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 11 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) |
Year |
County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cunningham | William M. | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of rock on mail level |
| Chapman | George | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| McDougall | Peter | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Killed on balance, run over by cuddy |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| McLellan | James | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Fall of coal from pillar |
| Lund | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Caught between coal box and pillar |
| 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 |
| McIntosh | Dan | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fell under trip trying to get on for a ride |
| McKay | Donald | 1898 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall from roof of working face |
| Simpson | Robert | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Fall of coal while drawing pillar |
| Breen | Michael | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Rock fall |
| Darroch or Darrah | Andrew | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Rock fall |
| LeFavour | Emile | 1898 | Cumberland | Joggins No. 3 slope | Struck by cage loaded with box of stone |
| 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 |
| Wilson | David | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Struck by falling roof prop |
| Grant | Dougald | 1899 | Pictou County | Vale | Methane explosion by naked light |
| 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 |
| MacIntosh | William | 1899 | Pictou County | Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) | Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Horn | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal whilst drawing pillars; 1 of 2 killed |
| Jameson | Hector | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal whilst drawing pillars; 1 of 2 killed |
| Small | John D. | 1900 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Baker | Thomas | 1900 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Derailed rake |
| Jacobs | James | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal while loading in room |
| Roach | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Killed at face of room while loading |
| McCuish | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Killed drawing props out of an old room |