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 27 of 50 pages (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort descending Year County Mine Cause
Finlayson John 1894 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of coal, died 15 days later
Murphy John 1915 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Fall of stone
Williams John 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Martin John 1935 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 10 Fall of stone
Cameron John 1962 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Haulage
Ralph John 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
Martin John 1894 Cape Breton County Reserve Piece of coal from roof
McLaughlin John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Seward John 1967 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage: Run over by empty trip
Hahnen John 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Fall of coal
Munroe John 1907 Cape Breton County Emery Mine Fall of stone
Nairn John 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
McLean John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Pendergrast John 1928 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of stone
McDonald John 1899 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of stone at face of room
Fraser John 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Wilsack John 1949 Pictou County McGregor Fall of coal
Copan John 1947 Pictou County Allan Shaft Caught by a haulage cable
Scully or Soully John 1885 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 Run over by cage
Tabbot John 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Bigley John 1919 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 9 Killed by fall of stone
McDonald John 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 10 Fall of stone
Hawes John 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
MacEachern John 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Dunbar John 1904 Pictou County Albion Run over by a rake
Murphy John 1928 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Crushed by runaway box
Taylor John 1873 Pictou County Vale Fall with tub in slope
George John 1919 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of stone
Campbell John 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
Morrison John 1899 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Fall of coal whilst holing in pillar
Salon John 1959 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 18 Haulage
Hickey John 1936 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of stone
Patten John 1941 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 11 Runaway trip
Sinclair or St. Clair John 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
MacEachern John 1935 Pictou County Allan Shaft Shot blew back exploding methane and coal dust; 1 of 7 killed; asphixiation by carbon monoxide
McDonald John 1943 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone
Davidson John 1895 Cape Breton County Hub Fell from stage down shaft; 1 of 2 killed
Cameron John 1921 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal from face
Rose John 1949 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall of stone
Crawford John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Kroput John 1914 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of stone
Wilson John 1885 Cumberland Syndicate burned by explosion of powder; 1 of 3 killed
LeBeau John 1963 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Maintenance
Bowens John 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
McGillivray John 1953 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Haulage
McDonald John 1928 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 24 Fall of coal
MacMaster John 1925 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of coal from roof of a pillar; 1 of 2 killed
Wooden John 1918 Pictou County Greenwood roof fall
Stewart John 1936 Cape Breton County Colonial Struck by runaway trip
Fergusson John 1887 Cape Breton County Gowrie Fall of roof coal

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