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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murdock | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Lowe | William | 1839 | Pictou County | Storr pit | Methane explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Snow | William | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Burke | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Cooke | William | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Wright | William | 1933 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Asphixiated by methane gas |
| Power | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Parsons | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Hutchinson | William | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Killed by cage |
| Hyde | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Carmichael | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Blake | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Myers | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| MacKenzie | William | 1903 | Pictou County | Albion | Jumped from moving train in mine yard |
| Fletcher | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by fracture of brake bolt |
| Flemming | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Caught between box and boom |
| 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 |
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Oram | William | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Gillespie | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between box at 4700 bottom |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Campbell | William | 1884 | Pictou County | Albion | Premature explosion of a shot |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |
| Hamilton | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Killed by runaway trip on slope |
| White | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Dunbar | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Ramsay | William | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of roof |
| McCallum | William | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Went over surface dump with car |
| Gadd | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Smith | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Hurley | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Lawson | Tube of boiler burst |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
| Grant | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Newcomb | William | 1911 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Killed by a fall of timber |
| Andrews | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| MacLeod | William | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Large | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Stevenson | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Snow | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Ludlow | William | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Haulage |