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 14 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bortniak | Egnate | 1935 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Shot blew back exploding methane and coal dust; 1 of 7 killed |
| Stevens | Eldon | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Chiasson | Elezare | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Pusher, killed by improperly spragged box |
| Crowly | Eli | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Bridgeport | Fall of roof stone |
| Porter | Elia | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone from roof |
| Shaw | Elias | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Scalded by steam |
| Bennett | Elijah | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fatally injured, died an hout later |
| Slade | Elijah | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Haulage |
| Baxendale | Ellis | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of stone |
| Leonard | Elmer | 1910 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Dykens | Elmer W. or Elmmar | 1932 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Dowe or Dow | Elroy | 1960 | Cumberland | Bayview No. 8 (Green Crow) | Killed by haulage |
| Urquhart | Elwood | 1927 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal from face |
| Josey | Emanuel | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Michniak or Michmiak or Michneak | Emerson | 1943 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Crushed between packs caused by bump |
| Kralicek or Krawlick | Emil or Emile | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| LeFavour | Emile | 1898 | Cumberland | Joggins No. 3 slope | Struck by cage loaded with box of stone |
| Keehn | Emile | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Run over by loaded box |
| Whalen | Emmanuel | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Tally boy; Crushed between box and loader (likely on surface) |
| Bradley | Ephraim | 1904 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Metals gave heavy thump, broke timber and buried him under fall of coal. |
| Alderson or Anderson | Ephriam | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| McIsaac | Eric Earl | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Spence | Ernel | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Boutilier | Ernest | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Chandler | Ernest | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Rolfe | Ernest | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Little | Ernest | 1907 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Smothered by slack coal in boiler shed chute |
| Love | Ernest | 1920 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 3 (Six-Foot) | Struck by a runaway box |
| Mott | Ernest | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Clarke or Clark | Ernest | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell off box |
| McGraw | Ernest | 1948 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone; 1 of 2 killed |
| Bainbridge | Ernest | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Hallam | Ernest | 1959 | Pictou County | Drummond (Intercolonial) No. 2 Scott slope | Fall of coal |
| Cole | Eugene | 1960 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Fall of stone |
| Reid | Eugene | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) | Methane explosion and coal dust; 1 of 8 killed |
| Killoway | Eugene | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Yorke | Eugene I. | 1932 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 7 | Fall of stone on Longwall |
| Johnson | Eugene William | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Knowlton | Everett | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Fall of stone; 1 of 3 killed |
| Murray | Ezra G. | 1932 | Cumberland | Maple Leaf No. 4 | Dust and gas explosion; 1 of 5 killed |
| MacDonald | F. | 1902 | Pictou County | Vale | Powder explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Wilkes | F. | 1905 | Pictou County | Marsh | Powder explosion |
| McKinnon | F. | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Runaway box inflicted injury causing death |
| Dericimn | F. | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of coal |
| Ward | Fabian E. | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Assemmather | Fawl | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Kayens | Felician | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Leemore | Ferdinand | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of stone |
| Cavasotte | Fernando | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of coal |
| Dewan | Ferris Todd | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |