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 49 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reid | William | 1929 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later |
| Blake | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Ramsay | William | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of roof |
| Main | William | 1919 | Cumberland | St. George | Struck by runaway box |
| Lowe | William | 1839 | Pictou County | Storr pit | Methane explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Gadd | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Nicholson | William | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Squeezed between box and pillar |
| Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Ferguson | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Draegerman; carbon monoxide post explosion |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Long | William | 1901 or 1902 | Cumberland | Jubilee, River Hebert | Bankhead under construction fell on him |
| O'Brien | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| 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 |
| MacKenzie | William | 1903 | Pictou County | Albion | Jumped from moving train in mine yard |
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| Cyr | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Run over by an empty box |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| Hyde | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Carmichael | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Snow | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Tracey | William | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by full trip |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Fletcher | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by fracture of brake bolt |
| Smith | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Kent | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |
| Cargig | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell on pick handles |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Jones | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Partner | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Vokey | William | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from face |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Stevenson | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Frew | William | 1906 | Pictou County | English Slopes (abandoned) | Methane exploded when boy lit match while playing near old slope opening; 1 of 2 killed |
| Sumners | William | 1872 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fell down shaft |
| Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Rodgers | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by trip |
| Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Barnes | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Struck by runaway box |
| McLeod | William | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Killed by coal fall while removing coal leg |