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 The Monarch Mine had
leased 3,500 acres but only mined 2,080 acres. In 1921 the
authorized capital was $1,000,000.00. At that time the mine
manager was B. DeHart. The entrance to the mine was by shaft
where the Number 1 seam was mined. The elevation at the mine
entrance was 2,275 feet and was located on the road allowance
between Sec. 7 and 8. The system of mining was the triple entry
with room and pillar. In 1921 compressed air cutting machines of
the Puncher type were being used which yielded a yearly capacity
of 300,000 tonnes. The top of Number 1 seam is 173 feet from the
surface. The distance between Number 1 seam and Number 5 seam is
47 feet 6 inches. The Number 1 seam is 8-1/2 feet thick with a
trace of bentonite and bone.
 On Monday June 18, 1934
an explosion took place in the Thomas Mine that killed Alex
McLeod, fire-boss, and Hugh McDonald, miner. Ivor Jones, the
pit-boss died in a rescue attempt. Jones was furthest from the
scene of the tragedy when it occurred but valiantly attempted to
save the others, resulting in sacrificing his own life. Twice he
attempted to reach the fallen men and twice was overcome with
the poisonous fumes and was dragged back 300 feet to safety.
Jones persisted again and went in the third time, never to
return. The findings of the jury put the sole blame on a
electrical switch which had ignited the methane gas present
which hurled the fireboss, Alex McLeod 80 feet to his instant
death. The miner, Hugh McDonald met his death by flying debris
and being overcome by carbon monoxide fumes. Ivor Jones was also
overcome by monoxide fumes.
This article is extracted from Ernest
Hlady, The Valley of the Dinosaurs : Its Families and Coal
Mines (East Coulee, Alberta, East Coulee Community
Association, 1988). The Heritage Community Foundation and the
Year of the Coal Miner Consortium would like to thank Ernest
Hlady and the East Coulee Community Association for permission
to reprint this material.
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Heritage Community Foundation Presents
 mine No. 1573 lower tipple. Notice the ramp the trucks drive up on to dump the coal into a hopper where a conveyor takes it to the boxcar loader. There is an elevated conveyor to the right that empties into any of the three coal bins. Up above is the rock dump of the Atlas mine No. 1484.',1))
 and Sid McMullen of the Midland mine joined forces and formed a new company now called Amalgamated Coal Ltd. This scene is now the lower tipple of the Amalgamated coal mine as it appeared in 1961. The truck ramp for dumping is in lower right where the coal is taken to a screening area where some sizes go to the left to the three metal coal bins for the different sizes while the "slack coal" is taken to the right metal bin. Above this is the Atlas mine storage area for empty boxcars. I notice that the Empire mine tipple has now been torn down from its location on the far valley wall on the top right of the photo.',1))
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