THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, Nov. 21, 1956 

* Springhill, Nova Scotia mine disaster
* No. 4 colliery - coal dust explosion 

The top of the front page has a banner heading: "5 Killed; 118 Trapped in Mine--Col. 4" with subheads. (see images) Complete with all 42 pages, small binding holes along the spine, small library stamp within masthead, generally in nice condition.

Background: The 1956 Springhill mine disaster stands out as a remarkably rare coal mining catastrophe because the initial explosion occurred at the surface rather than deep underground, creating an extraordinary visual and structural event that devastated the mine's main transport infrastructure. On November 1, 1956, at the No. 4 colliery in Springhill, Nova Scotia, a train of runaway coal cars derailed while ascending the slope, severing a high-voltage power line whose electrical arcing ignited a cloud of airborne coal dust. The resulting blast erupted out of the mine mouth, destroying the surface bankhead, leveling surrounding buildings, and setting the slope on fire—effectively sealing off air and escape routes for the 127 men working over a mile below. Despite the destruction, the disaster triggered a legendary, high-risk rescue operation led by bare-faced mine officials and specialized "draegermen" who fought lethal carbon monoxide levels and collapsed shafts to pull 88 survivors to safety, making it one of the most complex surface-and-subterranean rescue efforts in North American mining history.