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 5 of 50 pages (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s) Yearsort descending County Mine Cause
McGillivray Angus 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Connolly C. 1880 Pictou County Vale Burned by gas ignited by his open-flame lamp
Conway James D. 1880 Pictou County Foord pit influx of water; 1 of 6 killed
Nearing Joseph 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
McInnis John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Dragon John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
McInnis Peter 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Savage Edward 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
McKay Thomas 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
McKay Angus 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Dunbar Charles 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Lycom Charles 1880 Pictou County Foord pit influx of water; 1 of 6 killed
Skinner Job 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Dunbar William 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Thomas Lewis 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Mitchell James 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Fraser James W. 1880 Pictou County Foord pit influx of water; 1 of 6 killed
Crawford John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Haddon Henry 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
McKinnon Rod #1 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Roberts John 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Morrison Laughlin 1880 Pictou County Albion Fall of coal
McKinnon Rod #2 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Turner James 1880 Pictou County Acadia Fall of coal
Morrison John #1 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
MacDonald Alexander 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Blue John 1881 Cumberland Springhill Struck by cage
Bigney Robert 1881 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 Rope broke on cage
Cook Robert 1881 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Riding on Engine plane
Nash John 1881 Pictou County Acadia Devastating methane explosion
Nicholson John 1881 Pictou County Vale Caught between moving rake & door
McEachern Alexander 1882 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Killed by a rake of full pit tubs
Shanahan James 1882 Cape Breton County Little Glace Bay Fall of stone from roof
Burke Charles 1883 Cumberland Joggins Fall of coal
Hannaham or Hanrahan William 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Lockhart Dan 1883 Cumberland Chignecto Killed by cage going off track
Hudson or Hodgeson John 1883 Cumberland Chignecto Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed)
Burrows John 1883 Cumberland Chignecto Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed)
Patton William 1883 Cumberland Chignecto Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed)
McEachran or MacEachern James 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Gillies or Gillis James 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Baillie D. 1883 Pictou County Albion Killed by a runaway rake
Flinn or Flynn Garnett 1883 Pictou County Vale Fall of coal
MacKay J. 1883 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Hit by flying fragments of broken pinion wheel
Fletcher William 1883 Cumberland Springhill Killed by fracture of brake bolt
McGilvray or MacGillivray Wallace 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Keigan Angus 1883 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Run over by coal tub
Campbell Colin 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Nicholson John 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Fraser Alexander 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake

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