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 22 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacNeil | John A. | 1963 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Haulage |
| MacNeil | John A. | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| McLellan | John A. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| McKinnon | John 1st | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Morrison | John #2 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John #2 | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Morrison | John #1 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John #1 | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Tighe | John (boy) | 1966 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 17 (old Victoria) | Methane inhalation; 1 of 2 cousins who went down old slope |
| Crawford | john | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Ellis | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Brennick | John | 1870 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Run over by wagon |
| McLeod | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| MacKay | John | 1953 | Pictou County | McGregor | Haulage accident: thrown from trip |
| McMillan | John | 1903 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Jammed between roof and box |
| MacDougall | John | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of roof, died almost 6 months later |
| McEachern | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Curran | John | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face of room |
| Lee | John | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| Mailman | John | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Williams | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Emery | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Green | John | 1871 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fall off bridge |
| Handrigan | John | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Fall of stone in pillar work; 1 of 2 killed |
| O'Handley | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominon No. 11 | Killed between box and roof |
| Matlock | John | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Manning | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Martin | John | 1935 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Holvia | John | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of stone |
| Capstick | John | 1960 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Fall of stone |
| Ralph | John | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| McNeil | John | 1927 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Crushed by full boxes of coal |
| Campbell | John | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Trip of boxes |
| Bennett | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Nairn | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Rose | John | 1949 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of stone |
| McGillivray | John | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Haulage |
| Merritt | John | 1903 | Inverness | Port Hood | Riding trip coupling broke hurling boxes against roof |
| McNaughton | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Finlayson | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal, died 15 days later |
| Dunn | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Hahnen | John | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Fall of coal |
| Adams | John | 1888 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| Martin | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Piece of coal from roof |
| Patten | John | 1941 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Runaway trip |
| MacLean | John | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Haulage |
| McDonald | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone at face of room |
| Potts | John | 1874 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Rope broke on bucket going down pump shaft |
| Paul | John | 1956 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosives |
| Frye | John | 1914 | Pictou County | Albion | Riding a coal trip that derailed |