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 1 of 50 pages (2497 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 |
| Trente | Adam | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Killed by falling boom |
| Davidson | Adam | 1908 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell into chute |
| Dollimont | Adonis Joseph | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| McIntyre | Adrian | 1950 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Haulage |
| Boone | Adrian | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Found dead on haulageway |
| Tighe | Alan | 1979 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Accident at a trip at a landing underground |
| Smith | Albert | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Florence, on surface | Burnt at boiler doors, died 7 days later |
| Moss | Albert | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Hall | Albert | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Rogers | Albert | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| 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 |
| Brown | Albert | 1960 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| 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 |
| Fraser | Albert | 1890 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Riding on a coal trip which jumped track |
| Cicchetto | Albert | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Fall of stone |
| Weatherbee | Albert | 1937 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Caught between rake and door |
| White | Albert | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Walzak | Albert | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone from roof in pillar work |
| Dorando | Albert | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by runaway box |
| Vacheresse | Albert | 1932 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| 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) |
| Nichelson | Alex | 1889 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | |
| McDonad | Alex | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of coal |
| Arseneau | Alex | 1916 | Cumberland | Victoria | Fall of roof |
| Jenson or Jamieson | Alex | 1914 | Pictou County | Albion | Run over by a box |
| LeBlanc | Alex | 1927 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Crushed: 2 runaway boxes hit box he was lifting |
| Caporallo | Alex | 1936 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by trip |