Coal Mining Fatalities
This database contains 2498 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 1 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Polish child, age 2; killed by cars on the surface | |
| Merlin | John G. | 1922 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Caught between pump and upright timber |
| Burkett | "young" | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Ladime | (Bulgarian) Unknown | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Lamby | (Bulgarian) Unknown | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Lambyi | (Bulgarian) Unknown | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Powelle | (Bulgarian) Unknown | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Perris or Paris | A. | 1905 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fell when staging broke in shaft as they were sinking it |
| McGilderick | A. | 1871 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Methane explosion |
| McLellan | A. | 1870 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Run over by loconotive |
| MacKenzie | A. D. | 1890 | Pictou County | Vale | Roof fall in Six-Foot Seam |
| McDonald | A. J. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of coal |
| MacDonald | A. R. | 1911 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Fell in front of a trip of coal |
| McDonald | A. R. | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Ferguson | A.T. | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed by a box |
| LeBlanc | Abbey | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Gallop | Abe | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Barrett | Abe | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Fall of stone |
| Hennessy | Abraham | 1935 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Shot blew back exploding methane and coal dust; 1 of 7 killed |
| Guy | Abraham | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Davidson | Adam | 1908 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell into chute |
| Trente | Adam | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Killed by falling boom |
| Dollimont | Adonis Joseph | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Boone | Adrian | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Found dead on haulageway |
| McIntyre | Adrian | 1950 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Haulage |
| Tighe | Alan | 1979 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Accident at a trip at a landing underground |
| Fraser | Albert | 1890 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Riding on a coal trip which jumped track |
| Weatherbee | Albert | 1937 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Caught between rake and door |
| Moss | Albert | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Rogers | Albert | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Smith | Albert | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Florence, on surface | Burnt at boiler doors, died 7 days later |
| Hall | Albert | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Chipman | Albert | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Coal tank platform tilted, threw man down shaft; 1 of 4 killed being lifted in coal shaft |
| Dorando | Albert | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by runaway box |
| Brown | Albert | 1960 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Vacheresse | Albert | 1932 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| Walzak | Albert | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone from roof in pillar work |
| Wilkowski | Albert | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Taking box off cage, caught between box and rib |
| Cauffery | Albert | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Premature shot |
| Cicchetto | Albert | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Fall of stone |
| White | Albert | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Snow | Albert Joseph | 1936 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Run over by trip |
| Grant | Albert or Arthur | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Moroletto | Albino | 1932 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Blood poisoning (possibly cut underground) |
| McGillivray | Alex | 1871 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Killed in the Foord by gas |
| Rordenan | Alex | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| Degaust | Alex | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Fall of stone |
| McGowen | Alex | 1886 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Dropped dead at face by heart disease |
| Aexter | Alex | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) | Explosion |
| MacLean | Alex | 1867 | Pictou County | unidentified shaft being sunk or Cage pit | Methane explosion |