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 1 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
Surname |
Given Name(s) | Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ackles | Charles | 1909 | Cumberland | Jubilee, River Hebert | Killed by runaway box |
| Adair | Robert | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or No. 4 | Explosion of methane |
| Adams | John | 1888 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| Adamson | Clare or Carl | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Coal tank platform tilted, threw man down shaft; 1 of 4 killed being lifted in coal shaft |
| Adderly | Thomas Jr | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Adey | Benjamin | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 and No. 9 Surface plant | Boiler explosion; 1 of 3 or 4 killed |
| Admino | Athmis | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal |
| Aexter | Alex | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) | Explosion |
| Aird | Finlay | 1907 | Inverness | Inverness | Fell from riding rake on main slope |
| Alderson or Anderson | Ephriam | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Aldrid | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fatally injured while riding in empty trip |
| Alexander | Gust | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal off rib |
| Allen | James | 1961 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Electrical |
| Allen | Fidele | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Allen | Frank | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Allen | Arthur J. | 1951 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| Alt | Herman | 1928 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by wood thrown from circular saw (on the surface) |
| Amey | Arthur | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) | Methane explosion and coal dust; 1 of 8 killed |
| Amon | W. | 1921 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 1 | Buried 4 hours under fall, died at home in evening |
| Anderson | Arthur | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill, East Slope No.1 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Anderson | Andrew | 1901 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Killed by fall of roof stone in room |
| Anderson | James R. | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Anderson | Daniel | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| Andreggo | Alexander | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Struck by runaway box |
| Andrews | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| Andrews | Archibald | 1926 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Struck by metal that fell off ascending cage or chuck falling down shaft |
| Andrews | Stanley | 1968 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Natural Causes |
| Andrews | William | 1873 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Angelo | Michael | 1932 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Fall of stone |
| Angelo | Gaeton | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Arkley | Robert | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Hip dislocated by fall, died in hospital after 2 days |
| Armishaw | Herbert | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Massive gas and coal dust explosioni |
| Armishaw | Jesse | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Armishaw | Herbert | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Arsenault | John | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Caught between box and prop |
| Arsenault | Arsene | 1932 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Caught between trip and prop |
| Arseneau | Alex | 1916 | Cumberland | Victoria | Fall of roof |
| Arthrell | Edward | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Ashworth | Richard | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| Aspinall | James | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Assemmather | Fawl | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Assiff | Joseph | 1921 | Inverness | Inverness | Hit by rake on level, died 2 days later |
| Atwood | Wilfred | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer |
| Aucoin | Dan F. | 1957 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Aucoin | William Joseph | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of roof |
| Auld | Angus | 1931 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 3 (Six-Foot) | Fall of stone |
| Aylward | Ralph | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Babb | John | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of stone; 1 of 2 killed |
| Bacarro | Guissippi | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Jammed between trip and door |