Coal Mining Fatalities
This database contains 2498 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 11 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) |
Year |
County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boutilier | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of roof stone |
| McPherson | James | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Struck by falling piece of coal while hauling |
| Ferguson | James | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 slope | Fall of roof while opening No. 1 slope |
| Burrows | John | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of roof stone on new balance no. 9 |
| Cunningham | William M. | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of rock on mail level |
| Chapman | George | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| LeFavour | Emile | 1898 | Cumberland | Joggins No. 3 slope | Struck by cage loaded with box of stone |
| McKay | Donald | 1898 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall from roof of working face |
| Wilson | David | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Struck by falling roof prop |
| Simpson | Robert | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Fall of coal while drawing pillar |
| Breen | Michael | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Rock fall |
| Crowly | Eli | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Bridgeport | Fall of roof stone |
| Hilliar | Joseph | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of coal from face of room |
| McNeil | Fred | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of loose coal |
| Boran | John | 1898 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 slope | Fall of stone from roof in workplace |
| Fraser | William K. | 1898 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| McIntosh | Dan | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fell under trip trying to get on for a ride |
| Darroch or Darrah | Andrew | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Rock fall |
| McDonald | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone at face of room |
| Evans | George | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from face of room |
| Grant | Dougald | 1899 | Pictou County | Vale | Methane explosion by naked light |
| Morrison | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of coal whilst holing in pillar |
| Willis | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of roof stone whilst driving |
| Hilliar | Joseph | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | |
| Williamson | Samuel | 1899 | Pictou County | Albion | Chainrunner, struck in neck by snapped chain |
| MacIntosh | William | 1899 | Pictou County | Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) | Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist |
| Doyle | John, Sr. | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Doyle | John, Jr. | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Grant | Albert or Arthur | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Johnstone | Thomas | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Martin | Donald | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McAulay | Malcolm | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McCormick or McCormack | Stephen | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McDonald | Alexander | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McDonald | Neil | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McDougall | Roderick or Rory | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Campbell | Alexander | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of loose coal from hung shot |
| Gillis | John D. | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fell out of cage when descending shaft |
| McKinnon | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Killed by falling roof stone while driving |
| Nolan | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Coal fall in room, died next day |
| Marshall | Willian | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Caught between cage and roof |
| McDonald | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed by stone fall at face |
| McDonald | Murdock | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fell against in-motion engine drum |
| McLellan | Joseph | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Roof stone fell on him while driving |
| Bishop | George | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Stone fell on him down shaft during sinking |
| McDonald | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone at head of deep |
| Leonard | Alfred | 1900 | Cape Breton County | International | Killed getting in cage at pit bottom |
| MacPherson | Gilbert | 1900 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Body wound on drum of a hoist |
| Horn | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal whilst drawing pillars; 1 of 2 killed |