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 24 of 50 pages (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort descending Year County Mine Cause
Young James 1927 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Squeezed between prop and trip
Jones James 1889 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Explosion of methane
McEachran or MacEachern James 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Handrahan James 1912 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of stone from roof
Cobert James 1946 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Haulage
Smith James 1901 Pictou County Vale Crushed between a box and a rib
Turner James 1880 Pictou County Acadia Fall of coal
Dumphy James 1908 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of coal from face
Robbins James 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
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
Dalling James 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Power James 1902 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of coal, hung shot
Royal James 1938 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 4 Struck by tub of coal
McPherson James 1897 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Struck by falling piece of coal while hauling
Ferguson James 1897 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 slope Fall of roof while opening No. 1 slope
Christie James 1920 Cape Breton County Colonial No. 4, engine house Caught in belt that operates hoist, lived 9 hrs
Baxter James 1913 Pictou County Acadia Fall of roof
Chisholm James 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Maloney James 1973 Cumberland River Hebert Coal Mine, formerly Cochran Died of natural causes in mine
Porter James 1914 Cumberland Black Diamond Thawing Samsonite (possibly a powder brand)
Parsons James 1944 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Runaway trip; 1 of 3 killed
MacDonald James 1922 Inverness bootleg pit Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed
Steele James 1936 Cape Breton County North Sydney Pier Falling into pocket
Pembroke James 1942 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Struck by rake
Clark James 1927 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Fall of stone
Spellman James 1912 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Runaway empty box on Drummond #1 slope; 1 of 2 killed
Purvis James 1902 Pictou County Albion Fall of top coal
Russell James 1934 Cape Breton County Princess Heart failure
Dunphy James 1908 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of coal from face
Lammond James 1872 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) Fall of stone
Jessoe James 1925 Cape Breton County Colonial No. 1 Fall of stone
Hocevar James 1927 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Fall of stone
Kingou James 1873 Pictou County Acadia Fall of coal
Bishop james 1929 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
Wallace James 1970 Cape Breton County Princess Wash Plant, Surface Squeezed in a chain conveyor
Quigley James 1943 Inverness Inverness No. 3 Crushed between engine drum and rope
Dakens James A. 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Conway James D. 1880 Pictou County Foord pit influx of water; 1 of 6 killed
MacDonald James D. 1912 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of top coal at face of bord
Jobes James D. 1931 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 4 Struck by box
Copeland James E. 1954 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Bump; 1 of 5 killed
Flemming James E. 1945 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of stone
Matheson James E. 1971 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Haulage: Struck by a trip of material
McDonald James E. 1921 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Killed crossing over haulage rope in motion, caught by boxes
Johnson James F. 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Ransome James H. 1949 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Fall of stone
Rose James H. 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Cook James I 1914 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 7 Fall of stone
Burke James J. 1940 Cumberland Victoria Undetermined
McPherson James Jr. 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion

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