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 47 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacLeod | Wellington | 1921 | Pictou County | Albion | Suffocated by methane under coal fall |
| Stephens | Wendall | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion 1A | Caught in conveyor in boiler room |
| Poloski | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Nacas | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Sherider | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Schima or Schimo | Wenzel | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Thorne | Wesley | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Hunter | Wesley | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Hunter | Whylie or Wylie | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Hayman | Wilbert | 1921 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| White | Wilfred | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Seward | Wilfred | 1961 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| Horne | Wilfred | 1942 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Atwood | Wilfred | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer |
| McDonald | Wilfred | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Haulage, surface |
| Theriault | Wilfred | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Killed by shot blowing through pillar |
| Stewart | Wilkie | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Tally boy, age 14; jammed between tub and tipple at pit head |
| Fanning | Willard | 1943 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal from face |
| Carter | Willard | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Hendricken | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Crushed by coal tubs |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
| Stevens | William | 1910 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Explosion |
| Andrews | William | 1873 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| Burke | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| McLellan | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Tracey | William | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by full trip |
| Turnbull | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Wright | William | 1933 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Asphixiated by methane gas |
| Gillespie | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between box at 4700 bottom |
| McLeod | William | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Muller | William | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of top coal at face of pillar |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| McDonald | William | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Fall of coal from face |
| Lowe | William | 1839 | Pictou County | Storr pit | Methane explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Parsons | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |
| White | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Elliott | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| McNamara | William | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| McCallum | William | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Went over surface dump with car |
| Vokey | William | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from face |
| Munsie | William | 1943 | Pictou County | McGregor | Crushed between a box and a steel boom |