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 11 of 50 pages (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort ascending Year County Mine Cause
Reid Robert 1868 Pictou County Acadia Fall of earth on surface; working on rail line
Adair Robert 1921 Cape Breton County Bras d'Or No. 4 Explosion of methane
Dunlap Robert 1928 Colchester Kempton or Riversdale Fell off tub in shaft
Baxter Robert 1969 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Fall of stone
Wilson Robert 1909 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 9 Fall of stone
Ferguson Robenich 1903 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Fall of stone
Ashworth Richard 1907 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
Ellis Richard 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
Dixon Richard 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
Murphy Richard 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Morrison Richard 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
Dawson Richard 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Skinner Richard 1925 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall of stone
Lawlor Richard 1914 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Runaway box
Piggot Richard 1917 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of coal
Costigan Richard 1892 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 Struck by timber lowered down slope
Butts Richard 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
White Richard 1962 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage
Miller Richard 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Clark Richard 1935 Pictou County Allan Shaft Shot blew back exploding methane and coal dust; 1 of 7 killed
Chase Richard 1918 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 9 Caught between shaft and car
Wynn Richard 1909 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 3 Pick boy; Run over by full box
Fowler Richard 1943 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Crushed while working on screens
Gardiner Richard 1950 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Haulage
Jewer Rich. 1915 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Shunter, killed by car on surface
Penny Reuben 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Drolet Remi Joseph 1992 Pictou County Westray Devastating methane and coal dust explosion
MacNeil Reginald A. 1979 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed
Carter Reed 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Collogani Redolph 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Jammed between boxes
Tabor Raymond 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Gallant Raymond 1928 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Killed by rake
House Randolph Brian 1992 Pictou County Westray Devastating methane and coal dust explosion
McDonald Ranald or Ronald 1911 Inverness Inverness Fall of coal; head crushed
Carter Ralston 1935 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Struck by full car on back slope
Strople Ralph 1907 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
Clarke Ralph 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
Aylward Ralph 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Gilhomes R. D. 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 7 Run over by trip of cars
McEwan R. 1921 Cape Breton County Florence Explosion of methane
Broderick R. 1907 Cape Breton County Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) Struck by runaway box down main slope; 1 of 3 killed
Rocker R. 1906 Cape Breton County International Fall of stone from roof
MacPherson R. 1869 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Crushed by coal tubs
Fraser Preston 1913 Pictou County Vale Fall of coal
Pyke Pleaman 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
Balzoni Pietro 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone
Smeyers Pierre 1925 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall of stone
Leshambre Pierre 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Davidonkow Pichon 1923 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Bump caused fall of stone in room/bord
McBeth or MacBeath Phillip 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion

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