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 3 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Colburn | William | 1910 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Muller | William | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of top coal at face of pillar |
| McCallum | William | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Went over surface dump with car |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Large | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| McLeod | William | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Hurley | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Lawson | Tube of boiler burst |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Gumatto | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | uncertain if killed; confusing records |
| Gadd | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Hyde | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Carmichael | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Kent | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Fletcher | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by fracture of brake bolt |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Munsie | William | 1943 | Pictou County | McGregor | Crushed between a box and a steel boom |
| Snow | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Cargig | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell on pick handles |
| Murdock | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Paterson | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of coal |
| Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
| Morrison | William | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 8 | Struck by box |
| Smith | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |
| Power | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Cooke | William | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Hachey | William | 1932 | Cumberland | Maple Leaf No. 4 | Dust and gas explosion; 1 of 5 killed |
| Willis | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of roof stone whilst driving |
| Snow | William | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck head on roof when box jumped track |
| Jewkes | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Patton | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed) |
| Stentley | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| McLeod | William | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Killed by coal fall while removing coal leg |
| Kendell | William | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Myers | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Walsh | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Carey | William | 1905 | Cape Breton County | New Campbellton | Killed on main slope by the trip |
| Hamilton | William | 1950 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Stevenson | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Hall | William | 1918 | Cumberland | Joggins | Fall of stone, died 14 hours later |
| Andrews | William | 1873 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |