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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | John A. | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| McLellan | John A. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| MacIsaac | John A. | 1951 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18A | Haulage |
| 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 |
| Vicars | John | 1889 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of loose coal, died after 12 days |
| Stewart | John | 1936 | Cape Breton County | Colonial | Struck by runaway trip |
| LeBeau | John | 1963 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Maintenance |
| Frye | John | 1914 | Pictou County | Albion | Riding a coal trip that derailed |
| Handrigan | John | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Fall of stone in pillar work; 1 of 2 killed |
| Harroun or Ronan | John | 1923 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 7 | Coupling cars, killed by moving cars |
| Potts | John | 1874 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Rope broke on bucket going down pump shaft |
| McDonald | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed by stone fall at face |
| Gould | John | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Murphy | John | 1929 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Lund | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Caught between coal box and pillar |
| Lee | John | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| Campbell | John | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| McGilchrist or Gilgrist | John | 1866 | Pictou County | Foster pit | Clothing caught in hoist winding drum |
| Campbell | John | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Trip of boxes |
| McMillan | John | 1903 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Jammed between roof and box |
| Blois | John | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Four Star | Fall of stone |
| Gillis | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Livingstone | John | 1904 | Pictou County | Marsh | Jammed between a box and the roof |
| Walton | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Ryan | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McLeod | John | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from pillar |
| Boutilier | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of roof stone |
| Nearing | John | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| Martin | John | 1918 | Cumberland | Jubilee No.2, River Hebert | Runaway mine car |
| McDonald | John | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | John | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Run over by empty trip, died next day |
| Holvia | John | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of stone |
| Boone | John | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by trip; 1 of 2 killed |
| Fraser | John | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Drawing chocks out of a gob |
| Bonar | John | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of stone |
| Doyle | John | 1917 | Cumberland | Kimberly | Fall of stone, died 6 days later |
| Harris | John | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Fall of stone |
| Simpson | John | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Run over by wagons |
| O'Handley | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominon No. 11 | Killed between box and roof |
| MacKay | John | 1953 | Pictou County | McGregor | Haulage accident: thrown from trip |
| Williams | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Burchell | John | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fell down shaft |
| McDonald | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone at head of deep |
| Jobes | John | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of stone |
| Hussey | John | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal and roof |