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 22 of 50 pages (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort descending Year County Mine Cause
Reeves James 1872 Pictou County Acadia Fall of coal
Spellman James 1912 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Runaway empty box on Drummond #1 slope; 1 of 2 killed
Jacobs James 1900 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of coal while loading in room
Royal James 1938 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 4 Struck by tub of coal
Gleason James 1892 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Fell down shaft while working there
Parsons James 1944 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Runaway trip; 1 of 3 killed
Overs James 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
MacEachern James 1935 Pictou County Allan Shaft Shot blew back exploding methane and coal dust; 1 of 7 killed; asphixiation by carbon monoxide
Stanton James 1892 Pictou County Albion Under engine hit by hoppers and run over
Scully James 1924 Pictou County Allan Shaft Carbon monoxide suffocation after explosion; 1 of 4 killed
Piquinot James 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Tebo or Tebe James 1893 or 1894 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 slope Full box struck prop from under boom
Dalling James 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Steele James 1936 Cape Breton County North Sydney Pier Falling into pocket
Pembroke James 1942 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Struck by rake
Mitchell James 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Chisholm James 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Russell James 1934 Cape Breton County Princess Heart failure
Maloney James 1973 Cumberland River Hebert Coal Mine, formerly Cochran Died of natural causes in mine
Stevenson James 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Dumphy James 1908 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of coal from face
MacDonald James 1922 Inverness bootleg pit Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed
Jessoe James 1925 Cape Breton County Colonial No. 1 Fall of stone
Napier James 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 6 Fall of stone
Clark James 1927 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Fall of stone
Handrahan James 1912 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of stone from roof
Hamilton James 1911 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Shot blew through on slant containing water, partly driven between main slope, drowned; 1 of 2 killed
Stewart James 1934 Cape Breton County Colonial No. 1 Struck by coal boxes
Hocevar James 1927 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of stone
Quigley James 1943 Inverness Inverness No. 3 Crushed between engine drum and rope
Morrison James 1966 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Naturel Causes
McIsaac James 1948 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Haulage
Walker James 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 10 Fall of stone
Christie James 1920 Cape Breton County Colonial No. 4, engine house Caught in belt that operates hoist, lived 9 hrs
Bishop james 1929 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
Robbins James 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Allen James 1961 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Electrical
Webb James 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Boates James 1941 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of coal
Stewart James 1906 Pictou County Albion Struck by a rake
Geddes James 1953 Pictou County McBean Haulage accident
Ferguson James 1897 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 slope Fall of roof while opening No. 1 slope
Shea James 1867 Inverness Port Hood Crushed by machinery
Morrison James 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Fortune James 1894 Cape Breton County International Full trip on deep road
Gillies or Gillis James 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Robertson James 1861 Pictou County Bye pit Methane explosion
Dunphy James 1908 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of coal from face
Martel James 1958 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Construction
Shanahan James 1882 Cape Breton County Little Glace Bay Fall of stone from roof

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