Coal Mining Fatalities
This database contains 2497 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 (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fletcher | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by fracture of brake bolt |
| Layton | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Injured while riding trip |
| Milburn | William | 1895 or 1896 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 slope | Thrown from cage |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Mintis | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Frew | William | 1906 | Pictou County | English Slopes (abandoned) | Methane exploded when boy lit match while playing near old slope opening; 1 of 2 killed |
| Oliver | William | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by trip |
| MacIntosh | William | 1899 | Pictou County | Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) | Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist |
| Horne or Horone | William | 1895 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall from roof |
| Penny | William | 1928 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| Mirtan | William | 1872 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Powder explosion |
| Hendricken | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Crushed by coal tubs |
| Reid | William | 1929 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later |
| Turnbull | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Peters | William | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Killed by main drive-chain on bank, on surface |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Wilkie | William | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| MacLeod | William | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |
| White | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Ludlow | William | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Haulage |
| O'Brien | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| McCallum | William | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Went over surface dump with car |
| Ferguson | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Draegerman; carbon monoxide post explosion |
| 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 |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| 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 |
| Seward | Wilfred | 1961 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| Theriault | Wilfred | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Killed by shot blowing through pillar |
| White | Wilfred | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Atwood | Wilfred | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer |
| Hayman | Wilbert | 1921 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| Hunter | Whylie or Wylie | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Hunter | Wesley | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Thorne | Wesley | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| 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 |
| Raeshore | Wayne | 1982 | Cape Breton County | Prince | |
| Mills | Wayne | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |