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 34 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
Surname |
Given Name(s)![]() |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
McKinnon | Laughlin | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
Morrison | Laughlin | 1880 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
Fitzgerald | Laurence | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone from roof |
McDonald | Laurence | 1949 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
McKinnon | Laurence | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Haulage |
James | Laurence Elwyn | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
Moss | Laurie A. | 1950 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
Cameron | Lawrence | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
Farrell | Lawrence | 1956 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Gas asphixiation; 1 of 2 killed |
Long or Lank | Lawrence | 1922 | Cumberland | Minudie #2 | Powder ignited by cartridge explosion, died 14 days later |
Gallant | Lawrence | 1896 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 slope | Runaway in slope |
MacKenzie | Lawrence | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
Dow | Lawrence | 1936 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall off roof |
Reid | Layton | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
Dykens or Daken | Layton A. | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
Guthro | Lazarus | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
McPherson | Lemuel | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
Boudreau or Budro | Lemuel | 1907 | Cumberland | Strathcona | Burnt by gas fire |
McCormack | Lenard | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
Conn | Leo | 1932 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Fall of stone |
White | Leo | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Fall of stone; 1 of 3 killed |
Chiasson | Leo | 1933 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by a trip |
Boozan | Leo | 1963 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
Kuta | Leo | 1941 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Struck by runaway box |
Brown | Leo | 1919 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by a cage in a balance |
Saccary | Leo | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Undetermined |
Blarion | Leon | 1923 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal off face |
Wheatley | Leonard | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
Vickers | Leonard | 1956 | Cape Breton County | Franklin | Fall of stone |
McCormick | Leonard | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
Townsend | Leonard | 1876 | Cumberland | Spring Hill Colliery Mine | Crushed by drum, fall of a gin |
Jeffrey | Leonard | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Explosives |
Budden | Leonard | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone |
MacDonald | Leslie | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
Scott | Leslie | 1935 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from rib |
Nelson | Lester | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
Reid | Lester | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
MacLean | Lester | 1971 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Natural Causes |
Fisher | Lester | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
Thomas | Lewis | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
Power | Lewis | 1985 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Crushed |
McDonald | Lewis | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of stone |
Cathcart | Lionel | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage, surface |
Reese | Lloyd | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
Milton | Logan | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
Weatherbee | Lorne A. | 1942 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Struck by trip |
Johnstone | Louis | 1949 | Pictou County | McBean | Caught by a moving cable in haulage |
Copan | Louis | 1923 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Killed by trip of mine cars |
Bartholemew or Bartholomew | Louis | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
Milo | Louis | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Killed by runaway box |