Queen of the Pacific Explosion, Nanaimo, 1886

The coal was being loaded by chutes, which produced unavoidable dust despite the use of canvas curtains. This, combined with the illumination of open-flame lanterns, created the conditions for the disaster.

The incident was described as a sudden flash of flame like a lightning bolt. Of the 20 men working below decks, 12 sustained severe burns to their heads, backs, chests, and arms. Some, in panic or agony, jumped overboard and were rescued by the ship’s crew before being rushed to the infirmary of Dr. D. Cluness. Teams of horses and wagons were quickly assembled to transport the men to the city hospital.

A survivor described the explosion, caused by a five-ton coal car dumping down the chute, as a dull, heavy thud “like an earthquake”. It was theorized that the rapid descent of coal into the stagnant, dust-impregnated atmosphere between decks caused the dust to ignite from one of the lamps. The Nanaimo Free Press concluded that the explosion was solely caused by the oppressive, stagnant atmosphere, limited ventilation, and the use of ordinary ship lamps. The newspaper also highlighted that similar explosions could occur in flour mills, emphasizing good ventilation as the preventative measure.

Sadly, despite the efforts of four doctors and nine nurses, some of the most severely injured succumbed to their burns and nervous shock. William “Frenchy” Robee was the first to die, followed by James William Kade, Hans Hanson, and August Johnson. Patrick Priestly, George Watch, Henry Jackson, John Macdonald, and James Coffee also later died from their injuries. A Coroner’s Inquiry in October 1886 confirmed that the deaths were “from the effects of burns caused by an explosion of coal dust”. The Queen of the Pacific, seemingly undamaged, sailed for San Francisco with 1,000 tons of coal on July 31, 1886.

The text of this booklet was written by Tom Patterson and reprinted from The Cowichan Valley Citizen, April 7, 2016.