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 27 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
Surname | Given Name(s) |
Year![]() |
County | Mine | Cause |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roy | Benjamin | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Struck by piece of coal, died 3 days after |
Wooden | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Greenwood | roof fall |
Copely | David | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Scotia (Sydney Mines) | Fall of stone |
Poloski | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
Hanuse | Cammile | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
Works | Howard | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
McPherson | Moses | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
Young | Ninian | 1919 | Inverness | Inverness | Injured by dynamite shot; died a day later. |
Rordenan | Alex | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
Locke | James | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by piece of wood |
McLeod | Daniel | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by runaway box |
McDougald | Stephen | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion Coal Company shaft | Stone fell from wall |
Bigley | John | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Killed by fall of stone |
George | John | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
McIntyre | Joseph | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion 2 and 9 pityard (surface) | Jammed between wall and superintendent''s auto |
Boutilier | Thomas | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of stone |
Smith | Albert | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Florence, on surface | Burnt at boiler doors, died 7 days later |
Kipping | Thomas | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Jammed between empty trip |
Gunn | Stanley | 1919 | Pictou County | McGregor | Injuries sustained in the mine |
Keith | Fred | 1919 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Overcome by gas, likely methane |
Thurbid | John | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Scotia No. 4 | Fall of stone |
Pohoronz | Wasyl | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal |
Wood | Jasper E. or R. | 1919 | Cumberland | St. George | Fell down slope, died 1 day later |
Main | William | 1919 | Cumberland | St. George | Struck by runaway box |
Brown | Leo | 1919 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by a cage in a balance |
Blue | Duncan | 1919 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Struck by runaway rake |
Taylor | John B. | 1919 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught in fly wheel |
Terris | Asa S. | 1919 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Run over by full box |
Turner | Joseph | 1919 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of coal |
Jobs | Daniel | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal; 1 of 2 killed; died 6 days later |
Power | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
Gossens | Octav | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
Love | Ernest | 1920 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 3 (Six-Foot) | Struck by a runaway box |
Spencer | George | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Run over by horse and loaded box |
Kaspersky | Peter | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Fall of coal, died 17 days later |
Gillis | Simon D. | 1920 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall of rock |
Hanrahan | Joseph | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Jammed between loaded box and boom |
Boutilier | Angus | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of roof |
Christie | James | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Colonial No. 4, engine house | Caught in belt that operates hoist, lived 9 hrs |
Jowett or Gowett | John Ernest | 1920 | Cumberland | Victoria | cause not recorded |
McDonald | Allan J. | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Struck on head by upright timber, died 3 days later |
McAloney | Robert L. | 1920 | Cumberland | Maple Leaf | Struck by runaway box, died 6 days later |
Witstanley | John T. | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
Fraser | Hiram | 1920 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 3 (Six-Foot) | Struck by railway car on surface |
Cyr | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Run over by an empty box |
McDonald | Hugh | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Severed artery in foot |
Edwards | Benjamin | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Electrocuted in power house |
Jackson | Aubrey | 1920 | Pictou County | Albion | Run over by an empty box |
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 |