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 28 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNeil | John | 1887 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from pillar |
| Tabbot | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Downie | John | 1873 | Cape Breton County | International | Run over by train |
| Snow | John | 1972 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | |
| Williams | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Jackson | John | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| McNaughton | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Murphy | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| Taylor | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Fall with tub in slope |
| McDonald | John | 1950 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of coal |
| Cherpack | John | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Runaway trip; 1 of 3 killed |
| Nairn | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McKinnon | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Killed by falling roof stone while driving |
| Morrison | John | 1947 | Cape Breton County | Greener | Fall of roof |
| McNeil | John | 1927 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Crushed by full boxes of coal |
| Matlock | John | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Neville | john | 1873 | Cape Breton County | International | Crushed by train |
| Wooden | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Greenwood | roof fall |
| Beaver | John | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 25 | Fall of stone; 1 of 2 killed |
| Nolan | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Coal fall in room, died next day |
| Morrison | John | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fatally injured between boxes on slope |
| Sinclair | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Potts | John | 1874 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Rope broke on bucket going down pump shaft |
| Pendergrast | John | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Frye | John | 1914 | Pictou County | Albion | Riding a coal trip that derailed |
| Connors | John | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Run over by motor, died a few hours after |
| Martin | John | 1935 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Merritt | John | 1903 | Inverness | Port Hood | Riding trip coupling broke hurling boxes against roof |
| McDonald | John | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Murphy | John | 1929 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Ralph | John | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| Adams | John | 1888 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| McGilchrist or Gilgrist | John | 1866 | Pictou County | Foster pit | Clothing caught in hoist winding drum |
| Dunn | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Ryan | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed by stone fall at face |
| Murphy | John | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Crushed by runaway box |
| Vicars | John | 1889 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of loose coal, died after 12 days |
| Lund | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Caught between coal box and pillar |
| Crain | John | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| Kroput | John | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone |
| Newman | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Maddison | John | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Patten | John | 1941 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Runaway trip |
| Boutilier | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of roof stone |
| Treige | John | 1945 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Struck by level trip |
| Fitzner | John | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Bentcliffe | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Nearing | John | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| Curry | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |