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 25 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brennan | James P. | 1952 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 2 killed |
| Anderson | James R. | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| McDonald | James R. | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Miller | James Sr. | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Roach or Roche | James Sr. | 1932 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| McDonald | James T. | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Fall of coal from roof |
| Casey | James W. | 1953 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Fraser | James W. | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| Higgins | James William | 1980 | Pictou County | Thorburn Mining Ltd, Stellarton | Fell and struck head, died 4 days later; coal dumps reclamation project |
| Hamilton | James Y. | 1928 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fell head first while timbering the roof when staging collaped under fall of heavy coal lump |
| MacDonald | Jasper | 1926 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by falling timber prop |
| Wood | Jasper E. or R. | 1919 | Cumberland | St. George | Fell down slope, died 1 day later |
| Fosse | Jean Baptiste | 1876 | Pictou County | Vale | Fall of coal |
| Murphy | Jeremiah | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Armishaw | Jesse | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Hoeg | Jesse Havelock | 1959 | Cumberland | Cochran | Fall of stone |
| Skinner | Job | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Prindle | Joe | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face |
| Haggart | Joe or James | 1885 | Pictou County | Vale | Devastating methane explosion |
| Finlayson | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal, died 15 days later |
| O'Handley | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominon No. 11 | Killed between box and roof |
| Gillis | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Walton | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| George | John | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Pittman | John | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage |
| Potts | John | 1874 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Rope broke on bucket going down pump shaft |
| Martin | John | 1918 | Cumberland | Jubilee No.2, River Hebert | Runaway mine car |
| Doyle | John | 1917 | Cumberland | Kimberly | Fall of stone, died 6 days later |
| Martin | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Piece of coal from roof |
| Maddison | John | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Murphy | John | 1929 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| McGilchrist or Gilgrist | John | 1866 | Pictou County | Foster pit | Clothing caught in hoist winding drum |
| Munroe | John | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Emery Mine | Fall of stone |
| Cameron | John | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face |
| Hussey | John | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal and roof |
| Sinclair or St. Clair | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Ryan | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Babb | John | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of stone; 1 of 2 killed |
| McDonald | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone at face of room |
| Gould | John | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Yakubaski | John | 1940 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fractured ankle, infection and shock, died 27 days later |
| Arsenault | John | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Caught between box and prop |
| Rollins | John | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Hayden | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Burrows | John | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of roof stone on new balance no. 9 |
| Morrison | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of coal whilst holing in pillar |
| Davidson | John | 1895 | Cape Breton County | Hub | Fell from stage down shaft; 1 of 2 killed |
| Hunter | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Mazur | John | 1931 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of Coal |
| Thurbid | John | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Scotia No. 4 | Fall of stone |