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 23 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacEachern | James | 1935 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Shot blew back exploding methane and coal dust; 1 of 7 killed; asphixiation by carbon monoxide |
| Francis | James | 1938 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Struck by cage lever on surface; died 3 days later |
| Kennedy | James | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of roof |
| Robertson | James | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Edwards | James | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| O'Regan | James | 1924 | Cumberland | Joggins No. 7 | Fall of coal |
| Porteous | James | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Killed between box and pillar |
| McGrath | James | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Runaway box, accidental death |
| Quigley | James | 1943 | Inverness | Inverness No. 3 | Crushed between engine drum and rope |
| Overs | James | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Ross | James | 1941 | Cape Breton County | Indian Cove Coal Company | Explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Cobert | James | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Haulage |
| Johnston | James | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Killed by trip |
| Campbell | James | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Fall of stone |
| Rose | James | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Piquinot | James | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McLellan | James | 1884 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by a rake |
| Tebo or Tebe | James | 1893 or 1894 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 slope | Full box struck prop from under boom |
| Shea | James | 1867 | Inverness | Port Hood | Crushed by machinery |
| Fortune | James | 1894 | Cape Breton County | International | Full trip on deep road |
| McDonald | James | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 and No. 9 Surface plant | Boiler explosion; maybe 4th man killed in an explosion or is a separate explosion |
| Hibbs | James | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by runaway car in deep |
| Williamson | James | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of coal |
| Doolan | James | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Struck by runaway box |
| Shanahan | James | 1882 | Cape Breton County | Little Glace Bay | Fall of stone from roof |
| Marsh | James | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of rib coal |
| Dunn | James | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Bradwell | James | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Karrel | James | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Parsons | James | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Runaway trip; 1 of 3 killed |
| Snellgrove | James | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Painter; injured by ventilating fan |
| Wright | James | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| McNeil | James | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Fall of stone |
| Locke | James | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by piece of wood |
| Robbins | James | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Turner | James | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| McEachran or MacEachern | James | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake |
| Ferguson | James | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 slope | Fall of roof while opening No. 1 slope |
| Brown | James | 1914 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Carbon monoxide after devastating explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Hogan | James | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Run over by riding rake, died 2 days later |
| Devoe | James | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Killed by box on main deep |
| Petrie | James | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of roof |
| Smith | James | 1901 | Pictou County | Vale | Crushed between a box and a rib |
| Turner | James | 1880 | Pictou County | Acadia | Fall of coal |
| Dunsmuir | James | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Baxter | James | 1913 | Pictou County | Acadia | Fall of roof |
| Messervey | James | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) | Methane explosion and coal dust; 1 of 8 killed |
| Riley | James | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Squeezed between boxes |
| Dumphy | James | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal from face |
| Cathcart | James | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Bridgeport | Fall of coal while loading |