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 28 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn | James | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Wilson | James | 1902 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fatally injured by full rake of boxes |
| Morris | James | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Gillis | James | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Handrahan | James | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone from roof |
| Johnston | James | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fatally injured by air pipe bursting, died a month later |
| DeGrace | James | 1902 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Cause not recorded |
| Cummings | James | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Caught between cars and rib |
| Mackey or Mackie | James | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Leg broken; caught by cage in balance |
| Conway | James | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Power | James | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal, hung shot |
| McPherson | James | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Struck by falling piece of coal while hauling |
| Wright | James | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Brown | James | 1914 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Carbon monoxide after devastating explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Jessoe | James | 1925 | Cape Breton County | Colonial No. 1 | Fall of stone |
| Clark | James | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| McMullin | James | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Injured while replacing derailed box |
| McEachran or MacEachern | James | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake |
| Bishop | james | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| Campbell | James | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Four Star | Electrical |
| Wilson | James | 1903 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fatally hurt by a full rake of boxes |
| Parsons | James | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Runaway trip; 1 of 3 killed |
| Hocevar | James | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Lammond | James | 1872 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fall of stone |
| Smith | James | 1901 | Pictou County | Vale | Crushed between a box and a rib |
| Kingou | James | 1873 | Pictou County | Acadia | Fall of coal |
| McGrath | James | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Runaway box, accidental death |
| Turner | James | 1880 | Pictou County | Acadia | Fall of coal |
| Lackie or Lackey | James | 1925 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal from roof of a pillar; 1 of 2 killed |
| Jacobs | James | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal while loading in room |
| Aspinall | James | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Nairn | James | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Burton | James | 1915 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| Dalling | James | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Gleason | James | 1892 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fell down shaft while working there |
| Ross | James | 1941 | Cape Breton County | Indian Cove Coal Company | Explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| McDonald | James | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 and No. 9 Surface plant | Boiler explosion; maybe 4th man killed in an explosion or is a separate explosion |
| Maloney | James | 1973 | Cumberland | River Hebert Coal Mine, formerly Cochran | Died of natural causes in mine |
| Chisholm | James | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Christie | James | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Colonial No. 4, engine house | Caught in belt that operates hoist, lived 9 hrs |
| Porter | James | 1914 | Cumberland | Black Diamond | Thawing Samsonite (possibly a powder brand) |
| Lamond | James | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 3 (Florence) | Caught between box and prop |
| MacDonald | James | 1922 | Inverness | bootleg pit | Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed |
| McIsaac | James | 1948 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Haulage |
| Williamson | James | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of coal |
| Spellman | James | 1912 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Runaway empty box on Drummond #1 slope; 1 of 2 killed |
| Laite | James | 1927 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal from face |
| Bradwell | James | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Purvis | James | 1902 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of top coal |
| Edwards | James | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |