efforts on TV when I was a lad in Cape Breton.

Bob

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: Dan Calder
Date: 23 Oct 98 - 12:23 PM

As an added bit of historical trivia, I'd like to point out that the 1958 Springhill disaster also stands out because it was the first news event covered live with the CBC beaming images across Canada and to the United States. It was a hell of a way to make the record books.

We in Springhill still feel quite a kinship with the Cape Bretoners, Bob. Many men from your area were quick to arrive in town and risk their own lives by going underground to locate victims and survivors. Sometimes saying "Thank You" just doesn't seem adequate. My wife lost her father in the 'Bump' forty years ago today.

Dan

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: Bob Landy
Date: 23 Oct 98 - 01:52 PM

Dan, as much as I'd like to claim a connection with the heroic efforts of the Cape Breton and Nova Scotia coal miners who went to the rescue, I can't. My ancestors eked out their existence in the fishing industry on Isle Madame, where I grew up.

The efforts of the rescuers, wherever they came from, deserve a lot of respect and honour. To the credit of the producers at CBC Halifax, the documentary emphasizes the dogged determination of the rescuers who worked frantically for days to reach the living and the dead.

The documentary also brings out some of the pain and other emotions of family members who kept a vigil, some at the pithead and others at home while the rescue efforts were going on. Even if it is 40 years late, Dan, please convey my condolences to your wife.

Bob

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 05:53 AM

Can somebody post the words to the song;- In the town of Springhill.....

Cheers

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 06:20 AM

Words AND Chords are in the Digitrad - Look at the top of the thread !
Another of Ewan macColl's as I recall

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 12:46 PM

Peggy Seeger, actually, who I believe was inspired by those TV broadcasts.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 01:07 PM

There was a photocopy of the original correspondence from Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl on display at the Miners' Museum in Springhill, with the draft lyrics, when we last passed by some 10 years ago.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: Joe_F
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 11:45 PM

My understanding is that she watched one of the TV broadcasts in Paris, and wrote the song there.

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: KeithofChester
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 04:32 AM

The song was written by Peter Seeger AND Ewan MacColl.

I know it from the Arizona Smoke Revue version. It is on the CD re-release of A Thundering On The Horizon and New Album. The original release was on the vinyl New Album.

Great song.

Subject: RE: Springhill Mining Disaster - TV Documentary
From: GUEST,Jim Carroll
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 03:03 PM

In the Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger Songbook 'Springhill' is attributed to Ewan and Peggy, but in Peggy's Sonbook (Oak 2001) the note says Ewan supplied only a couple of lines to verse 4.
Jim Carroll