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 2 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
Surname | Given Name(s) | Year | County | Mine | Cause |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Muller | William | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of top coal at face of pillar |
McDonald | William | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Fall of coal from face |
Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |
MacKenzie | William | 1903 | Pictou County | Albion | Jumped from moving train in mine yard |
Cyr | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Run over by an empty box |
Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |
Smith | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
White | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
Munsie | William | 1943 | Pictou County | McGregor | Crushed between a box and a steel boom |
Large | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |
Sampson | William | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Haulage |
McCallum | William | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Went over surface dump with car |
Murdock | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
Cargig | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell on pick handles |
Hurley | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Lawson | Tube of boiler burst |
Jones | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
McLeod | William | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Killed by coal fall while removing coal leg |
Gadd | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
Gumatto | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | uncertain if killed; confusing records |
McKee | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
Carey | William | 1905 | Cape Breton County | New Campbellton | Killed on main slope by the trip |
Roache or Roche | William | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
McNamara | William | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
Stevenson | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
Frew | William | 1906 | Pictou County | English Slopes (abandoned) | Methane exploded when boy lit match while playing near old slope opening; 1 of 2 killed |
Power | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
Snow | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
Cooke | William | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
Oliver | William | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by trip |
Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
Myers | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
Morrison | William | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 8 | Struck by box |
Paterson | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of coal |
Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
Burchill or Birchill | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
Turnbull | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
Snow | William | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
Hamilton | William | 1950 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
Colburn | William | 1910 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |