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)sort ascending 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

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