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 25 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | John | 1888 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| Maddison | John | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Jobes | John | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of stone |
| Fergusson | John | 1887 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of roof coal |
| Treige | John | 1945 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Struck by level trip |
| Leadbeater | John | 1872 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Powder explosion |
| Seward | John | 1967 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage: Run over by empty trip |
| MacDougall | John | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of roof, died almost 6 months later |
| Curran | John | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face of room |
| McLaughlin | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McNeil | John | 1887 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from pillar |
| MacLean | John | 1902 | Pictou County | Albion | Jammed between rail cars on surface |
| Cameron | John | 1962 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Haulage |
| O'Handley | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominon No. 11 | Killed between box and roof |
| Frye | John | 1914 | Pictou County | Albion | Riding a coal trip that derailed |
| Downie | John | 1873 | Cape Breton County | International | Run over by train |
| MacDonald | John | 1915 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Run over by a trip of coal |
| Handrigan | John | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Fall of stone in pillar work; 1 of 2 killed |
| McLean | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Perhiniak | John | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| Bentcliffe | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Wilkes | John | 1902 | Pictou County | Marsh | Dynamite explosion in office; frozen sticks put near heat to thaw; 1 of 3 killed |
| McKinnon | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Killed by falling roof stone while driving |
| Campbell | John | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Trip of boxes |
| Neville | john | 1873 | Cape Breton County | International | Crushed by train |
| Salon | John | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Haulage |
| Nolan | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Coal fall in room, died next day |
| Cormier | John | 1907 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Caught between car and bankhead |
| Boyd | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Hawes | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Francis | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Newman | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Ryan | John | 1904 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of stone from roof |
| McVicar | John | 1957 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage |
| Curry | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Wilsack | John | 1949 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| MacEachern | John | 1885 | Pictou County | Vale | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed by stone fall at face |
| Vicars | John | 1889 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of loose coal, died after 12 days |
| LeBeau | John | 1963 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Maintenance |
| Tabbot | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| McLeod | John | 1904 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by motor |
| Yakubaski | John | 1940 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fractured ankle, infection and shock, died 27 days later |
| Hussey | John | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal and roof |
| Lund | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Caught between coal box and pillar |
| MacEachern | John | 1935 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Shot blew back exploding methane and coal dust; 1 of 7 killed; asphixiation by carbon monoxide |
| Campbell | John | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Roach | John | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Taylor | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Fall with tub in slope |
| Boutilier | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of roof stone |