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 4 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| King | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope |
| Power | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| Large | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Gillespie | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between box at 4700 bottom |
| Frew | William | 1906 | Pictou County | English Slopes (abandoned) | Methane exploded when boy lit match while playing near old slope opening; 1 of 2 killed |
| Kelloway | William | 1965 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage: Struck by box |
| McAldine | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | William | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Fall of coal from face |
| Myers | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Whiteway | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope; died from burns 3 days later |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Gumatto | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | uncertain if killed; confusing records |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Carroll | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Jammed between coal hoppers at surface |
| Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
| Aldrid | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fatally injured while riding in empty trip |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Patton | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed) |
| Stentley | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Hachey | William | 1932 | Cumberland | Maple Leaf No. 4 | Dust and gas explosion; 1 of 5 killed |
| Carter | Willard | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Fanning | Willard | 1943 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal from face |
| Stewart | Wilkie | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Tally boy, age 14; jammed between tub and tipple at pit head |
| Seward | Wilfred | 1961 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| McDonald | Wilfred | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Haulage, surface |
| Theriault | Wilfred | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Killed by shot blowing through pillar |
| Atwood | Wilfred | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer |
| White | Wilfred | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Horne | Wilfred | 1942 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Hayman | Wilbert | 1921 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| Hunter | Whylie or Wylie | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Thorne | Wesley | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Hunter | Wesley | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Schima or Schimo | Wenzel | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Sherider | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Poloski | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Nacas | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Stephens | Wendall | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion 1A | Caught in conveyor in boiler room |
| MacLeod | Wellington | 1921 | Pictou County | Albion | Suffocated by methane under coal fall |
| Conway | Wayne Michael | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Mills | Wayne | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Raeshore | Wayne | 1982 | Cape Breton County | Prince |