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 23 of 50 pages (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort ascending Year County Mine Cause
Conway John 1868 Cape Breton County Aspe Bay Explosion of powder
Copan John 1947 Pictou County Allan Shaft Caught by a haulage cable
McDonald John 1928 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 24 Fall of coal
McGillivray John 1953 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Haulage
Scully or Soully John 1885 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 Run over by cage
Hahnen John 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Fall of coal
Bennett John 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Mitchell John 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Holvia John 1907 Cape Breton County Caledonia Fall of stone
Capstick John 1960 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Fall of stone
Martin John 1935 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 10 Fall of stone
Paul John 1956 Cape Breton County Tomson Explosives
Nash John 1881 Pictou County Acadia Devastating methane explosion
Matlock John 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone
McInnis John 1872 Pictou County Acadia Fall of coal
MacLean John 1953 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 18 Haulage
Dunbar John 1904 Pictou County Albion Run over by a rake
Murphy John 1915 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Fall of stone
Burbine John 1913 Cumberland Joggins Runaway boxes
Boutilier John 1893 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Firedamp escaped from submerged district; (methane poisoning)
Luckman John 1870 Cape Breton County International Crushed by cage
Thurbid John 1919 Cape Breton County Scotia No. 4 Fall of stone
Crawford John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Ralph John 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
McInnis John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Wilson John 1885 Cumberland Syndicate burned by explosion of powder; 1 of 3 killed
Harroun or Ronan John 1923 Cumberland Springhill No. 7 Coupling cars, killed by moving cars
Riley John 1917 Cape Breton County Florence Fall of stone
Brennick John 1870 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) Run over by wagon
Bowens John 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
McRichey John 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
McDonald John 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 10 Fall of stone
Hudson or Hodgeson John 1883 Cumberland Chignecto Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed)
Boutilier John 1922 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone caused by runaway boxes
Dunn John 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
McCuish John 1903 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of stone from roof
Savage John 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Carr John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Hickey John 1936 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of stone
Connorton John 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Green John 1871 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) Fall off bridge
Patten John 1941 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 11 Runaway trip
McMillan John 1903 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Jammed between roof and box
Burrows John 1883 Cumberland Chignecto Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed)
McDonald John 1903 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Caught between cage and pulleys
Campbell John 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
McInnis John 1908 Cape Breton County International Fall of stone
Mazur John 1931 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of Coal
Nicholson John 1881 Pictou County Vale Caught between moving rake & door
McLean John 1937 Inverness Inverness Struck by trip or rope

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