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 13 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) | Year |
County |
Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley | Ephraim | 1904 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Metals gave heavy thump, broke timber and buried him under fall of coal. |
| Weatherbee or Westhester | Melvin | 1908 or 1909 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Riding on full box |
| Burton | James | 1915 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | James E. | 1921 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed crossing over haulage rope in motion, caught by boxes |
| Boss | Asa G. | 1925 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by trip of boxes; 1 of 2 killed |
| Dykens | Elmer W. or Elmmar | 1932 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Nodwell | Harry A. | 1941 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Hachey | Archibald J. | 1952 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Killed by haulage |
| Lorimer | Harold | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Brown | Thomas | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| McCormick | Leonard | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Winters | Daniel | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Embree | Harold | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Jewkes | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| McLeod | Charles | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Rolfe | Ernest | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Venus | Donald W. | 1961 | Cumberland | Syndicate | Electrocution on slope |
| Alt | Herman | 1928 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by wood thrown from circular saw (on the surface) |
| Baudoux | Alfred H. | 1949 | Pictou County | McBean | Killed riding a trip on the main slope; was McBean manager |
| Boram | Charles | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| Burke | Andrew | 1917 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Run over by rail car on surface |
| Campbell | Hector | 1875 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Run over by loaded wagons |
| Chisholm | James | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Conway | Wayne Michael | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Dalling | Timothy | 1927 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Killed by riding on coal trip which derailed |
| Dudka | Andrew | 1950 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck by a haulage rope |
| Favier | Thomas | 1911 | Pictou County | Acadia | Crushed between rib and full box |
| Francis | James | 1938 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Struck by cage lever on surface; died 3 days later |
| Freeman | Henry | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Grasesnack | C. G. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Hamilton | William | 1950 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Heyne | Victor | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| James | Laurence Elwyn | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Kayens | Felician | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Launey | Francis | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Lohez | Joseph | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| MacDonald | F. | 1902 | Pictou County | Vale | Powder explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| MacKay | John | 1953 | Pictou County | McGregor | Haulage accident: thrown from trip |
| MacLean | John | 1866 | Pictou County | Dalhousie pit | Fall of coal |
| Mahoney | Patrick | 1866 | Pictou County | Dalhousie pit | Fall of coal |
| McCarney | unknown | 1866 | Pictou County | Above ground, at Acadia wharf | Fell and struck his head |
| McElvie | Hugh | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| McKinnon | Rod #1 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McNeal | John Jr. | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Morrison | Laughlin | 1880 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Murdock | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| O'Brien | J. D. | 1939 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal from roof |
| Potts | John | 1874 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Rope broke on bucket going down pump shaft |
| Roberts | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |