Coal Mining Fatalities
This database contains 2498 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 8 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nash | Charles | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McNeil | Charles | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Struck by empty runaway train |
| Whidden | Charles | 1931 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Berger | Charles | 1925 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Killed by a trip of boxes |
| Keigan | Charles | 1962 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Haulage |
| Jewell | Charles | 1920 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Cassidy | Charles | 1941 | Pictou County | Albion | Driver, injured on his job, died after; "died of shock" |
| Martell | Charles | 1873 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Crushed by wagons |
| Dye | Charles | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Killed by cars on surface, in colliery yard |
| McKay | Charles | 1913 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Killed by a riding rake |
| Finlayson | Charles | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Struck by trip |
| Davidson | Charles | 1894 | Pictou County | Acadia | Squeezed by a box of timber |
| Ackles | Charles | 1909 | Cumberland | Jubilee, River Hebert | Killed by runaway box |
| Curry | Charles | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Harris | Charles | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Boutilier | Charles | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| Lindsay | Charles | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Miller | Charles | 1949 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Ferguson | Charles | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| McNutt | Charles | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Carmichael | Charles | 1872 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Crushed by machinery |
| Jones | Charles | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone, died 6-7 weeks later |
| Lee | Charles | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Fall of coal |
| Bourgisk | Charles | 1923 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump caused fall of stone in room/bord; 1 of 2 killed |
| Vine | Charles | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of coal |
| Roberts | Charles D. | 1925 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 3 (Six-Foot) | Carpenter; struck by wood thrown from circular saw |
| Gates | Charles E. | 1943 | Cumberland | Strathcona No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Paul | Charles E. | 1953 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 2 killed |
| LeBlanc | Charles F. | 1932 | Cumberland | Maple Leaf No. 4 | Dust and gas explosion; 1 of 5 killed |
| Lyons | Charles F. | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face, died 5 days later |
| Caldwell | Charles J. | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Bump |
| Penny | Charles J. | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of stone |
| Boutilier | Charles Jr. | 1956 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Haulage |
| Stevens | Charles L. | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Purdy | Charles L. | 1903 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of rock |
| Fraser | Charles Robert | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| MacDonald | Charles V. | 1974 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Struck by railway car; or jammed between 2 railway cars |
| Hines | Chesley | 1963 | Cape Breton County | Electrical Dept, DOSCO | Miscellaneous |
| Harrison | Chesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Styles | Clair | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Adamson | Clare or Carl | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Coal tank platform tilted, threw man down shaft; 1 of 4 killed being lifted in coal shaft |
| Carter | Clarence | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McLeod | Clarence | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Boyd | Clarence | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| McGrath | Clarence | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Welch | Clarence | 1953 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2, #1 seam | Killed by haulage |
| White | Clarence | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Williams | Clarie | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of sotne |
| Barcey | Clement | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Jerrold | Clement | 1918 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Struck by empty mine car |