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 9 of 50 pages (2497 entries).

Surname Given Name(s) Year Countysort descending Mine Cause
McNeil Roderick 1878 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed
MacKinnon Neil 1888 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Run over by trip
McCormick Vin 1893 Cape Breton County International Fall of roof coal at face; also recorded as 1894
McKinnon Hector 1896 Cape Breton County Hub Fall of coal from pillar
Martin Donald 1899 Cape Breton County Caledonia Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed
McKinnon John 1900 Cape Breton County Caledonia Killed by falling roof stone while driving
McDonald Daniel 1901 Cape Breton County Caledonia Killed by shot going off while firing squib
Cantfill Arthur 1892 Cape Breton County Victoria; possibly Cumberland Co. Crushed by a runaway box down balance, died 2 days later
McNeil John A. 1903 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Run over by loaded box
McKinnon Mick 1904 Cape Breton County International Fall of stone from roof
Sellars Nich 1905 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of stone from roof
Reddick Robert, Sr. 1906 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Killed while mining, a shot blew down on him
McNeil Roderick 1907 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Struck by empty trip
Dumphy James 1908 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of coal from face
McIntosh Dan 1908 Cape Breton County Sydney & Louisburg Railway (Mine)? Killed by express train, Glace Bay Crossing
Steineff Audrey 1909 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of stone
Ross Curtis 1910 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Live wire
Groves Frank 1911 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Shot blew through on slant containing water, partly driven between main slope, drowned; 1 of 2 killed
Stewart Wilkie 1903 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Tally boy, age 14; jammed between tub and tipple at pit head
McPhee Thomas 1911 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Jammed between box and roof, died a few hours later
Neal John 1911 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines No. 2 (Lloyd's Cove) Struck by runaway box
Foster John A. 1912 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) Fall of stone
McLean Edward 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 15 Fall of stone
Campbell James 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 7 Fall of stone
Leemore Ferdinand 1914 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 15 Fall of stone
Gouthro Servine 1915 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Fall of stone
Ramsay William 1915 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 15 Fall of roof
Campbell M. S. 1916 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of coal
Theriault Wilfred 1916 Cape Breton County Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) Killed by shot blowing through pillar
Collins ingraham 1917 Cape Breton County Florence Fall of stone
Curry Michael 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
McDonald Thomas 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
O'Leary Michael 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Whalen John R. 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
McPherson Moses 1918 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 10 Fall of stone
Spencer George 1920 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 4 Run over by horse and loaded box
Bonner Alexander 1920 Cape Breton County Florence Fall of coal; 1 of 2 killed
Boutilier John 1922 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone caused by runaway boxes
Campbell Ronald 1922 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Struck by horse-hauled mine car
Seldon George 1923 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of stone from roof in room
Pace Alexander W. 1925 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall of stone
McDonald Lewis 1926 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 24 Fall of stone
Penny Charles J. 1927 Cape Breton County Florence Fall of stone
McDougall John J. 1928 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 14 Hit by a small stone
Stephens Wendall 1928 Cape Breton County Dominion 1A Caught in conveyor in boiler room
Gillespie James 1929 Cape Breton County Florence Fall of stone
Snow William 1930 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Struck head on roof when box jumped track
Hussey John 1931 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal and roof
McNeil Neil 1933 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 11 Burned by electricity
Balzoni Pietro 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone

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