Another talk about my early days in Nanaimo and the old Douglas Mine

Audio recording and transcript of Elmer Blackstaff's 1979 interview for the Coal Tyee History Project. Blackstaff shares his recollections about coal mining, particularly about mines near Nanaimo's downtown core. He describes how waste rock was removed from the mine and used to fill in Nanaimo's downtown, and how there were often flooding issues in the area. He goes into great detail explaining the different machinery used in the Number 1 Esplanade Mine, including: boilers, hoists, fans, and the cage and electricity systems. He also talks about how the Number 1 and the Protection Island Mine operated together and about how the Oscar explosion damaged the Protection Island Mine pithead and wharves.