Coal Mining Fatalities

This database contains 2497 known Nova Scotia coal mining fatalities. Names, dates, places, mines, and causes of death have been painstakingly compiled. Despite this, it is by no means a complete list. Fatalities occurred before records were kept; descriptions of incidents and those involved were lost along with coal company records. Official recording of multiple deaths may have missed some names; in some cases, names are misspelled. However, this is likely the most complete list that exists. Please contact us if you know names to add.

Displaying page 13 of 50 pages (2497 entries).

Surname Given Name(s) Year Countysort descending Mine Cause
Blinkhorn Arthur 1924 Cape Breton County Florence Fall of coal
McInnes Michael 1926 Cape Breton County Dominon No. 11 Trip of boxes left rails
Cameron Fred 1927 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Run over by trip
MacDougall John 1927 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of roof, died almost 6 months later
Greene Mark 1928 Cape Breton County Colonial No. 1 Methane explosion
Holland Alexander 1929 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
Moro Tino 1930 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 14 Fall of coal
Ross Frank 1931 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of stone
Stanislaw Edward 1933 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 4 Fall of coal
Wheelicker George 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall from roof
Vokey William 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Loose coal from face
Caporallo Alex 1936 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Struck by trip
Doucett Patrick 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Hit by trip
Fraser John 1938 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Drawing chocks out of a gob
Brown Daniel 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
McDonald John 1939 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone
MacIntyre Dan 1941 Cape Breton County Princess Undetermined
Boone John 1942 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Struck by trip; 1 of 2 killed
Whalen Emmanuel 1943 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Tally boy; Crushed between box and loader (likely on surface)
Gillis Henry 1943 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Crushed between trip and rubbing rail
Oliver William 1944 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Struck by trip
Luscombe Edmund Clarence 1945 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Caught between box and timber
Peddle Arthur 1946 Cape Breton County Princess Haulage
Ransome James H. 1949 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone
Doboi Andrew 1950 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall of stone
Blake William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
O'Handley Malcolm 1954 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Gas asphixiation; 1 of 2 killed
Roach John 1955 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone
Young John A. 1956 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of timber
Martel James 1958 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Construction
McLean Wilmont 1959 Cape Breton County Princess Haulage
Boutilier Ben 1960 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Fall of stone
Boozan Leo 1963 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage
MacLean John J. 1966 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage: Hit by an empty trip
Stoker Matthew 1968 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Natural Causes
Matheson James E. 1971 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Haulage: Struck by a trip of material
Sharpe Clifford 1979 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed
Gallant Sheldon 1988 Cape Breton County Lingan Hit on head
Timmons John 1867 Cape Breton County Collins Fall of coal; 1 of 2 killed
McLean Angus 1872 Cape Breton County Gowrie Run over by wagon
Sumners William 1872 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) Fell down shaft
Nichelson Alex 1889 Cape Breton County Victoria
McDonald John 1892 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of loose coal from face of room
McLean Hector 1895 Cape Breton County Gowrie Fell under coal car on surface railroad
McIntosh Dan 1898 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Fell under trip trying to get on for a ride
Morrison John 1899 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Fall of coal whilst holing in pillar
Jacobs James 1900 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of coal while loading in room
Moncusco Angelo 1902 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Killed by full tub on main haulage road
Keehn Emile 1903 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Run over by loaded box
Ryan John 1904 Cape Breton County Caledonia Fall of stone from roof

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