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 |
| Sherider | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Poloski | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Nacas | 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 |
| Hunter | Wesley | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Thorne | Wesley | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Hunter | Whylie or Wylie | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Hayman | Wilbert | 1921 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| 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 |
| White | Wilfred | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| McDonald | Wilfred | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Haulage, surface |
| Seward | Wilfred | 1961 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| Horne | Wilfred | 1942 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| 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 |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| McLeod | William | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Killed by coal fall while removing coal leg |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Carey | William | 1905 | Cape Breton County | New Campbellton | Killed on main slope by the trip |
| O'Brien | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Tracey | William | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by full trip |
| Large | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Long | William | 1901 or 1902 | Cumberland | Jubilee, River Hebert | Bankhead under construction fell on him |
| Roache or Roche | William | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Parsons | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| McKee | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Cooke | William | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Oliver | William | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by trip |
| Frew | William | 1906 | Pictou County | English Slopes (abandoned) | Methane exploded when boy lit match while playing near old slope opening; 1 of 2 killed |
| Turnbull | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Snow | William | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Partner | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
| Cherrie | William | 1905 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | killed at the 2400-foot level |
| Burchill or Birchill | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Willis | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of roof stone whilst driving |
| Snow | William | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck head on roof when box jumped track |
| Stevenson | William | 1917 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Struck by prop, died 3 days later |
| Flemming | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Caught between box and boom |