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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beasley | Isaac | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone from roof in room |
| Borden | Joseph | 1922 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of stone and coal |
| MacDonald | Alexander | 1922 | Inverness | bootleg pit | Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed |
| MacDonald | Donald R. | 1922 | Inverness | bootleg pit | Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed |
| MacDonald | James | 1922 | Inverness | bootleg pit | Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed |
| Desmond | Frank | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Greener | Empty box passed over him, died 28 days later in hospital |
| Boutilier | John | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone caused by runaway boxes |
| Gouthro | Charles | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck and run over by full coal box |
| Vanherek | Henry | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Fall of stone |
| MacKeigan | John | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, River Hebert | Fall of roof stone in level, died 21 days later |
| McLean | Edward | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Lyons | Charles F. | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face, died 5 days later |
| Flemming | Edward | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, Sydney Mines | Found dead with radial coalcutter resting on body |
| Whalen | Matthew | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, lower seam, Sydney Mines | Fall of stone from roof |
| McDonald | Allan | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Fall of stone |
| Purdy | Walter Charles | 1921 | Cumberland | St. George | Struck by piece of coal blown off by shot |
| Shannon | George "Happy" | 1921 | Cumberland | Joggins | Electrocuted by shock from cable on pavement |
| MacLeod | Wellington | 1921 | Pictou County | Albion | Suffocated by methane under coal fall |
| Hayman | Wilbert | 1921 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| West | Herbert | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Turner | Alfred | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Struck by horse; in falling pick stabbed abdomen |
| Muir | Robert | 1921 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| McKenzie | Joseph | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Adair | Robert | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or No. 4 | Explosion of methane |
| Large | August | 1921 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall down chute |
| Amon | W. | 1921 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 1 | Buried 4 hours under fall, died at home in evening |
| Snow | John W. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Neal | George | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, Sydney Mines | Fall down shaft |
| Richards | John M. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Scotia No. 4 | Slipped and fell on travelling road; accident Jan. 4, died Jan. 24. |
| McEwan | R. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Explosion of methane |
| Cameron | John | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face |
| Assiff | Joseph | 1921 | Inverness | Inverness | Hit by rake on level, died 2 days later |
| Fraser | John E. | 1921 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| McDougall | Allan | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Ward | Fred | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone, died next day |
| Isnor | Hubert | 1921 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Edwards | George | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Fall of stone from oof |
| Robbins | William F. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Murphy | Carl G. | 1921 | Cumberland | Springhill | Caught between beam of screen floor and break wheel of a moving railway car |
| Casey | Archibald | 1921 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Struck by rake of coal |
| McDonald | James E. | 1921 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed crossing over haulage rope in motion, caught by boxes |
| Walker | Alexander | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| McCormack | Stephen | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Dropped dead coming up the travelling-way |
| Gossens | Octav | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| McDonald | Kenneth | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Crushed between box and pillar |
| Doyle | James | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Struck by empty trip |
| Vaughan | Fitz | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| McDonald | Angus | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Struck by runaway box |
| Gillis | Simon D. | 1920 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall of rock |
| McInnis | Daniel | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of coal |