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 7 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald | Thomas | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Gaskill | Thomas | 1924 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Barclay | Thomas | 1932 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 3 (Six-Foot) | Fall of coal |
| Fletcher | Thomas | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Zusic or Zusie | Thomas | 1933 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Gabriel | Thomas | 1949 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump |
| Jones | Thomas | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Wilson | Thomas | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Ryan | Thomas | 1885 | Pictou County | Vale | Devastating methane explosion |
| White | Thomas | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Fall of stone |
| Browner | Thomas | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Mine machinery |
| Jennings | Thomas | 1915 | Cumberland | Joggins | Fall of stone |
| Brown | Thomas | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone |
| Hallet | Thomas | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McLeod | Thomas | 1867 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Fall of stone |
| Glenwright | Thomas | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Howie | Thomas | 1964 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| Dean | Thomas | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Fall of stone |
| Brown | Thomas | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Lyons | Thomas | 1949 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of stone |
| Gaskin | Thomas | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| McKay | Thomas | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Campbell | Thomas | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Milley | Thomas | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Crummey or Crominey | Thomas | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Johnstone | Thomas | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Murphy | Thomas | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Bell | Thomas | 1953 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2, #1 seam | Killed by haulage |
| Kelly | Thomas | 1984 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Heart Attack |
| Marshall | Thomas | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Connors | Thomas | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Tower | Thomas | 1885 | Cumberland | Syndicate | burned by explosion of powder; 1 of 3 killed |
| Rogers | Thomas | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Durham | Thomas | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Sullivan | Thomas | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Hamilton | Thomas | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Blackwood | Thomas | 1914 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Carbon monoxide after devastating explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| McLeod | Thomas | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal and stone |
| Ross | Thomas | 1953 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Hart | Thomas | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Carpenter | Thomas | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| O'Toole | Terrance | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Franklin | Crushed between box and timber |
| Laderie | Sylvia | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Boutilier | Sydney | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Co. on Lease 3 | Explosion at Crop pit |
| Melnick | Steve | 1948 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Haulage |
| Porter | Sterling | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Lilley | Stephen Paul | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Rushton | Stephen | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McDougald | Stephen | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion Coal Company shaft | Stone fell from wall |
| Cronius | Stephen | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Fall of roof |