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 2 of 50 pages (2497 entries).

Surnamesort ascending Given Name(s) Year County Mine Cause
Wilson Nelson 1907 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Killed on surface by haulage rope used to convey cars under screens
Wilsack John 1949 Pictou County McGregor Fall of coal
Willis William 1899 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Fall of roof stone whilst driving
Willigher Mark 1927 Cumberland Springhill No. 6 Cause not recorded
Williamson Samuel 1899 Pictou County Albion Chainrunner, struck in neck by snapped chain
Williamson James 1908 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Fall of coal
Williams John 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Williams Frank 1909 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 9 Killed by runaway box
Williams Clarie 1953 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of sotne
Wilkowski Albert 1912 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Taking box off cage, caught between box and rib
Wilkie William 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
Wilkes F. 1905 Pictou County Marsh Powder explosion
Wilkes John 1902 Pictou County Marsh Dynamite explosion in office; frozen sticks put near heat to thaw; 1 of 3 killed
Wilcox Nicholas 1925 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Tally boy; boxes on bankhead
Wierschbizki Vladislow 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Whitty Stephen 1941 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Struck by a trip of coal
Whittle William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of stone
Whiteway William 1903 Cape Breton County Reserve Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope; died from burns 3 days later
White Clarence 1946 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Haulage
White Edward or Elwood 1957 Cumberland Bayview Fall of stone
White Richard 1962 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage
White Alfred A. 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Bump on March 18
White Wallace 1968 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 12 Haulage: Struck by arch boom
White Wilfred 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed
White William 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed
White Morris 1867 Cape Breton County Lingan Explosion of methane
White Thomas 1914 Cape Breton County Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) Fall of stone
White Philip B. 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
White Leo 1954 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Fall of stone; 1 of 3 killed
White Amos 1889 Cumberland Joggins Struck by rake in slope
White Malcolm 1965 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Fall of stone; 1 of 2 killed
White Carl 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
White Albert 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
White Brenton 1952 Pictou County McGregor Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed
Whidden Charles 1931 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of coal
Wheelicker George 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall from roof
Wheatley Leonard 1952 Pictou County McGregor Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed
Whalen Matthew 1922 Cape Breton County Jubilee, lower seam, Sydney Mines Fall of stone from roof
Whalen Emmanuel 1943 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Tally boy; Crushed between box and loader (likely on surface)
Whalen John R. 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
West Herbert 1921 Cape Breton County Florence Fall of coal
Wells Horace 1923 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall of stone
Welch Clarence 1953 Cumberland Springhill No. 2, #1 seam Killed by haulage
Welch George 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Weirich or Wetrich Herman E. 1943 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Caught in haulage rope
Weeks Archie 1948 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Haulage
Webb James 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Weatherbee or Westhester Melvin 1908 or 1909 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Riding on full box
Weatherbee Lorne A. 1942 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Struck by trip
Weatherbee Albert 1937 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Caught between rake and door

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