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 26 of 50 pages (2497 entries).

Surname Given Name(s) Year Countysort descending Mine Cause
Campbell John 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
Semenuk Mike 1940 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
Patten John 1941 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 11 Runaway trip
Cann William 1942 Cape Breton County Princess Struck by trip
Dorando Albert 1943 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Struck by runaway box
Saltys Joseph 1944 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 4 Strick by flying timber from tram
Devison Hector 1946 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Caught between box and stopping
Briggs George 1946 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Bump (more than 2 miles offshore); 1 of 4 killed
Copley Samuel 1948 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Machinery
MacIntosh John J. 1949 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Fall of stone
Marsh Francis 1951 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone
McGillivray John 1953 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Haulage
Perhiniak John 1954 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage
Mouland George 1956 Cape Breton County Florence Fall
MacPhail Clinton 1957 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Haulage
Salon John 1959 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 18 Haulage
Hudson Alfred 1960 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Falling chuck blocks
Keigan Charles 1962 Cape Breton County Princess Haulage
Oliver Joseph 1965 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Fall of stone; 1 of 2 killed
Warren Henry 1968 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage
Mombourquette Alphonse 1971 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 12 Natural Causes
Roberts Michael 1979 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed
Kerr Ross 1983 Cape Breton County Prince Electrocuted
Gillis Hugh 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Hale Samuel 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Hawes John 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Howatt Timothy 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Johnson Peter 1957 Pictou County McBean Fall of coal
Kingou James 1873 Pictou County Acadia Fall of coal
Leshambre Pierre 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Lyall Matthew 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
MacDonald or Greenwood William A. 1933 Pictou County Milford Fall of stone
MacKenzie Frank 1909 Pictou County Albion Killed on balance by runaway box
MacLeod James 1903 Pictou County Acadia Died 15 February
Martin George 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
McDonald Colin 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
McInnis John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
McLellan James 1884 Pictou County Albion Struck by a rake
McRae Duncan 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Muir Robert 1921 Pictou County Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) Fall of stone
Nearing Joseph 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Pembroke Michael 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Rector Ruben 1932 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of coal
Rogers Thomas 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Sampler Samuel Jr. 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Smillie Thomas 1941 Pictou County Allan Shaft Struck by a haulage rope
Stewart Alexander 1918 Pictou County Albion (Purvis slope) Coal box fell to the ground
Tomshaniski Samuel 1934 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of stone or coal from the roof
Wheatley Leonard 1952 Pictou County McGregor Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed
Zomoskie Peter 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion

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