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)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
MacDonald William J. 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 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
Maiden William J. 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Cottenden William J. 1953 Cumberland Springhill (Cumberland Railway & Coal) Electricity, on surface
Strong William H. 1878 Cumberland Springhill Killed on surface
Tower William H. 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
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
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
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
McGillvary William 2nd 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Collins William 1943 Cape Breton County Princess Crushed under trip
Hall William 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Run over by full box
Jones William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
McKee William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Hurley William 1913 Cumberland Lawson Tube of boiler burst
Power William 1920 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of coal
Stevenson William 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Cooke William 1979 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed
Cann William 1942 Cape Breton County Princess Struck by trip
Myers William 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Sampson William 1953 Cape Breton County Florence Haulage
Forrest William 1944 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of stone
Hamilton William 1950 Pictou County Albion Fall of coal

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