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	Louis Frost Sydney	Dominion No. 7		Dominion No. 6	Dominion No. 8

The Louis Frost Notes 1685 to 1962 Dominion No. 7 Colliery Seaward Extension of Hub Mine Workings on the Hub Seam were originally started from stone outcroppings and it is recorded that the British garrison at Louisbourg was supplied with coal from this source. Organized mining started in 1861 and was continued until 1872, when a fire caused a cessation of work. In 1873 a slope was sunk to isolate the fire area. This did not achieve the desired result and in 1875 the area was flooded. The mine thereafter remained idle until the formation of the Dominion Coal Company in 1893. Such records as are available indicate that between 1873 and 1875 the mine produced 59,157 long tons of coal. In 1895 the mine was reopened by the Dominion Coal Company, but the operation was discontinued in 1899. The reason for discontinuing the operation is not clear. During the above period of operation only four parallel slopes were driven between the shore line and the seaward extension of the workings. These were not developed until 1905. It can therefore be presumed that the interval between the sea bottom and the seam was insufficient to permit profitable expansion of the workings in this area. The seam is the topmost seam of coal in the Glace Bay area, and the portion underlying the land which is only one-half a square mile in extent has been worked out. The coal up to 4,000 feet from the shore varied in thickness from 7 to 9 feet. Beyond this horizon the seam splits into two leaves of about 4 feet and 4-1/2 feet. In 1903 the Dominion Coal Company opened up a shaft 120 feet deep in the "Table Head" area to work this seam, the colliery being named Dominion No. 7. Three years later, on December 14th, 1906, a serious fire broke out in the mine. In order to extinguish this fire, it was necessary to tunnel through to the sea at the shore line and flood the workings. The mine was recovered in 1907 and thereafter was worked continuously until 1918 when it was permanently closed and allowed to fill with water. During the life of the colliery, the main slopes were driven a distance of 9,000 feet seaward and the colliery produced a total of 2,174,839 long tons of coal. This includes the 59,157 tons produced between the years 1873 and 1875. Prior to this date there is no reliable record of the coal mined.

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Last Modified: 98-01-05

Authored by: Louis Frost

IMPORTANT
The information contained on this site is not provided for the purpose of factual
representation. Instead, it is provided in an historical context. Every effort has
been made to ensure that this information represents the actual content of the
original document authored by Louis Frost for the Dominion Coal Company
on or around 1962. Nevertheless, no warranties are provided in any respect.

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