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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newcomb | William | 1911 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Killed by a fall of timber |
| Hamilton | William | 1950 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| McDonald | William | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Fall of coal from face |
| Colburn | William | 1910 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
| Mintis | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Hannaham or Hanrahan | William | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake |
| White | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Gumatto | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | uncertain if killed; confusing records |
| Reid | William | 1929 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later |
| Mirtan | William | 1872 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Powder explosion |
| Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |
| McCallum | William | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Went over surface dump with car |
| Peters | William | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Killed by main drive-chain on bank, on surface |
| McKee | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Hurley | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Lawson | Tube of boiler burst |
| O'Brien | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Sampson | William | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Haulage |
| Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
| Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
| Fanning | Willard | 1943 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal from face |
| Carter | Willard | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| 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 |
| Atwood | Wilfred | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer |
| Theriault | Wilfred | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Killed by shot blowing through pillar |
| Horne | Wilfred | 1942 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | Wilfred | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Haulage, surface |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| White | Wilfred | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Seward | Wilfred | 1961 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| Hayman | Wilbert | 1921 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| Hunter | Whylie or Wylie | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Thorne | Wesley | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| 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 |
| Poloski | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Nacas | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Sherider | 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 |