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 |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| Chapman | George | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| Lund | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Caught between coal box and pillar |
| 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 |
| Darroch or Darrah | Andrew | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Rock fall |
| Wilson | David | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Struck by falling roof prop |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| McKay | Donald | 1898 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall from roof of working face |
| McIntosh | Dan | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fell under trip trying to get on for a ride |
| Breen | Michael | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Rock fall |
| LeFavour | Emile | 1898 | Cumberland | Joggins No. 3 slope | Struck by cage loaded with box of stone |
| Simpson | Robert | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Fall of coal while drawing pillar |
| 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 |
| MacIntosh | William | 1899 | Pictou County | Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) | Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| Williamson | Samuel | 1899 | Pictou County | Albion | Chainrunner, struck in neck by snapped chain |
| MacPherson | Gilbert | 1900 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Body wound on drum of a hoist |
| Small | John D. | 1900 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| 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 |
| Baker | Thomas | 1900 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Derailed rake |
| 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 |
| Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |