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 2 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| Carmichael | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| O'Brien | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Kent | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Fletcher | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by fracture of brake bolt |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Cooke | William | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| MacIntosh | William | 1899 | Pictou County | Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) | Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist |
| Vokey | William | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from face |
| Hutchinson | William | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Killed by cage |
| Hendricken | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Crushed by coal tubs |
| Peters | William | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Killed by main drive-chain on bank, on surface |
| Barnes | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Struck by runaway box |
| Blake | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| McDonald | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by trip |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Holm | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Sumners | William | 1872 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fell down shaft |
| Stevens | William | 1910 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Explosion |
| Campbell | William | 1884 | Pictou County | Albion | Premature explosion of a shot |
| Partner | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Layton | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Injured while riding trip |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Burke | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Dunbar | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
| Cherrie | William | 1905 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | killed at the 2400-foot level |
| Hamilton | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Killed by runaway trip on slope |
| Rodgers | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Wright | William | 1933 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Asphixiated by methane gas |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Lowe | William | 1839 | Pictou County | Storr pit | Methane explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Ramsay | William | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of roof |
| Stevenson | William | 1917 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Struck by prop, died 3 days later |
| Wilkie | William | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Smith | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Henderson | William | 1905 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of coal |
| McLellan | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
| Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
| Jewkes | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Carey | William | 1905 | Cape Breton County | New Campbellton | Killed on main slope by the trip |
| Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |
| White | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Luffman | William | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| MacLeod | William | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |