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 26 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaughlin | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Wilkes | John | 1902 | Pictou County | Marsh | Dynamite explosion in office; frozen sticks put near heat to thaw; 1 of 3 killed |
| Crawford | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Davidson | John | 1895 | Cape Breton County | Hub | Fell from stage down shaft; 1 of 2 killed |
| Cormier | John | 1907 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Caught between car and bankhead |
| Bowens | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Manning | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Fergusson | John | 1887 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of roof coal |
| McLean | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Gould | John | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Dunn | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Thurbid | John | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Scotia No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| McNeil | John | 1887 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from pillar |
| D'Orsay | John | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Overwind man-shaft cage; 1of 2 killed |
| Milley | John | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Struck and run over by rake on main slope |
| Downie | John | 1873 | Cape Breton County | International | Run over by train |
| Riley | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of stone |
| Martin | John | 1935 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Carr | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Wilsack | John | 1949 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| Matlock | John | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Scully or Soully | John | 1885 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 | Run over by cage |
| Mitchell | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Tabbot | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| McKinnon | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Killed by falling roof stone while driving |
| Munroe | John | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Emery Mine | Fall of stone |
| Ralph | John | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| Boutilier | John | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone caused by runaway boxes |
| Haggart | Joe or James | 1885 | Pictou County | Vale | Devastating methane explosion |
| Prindle | Joe | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face |
| Skinner | Job | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Hoeg | Jesse Havelock | 1959 | Cumberland | Cochran | Fall of stone |
| Armishaw | Jesse | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Murphy | Jeremiah | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Fosse | Jean Baptiste | 1876 | Pictou County | Vale | Fall of coal |
| Wood | Jasper E. or R. | 1919 | Cumberland | St. George | Fell down slope, died 1 day later |
| MacDonald | Jasper | 1926 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by falling timber prop |
| Hamilton | James Y. | 1928 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fell head first while timbering the roof when staging collaped under fall of heavy coal lump |
| Higgins | James William | 1980 | Pictou County | Thorburn Mining Ltd, Stellarton | Fell and struck head, died 4 days later; coal dumps reclamation project |
| Casey | James W. | 1953 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Fraser | James W. | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| McDonald | James T. | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Fall of coal from roof |
| Roach or Roche | James Sr. | 1932 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Miller | James Sr. | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McDonald | James R. | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Anderson | James R. | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Brennan | James P. | 1952 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 2 killed |
| Keiver | James L. | 1924 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| McPherson | James Jr. | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Burke | James J. | 1940 | Cumberland | Victoria | Undetermined |