On the Drilling Crew
![A group of 9 young men huddle together in their work clothes and hats](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/beachville-limestone-quarries_carrieres-calcaire/wp-content/uploads/sites/137/2022/01/Pullen-Drilling-Crew-Sized-1.jpeg)
Circa 1920
Source: Beachville District Museum collection – 1995.20.05
When preparing to blast the selected section of the wall, drilling teams create holes vertically through the stone, starting a deliberate distance away from the wall’s edge. Each step is thoroughly planned to ensure that the resulting explosion breaks the wall into manageable pieces. Once the holes are drilled, they are loaded with dynamite. They are also equipped with delayed-action blasting caps and detonation devices. This setup causes the explosives within the holes along the wall to go off one after another in a quick sequence.
The image above depicts Stan Pullen’s (a former driller) drilling crew.