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 1 of 50 pages (2497 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 |
| Tower | William H. | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Strong | William H. | 1878 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed on surface |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Reid | William | 1929 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Mirtan | William | 1872 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Powder explosion |
| Hannaham or Hanrahan | William | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake |
| Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
| Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Parsons | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Stevens | William | 1910 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Explosion |
| Gumatto | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | uncertain if killed; confusing records |