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 16 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
Surname |
Given Name(s)![]() |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matheson | Fred | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
Pettipas | Fred | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of top coal |
Rockett | Fred | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
Gillis | Fred | 1968 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Haulage: Caught by box on 25E main level and squeezed against low side of wall |
Lanswood | Fred | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Run over by full boxes on slope |
Mitchell | Fred | 1957 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Fall of stone |
Lynk | Fred | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Haulage |
Knobi | Fred | 1916 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of coal, died next day |
Cameron | Fred | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Run over by trip |
Saunders | Fred | 1944 | Pictou County | Drummond (Intercolonial) No. 2 Scott slope | Fall of coal |
Nicholson | Fred | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
Keating | Fred | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage |
Elkin | Fred | 1906 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by trolleys on surface |
McNeil | Fred | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of loose coal |
Young | Fred | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of coal |
Ward | Fred | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone, died next day |
Schwinghammer or Swinghammer | Fred | 1929 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 7 | Fall of stone |
Boutilier | Fred | 1949 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of stone |
Livingstone | Fred C. | 1957 | Pictou County | Greenwood No. 2 | Hit by a runaway coal box |
Tabor | Fred E. | 1938 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
Light | Fred J. | 1948 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Killed by haulage |
Gower | Frederick | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Beaver | Fall of stone |
Crocker | Frederick | 1884 | Cumberland | Springhill | Crushed between water box and timber |
Dillon | Frederick | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
McKenzie | Frederick A. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
Burke | Frederick John | 1957 | Cumberland | Bayview | Fall of stone |
Swarttzack | Freeman | 1968 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 20 | Natural Causes |
Wadden | Freeman | 1951 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of stone |
Clements | Freeman | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of coal |
Stevens | Freeman | 1942 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Struck by rake |
Girdinetti | G. | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal from face |
Eveleigh | G. Hector William | 1941 | Cape Breton County | Indian Cove Coal Company | Explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
Caverzan | Gaetano | 1945 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Haulage |
Angelo | Gaeton | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
Murray | Garfield | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of coal |
Flinn or Flynn | Garnett | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Fall of coal |
Meulders | Gaspar | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of roof |
Briggs | George | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Bump (more than 2 miles offshore); 1 of 4 killed |
Mouland | George | 1956 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall |
Chapman | George | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
Christopher | George | 1879 | Pictou County | Vale | Rope broke while on loaded tubs |
Roman | George | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by box |
Burney | George | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
Butt | George | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
Thistle | George | 1901 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed by runaway wagon from pit bottom |
Newman | George | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 | Struck by boom moved by coal scoop |
Wilson | George | 1935 | Pictou County | Drummond (Intercolonial) No. 2 Scott slope | Fall of coal |
Sawyer | George | 1908 or 1909 | Cumberland | Joggins | Suffocated by smoke |
McWhirter | George | 1935 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
Young | George | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Colonial No. 1 | Fall of stone |