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 9 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
Surname |
Given Name(s) | Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooney | Ottie or Ronnie | 1918 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Stone rolled down fan slope, hit him on head |
| Roman | George | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by box |
| Rollins | John | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Rolfe | Ernest | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Rogers | Herbert | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal, died 5 days later |
| Rogers | Thomas | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Rogers | Albert | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Rogers | Thomas | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Rodgers | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Rockett | Fred | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Rocker | R. | 1906 | Cape Breton County | International | Fall of stone from roof |
| Robinson or Robertson | Hugh | 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 |
| Robertson | Robert | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Walked in under cage |
| Robertson | James | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Robertson | E. | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Oiler, clothes caught in revolving shaft (on surface) |
| Robertson | David | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Queen | Fall of coal and stone |
| Roberts Jr | Edward | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Roberts | Michael | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Roberts | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Roberts | Charles D. | 1925 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 3 (Six-Foot) | Carpenter; struck by wood thrown from circular saw |
| Roberts | Edward Sr. | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Roberts | Alfred | 1947 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Fall of roof |
| Robbins | William F. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Robbins | James | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Roache or Roche | William | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| Roach or Roche | James Sr. | 1932 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Roach | David | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 25 | Haulage |
| Roach | John | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Roach | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Killed at face of room while loading |
| Roach | Dan | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Ripley | Edward | 1908 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell into chute |
| Ripley | Ira | 1906 | Cumberland | Joggins | Fall of top coal |
| Ripley | Clifford | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Riley | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of stone |
| Riley | James | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Squeezed between boxes |
| Ridgeway | George | 1915 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| Ricleslts | Vincent | 1913 | Cumberland | Scotia (possibly Cape Breton County) | Fall of stone |
| Rickets | John A. | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by fall of coal |
| Riciselts | Vincent | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Scotia (possibly Cumberland Co.) | Fall of stone |
| Riciselts | Vincent | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Scotia (possibly Cumberland Co.) | Fall of stone |
| Richmond | John A. | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| Richardson | Joseph | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Richards | John M. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Scotia No. 4 | Slipped and fell on travelling road; accident Jan. 4, died Jan. 24. |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Reynolds | Silas | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Reid | Frank | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Knocked down steel boom |
| Reid | William | 1929 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later |
| Reid | Joseph | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |