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 17 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartholemew or Bartholomew | Louis | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Johnstone | Louis | 1949 | Pictou County | McBean | Caught by a moving cable in haulage |
| Weatherbee | Lorne A. | 1942 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Struck by trip |
| Milton | Logan | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Reese | Lloyd | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Cathcart | Lionel | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage, surface |
| McDonald | Lewis | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of stone |
| Power | Lewis | 1985 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Crushed |
| Thomas | Lewis | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Reid | Lester | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| MacLean | Lester | 1971 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Natural Causes |
| Fisher | Lester | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Nelson | Lester | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Scott | Leslie | 1935 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from rib |
| MacDonald | Leslie | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Townsend | Leonard | 1876 | Cumberland | Spring Hill Colliery Mine | Crushed by drum, fall of a gin |
| Wheatley | Leonard | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Budden | Leonard | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| McCormick | Leonard | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Vickers | Leonard | 1956 | Cape Breton County | Franklin | Fall of stone |
| Jeffrey | Leonard | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Explosives |
| Blarion | Leon | 1923 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal off face |
| Conn | Leo | 1932 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Fall of stone |
| Kuta | Leo | 1941 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Struck by runaway box |
| Chiasson | Leo | 1933 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by a trip |
| Brown | Leo | 1919 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by a cage in a balance |
| Saccary | Leo | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Undetermined |
| White | Leo | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Fall of stone; 1 of 3 killed |
| Boozan | Leo | 1963 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| McCormack | Lenard | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| McPherson | Lemuel | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Boudreau or Budro | Lemuel | 1907 | Cumberland | Strathcona | Burnt by gas fire |
| Guthro | Lazarus | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Dykens or Daken | Layton A. | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Reid | Layton | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Dow | Lawrence | 1936 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall off roof |
| Cameron | Lawrence | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Gallant | Lawrence | 1896 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 slope | Runaway in slope |
| MacKenzie | Lawrence | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Long or Lank | Lawrence | 1922 | Cumberland | Minudie #2 | Powder ignited by cartridge explosion, died 14 days later |
| Farrell | Lawrence | 1956 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Gas asphixiation; 1 of 2 killed |
| Moss | Laurie A. | 1950 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| James | Laurence Elwyn | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Fitzgerald | Laurence | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone from roof |
| McDonald | Laurence | 1949 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| McKinnon | Laurence | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Haulage |
| Morrison | Laughlin | 1880 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| McKinnon | Laughlin | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McDonald | Lauchlin | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by hoisting bucket falling on him |
| Gillis | Lauchlin | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |