they were now the front line for the Battle of the Atlantic. Bell Islanders are known for their
friendly manner and strength of character, so when the island shook from torpedo explosions, the first priority was to row out into the chilly night to rescue the sailors who had abandoned the sinking ships. Many men were saved and a few heroic rescuers still recount fretful tales of treating the injured on kitchen tables and makeshift stretchers on the beach. Although the cliffside guns were fired into the bay, they aimed too high, with rounds making landfall on the mainland at Portugal Cove. If the gun hadn’t been buttressed, we might have been diving on a U-boat in Conception Bay, Newfoundland.
Royal Canadian Geographical Society has endorsed our project as its Expedition of the Year
The Royal Canadian Geographical
Society has endorsed our project as its Expedition of the Year, recognizing that these acts of war may have in fact contributed to Newfoundland’s choice to become Canada’s 10th province in 1949. Mine #2 ceased operating that same year, and in 1966 the final nail in the coffin was struck. Over Christmas Break, owners of the mine decided that it was no longer financially feasible to operate. With
Gemma Smith explores the
Bell Island Mine and some of
the machinery that decorates
its kilometres of tunnels
little warning, they turned off the dewatering pumps and the mine flooded, with all the assets inside. Frozen in that moment, the mines became a submerged time capsule filled with equipment and the personal effects of generations of hard-working men.
A Dangerous Business On this bitterly cold and snowy day, we make our first dives into the mine to begin exploration, survey and cataloguing the matrix of tunnels and artifacts. A sudden snow melt has led to a torrential inflow of cold meltwater, wiping the visibility out for the first 150 feet (46m). I carefully ease the yellow guideline through my fingers while
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