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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Layton | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Injured while riding trip |
| Holm | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| MacKenzie | William | 1903 | Pictou County | Albion | Jumped from moving train in mine yard |
| Reid | William | 1929 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later |
| Hall | William | 1918 | Cumberland | Joggins | Fall of stone, died 14 hours later |
| Blake | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Gadd | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Snow | William | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| O'Brien | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Tracey | William | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by full trip |
| Stewart | William | 1874 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Fall of coal |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| Wilkie | William | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Snow | William | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck head on roof when box jumped track |
| McNamara | William | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |
| Snow | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Main | William | 1919 | Cumberland | St. George | Struck by runaway box |
| Cargig | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell on pick handles |
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| Campbell | William | 1884 | Pictou County | Albion | Premature explosion of a shot |
| Kendell | William | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| Flemming | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Caught between box and boom |
| McDonald | William | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Fall of coal from face |
| Luffman | William | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Jewkes | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Dunbar | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Long | William | 1901 or 1902 | Cumberland | Jubilee, River Hebert | Bankhead under construction fell on him |
| Nicholson | William | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Squeezed between box and pillar |
| Partner | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Hamilton | William | 1950 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| McKee | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |
| Rodgers | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Cooke | William | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Grant | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Sumners | William | 1872 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fell down shaft |
| Hannaham or Hanrahan | William | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake |
| Andrews | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| Sampson | William | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Haulage |
| Gillespie | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between box at 4700 bottom |