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 2 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 |
| McDougall | Roderick or Rory | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McLellan | Joseph | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Roof stone fell on him while driving |
| McIntyre | Donald | 1901 | Cape Breton County | International | Caught by runaway coal box from bank on surface |
| McLeod | John | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from pillar |
| King | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope |
| Carey | William | 1905 | Cape Breton County | New Campbellton | Killed on main slope by the trip |
| Dominick | P. | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face |
| Dunphy | James | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal from face |
| Gouthro | Simon | 1907 | Cape Breton County | International | Fell down water shaft |
| Rogers | Herbert | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal, died 5 days later |
| McNeil | Angus | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 and No. 9 Surface plant | Boiler explosion; 1 of 3 or 4 killed |
| McNeil | John A. | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| Dawe | Andrew | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 3 (Florence) | Runaway box knocked out timber he was putting up and stone fell on him |
| McLeod | William | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Killed by coal fall while removing coal leg |
| McLean | Stephen | 1904 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Fell against pump |
| McNeil | James | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Fall of stone |
| Zanicol | Barnado | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal from face |
| Campbell | David | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Broughton | Struck by runaway box |
| Fry | Peter | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of roof |
| McInnis | Michael | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Run over by trip |
| Holmes | Angus | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 22 | Fell, striking head on rail |
| Dye | Charles | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Killed by cars on surface, in colliery yard |
| O'Handley | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominon No. 11 | Killed between box and roof |
| McGrath | Patrick | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of roof |
| McPherson | D. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Run over by trip of cars |
| Butt or Butts | George W. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Fedora | Joseph | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| McLean | Frank | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Penny | Reuben | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| McDonald | John | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Runaway car, died 6 days later |
| McLeod | Daniel | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by runaway box |
| Witstanley | John T. | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Snow | John W. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Flemming | Edward | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, Sydney Mines | Found dead with radial coalcutter resting on body |
| Walzak | Albert | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone from roof in pillar work |
| Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
| Skinner | Richard | 1925 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of stone |
| Kralieck | Bohuslon | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Kernekant or Heinekamp | Herman | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
| Turner | David | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Squeezed between rib and box |
| Doolan | James | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Struck by runaway box |
| Donovan | Edward | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of coal |
| Moroletto | Albino | 1932 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Blood poisoning (possibly cut underground) |
| McIntosh | John | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of coal |
| Stewart | James | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Colonial No. 1 | Struck by coal boxes |
| Corbett | Angus | 1936 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Caught in conveyor belt |
| Walker | James | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Patey | Robert | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by runaway trip; 1 of 3 killed |