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 1 of 50 pages (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort ascending Year County Mine Cause
Wadystan Wyercbick 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Mitetski Woosyl 1916 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of coal
Dickson Wlliam 1927 Cumberland Springhill No. 7 Struck by rake
Sample Winton 1952 Pictou County McGregor Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed
Beaton Wilson 1943 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 25 Drowned; 1 of 2 killed
O'Connor Wilmot 1939 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of coal
McLean Wilmont 1959 Cape Breton County Princess Haulage
Bates Willis 1957 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Haulage
Deveau Willie V. 1966 Inverness Evans Mine Killed by haulage
Marshall Willian 1900 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Caught between cage and roof
Reid William S. 1923 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Bump caused fall of coal
Terris William R. 1952 Pictou County McGregor Killed by haulage
Cunningham William M. 1897 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Fall of rock on mail level
Cochrane William L. 1946 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Killed by mine machinery
Fraser William K. 1898 Cumberland Springhill Surface Cause not recorded
Aucoin William Joseph 1946 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of roof
Mitchell William James 1925 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Killed by trip of boxes; 1 of 2 killed
Nelson William J. 1929 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Caught between boom and car
Peach William J. 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Cottenden William J. 1953 Cumberland Springhill (Cumberland Railway & Coal) Electricity, on surface
MacDonald William J. 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
Maiden William J. 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Tower William H. 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
Strong William H. 1878 Cumberland Springhill Killed on surface
Turner William H. 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Canning William G. 1952 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Found dead in mine
Robbins William F. 1921 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of stone
Ross William D. 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Campbell William C. 1926 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 14 Trip of boxes
Downs William B. 1910 Pictou County Albion Scalded or burned, causes unknown; a machinist making repairs
Muirhead William B. 1912 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Runaway empty box on Drummond #1 slope; 1 of 2 killed
MacDonald William B. 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
Cameron William Archibald 1912 Pictou County Allan Shaft Caught by revolving wheel on main driving shaft of screen engine under bankhouse
MacDonald or Greenwood William A. 1933 Pictou County Milford Fall of stone
Rushton William A. 1944 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of coal
Cope William A. 1922 Cumberland Victoria Caught between roof and car on slope, died 30 days later
McGillvary William 2nd 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Burke William 1866 Cape Breton County Caledonia Fall of picks in shaft
McDonald William 1887 Cumberland Springhill Fall of coal from face
Cyr William 1920 Pictou County Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) Run over by an empty box
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
Whittle William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of stone
McLutchy William 1890 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later
Gumatto William 1912 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 uncertain if killed; confusing records
Munsie William 1943 Pictou County McGregor Crushed between a box and a steel boom
MacKenzie William 1903 Pictou County Albion Jumped from moving train in mine yard
Murdock William 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Turnbull William 1873 Pictou County Vale Under a falling derrick
White William 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed

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