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) |
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 |
| Maiden | William J. | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Peach | William J. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Nelson | William J. | 1929 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between boom and car |
| 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 |
| Turner | William H. | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Strong | William H. | 1878 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed on surface |
| Tower | William H. | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired 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 |
| MacDonald | William B. | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Muirhead | William B. | 1912 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Runaway empty box on Drummond #1 slope; 1 of 2 killed |
| Cameron | William Archibald | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Caught by revolving wheel on main driving shaft of screen engine under bankhouse |
| Cope | William A. | 1922 | Cumberland | Victoria | Caught between roof and car on slope, died 30 days later |
| Rushton | William A. | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| MacDonald or Greenwood | William A. | 1933 | Pictou County | Milford | Fall of stone |
| McGillvary | William 2nd | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Dixon | William | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, Sydney Mines | Runaway trip |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| Lewis | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Reid | William | 1929 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later |
| Carroll | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Jammed between coal hoppers at surface |
| Mirtan | William | 1872 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Powder explosion |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| Whiteway | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope; died from burns 3 days later |
| McNamara | William | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| Gillespie | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between box at 4700 bottom |
| Aldrid | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fatally injured while riding in empty trip |
| Hyde | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |