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 10 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKinnon | Rod #1 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Frampton | Rod | 1939 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Run over by a loaded box |
| Campbell | Rod | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominon No. 11 | Fall of stone |
| McKinnon | Rod | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Kennedy | Rod | 1890 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck by a rake |
| McIntyre | Rod | 1945 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of stone |
| Macmillan | Rod | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Fall of stone |
| Reddick | Robert, Sr. | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Killed while mining, a shot blew down on him |
| Doyle | Robert Steven | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Russell | Robert M. | 1879 | Pictou County | Acadia | Collapse of coal storage structure |
| McAloney | Robert L. | 1920 | Cumberland | Maple Leaf | Struck by runaway box, died 6 days later |
| MacDonald | Robert C. | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Fall of stone |
| Sherlock | Robert A. | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McNutt | Robert | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Parr | Robert | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed: fell back in shaft from surface |
| Dunbar | Robert | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Bigney | Robert | 1881 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 | Rope broke on cage |
| Winton | Robert | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Fraser | Robert | 1909 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall of roof coal; bled to death from injuries |
| Harvey | Robert | 1867 | Pictou County | Cage pit | Gas suffocation |
| MacLeod | Robert | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Reid | Robert | 1868 | Pictou County | Acadia | Fall of earth on surface; working on rail line |
| Gilliam | Robert | date unknown | Inverness | Inverness | cause not recorded |
| Ross | Robert | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Donnelly | Robert | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Robertson | Robert | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Walked in under cage |
| Adair | Robert | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or No. 4 | Explosion of methane |
| Collin | Robert | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Fall of stone |
| Clark or Clarke | Robert | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Dunlap | Robert | 1928 | Colchester | Kempton or Riversdale | Fell off tub in shaft |
| Simpson | Robert | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Fall of coal while drawing pillar |
| Cunningham | Robert | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Palmer | Robert | 1869 | Pictou County | Marsh Colliery (not Marsh mine) | Fall down shaft |
| McFadden | Robert | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Robinson | Robert | 1903 | Pictou County | Albion | Fell under rail car which passed over him |
| Arkley | Robert | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Hip dislocated by fall, died in hospital after 2 days |
| Muir | Robert | 1921 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| Baxter | Robert | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Fall of stone |
| Davidson | Robert | 1949 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Hutcheson | Robert | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Butt | Robert | 1909 | Cape Breton County | MacKay | Fall of stone |
| Clarke | Robert | 1907 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Killed at fire doors by a full trip being pulled through the bank head by an over-wind |
| Davidson | Robert | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Clarke | Robert | 1908 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Full trip pulled through bankhead by windup on main hoist drum |
| Howlett | Robert | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Fall of stone fractured skull |
| Ferguson | Robert | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Haulage |
| McLeod | Robert | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Jenkins | Robert | 1960 | Cape Breton County | Four Star | Surface haulage |
| Wilson | Robert | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Fall of stone |
| Baxter | Robert | 1966 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage: Hit by runaway box |