Coal Mining Fatalities
This database contains 2497 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 28 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillis | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Walton | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Dragon | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of coal |
| Savage | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| MacEachern | John | 1885 | Pictou County | Vale | Devastating methane explosion |
| Brennick | John | 1870 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Run over by wagon |
| MacKeigan | John | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, River Hebert | Fall of roof stone in level, died 21 days later |
| Harroun or Ronan | John | 1923 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 7 | Coupling cars, killed by moving cars |
| Doyle | John | 1917 | Cumberland | Kimberly | Fall of stone, died 6 days later |
| Lee | John | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| 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 | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Nicholson | John | 1881 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught between moving rake & door |
| MacMaster | John | 1925 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal from roof of a pillar; 1 of 2 killed |
| McMillan | John | 1903 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Jammed between roof and box |
| Green | John | 1871 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fall off bridge |
| Treige | John | 1945 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Struck by level trip |
| Nicholson | John | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake |
| McDonald | John | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Runaway car, died 6 days later |
| Holvia | John | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of stone |
| Copan | John | 1947 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Caught by a haulage cable |
| Hayden | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Finlayson | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal, died 15 days later |
| O'Handley | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominon No. 11 | Killed between box and roof |
| McLeod | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Williams | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Fraser | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Perhiniak | John | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| Yakubaski | John | 1940 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fractured ankle, infection and shock, died 27 days later |
| Hahnen | John | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Fall of coal |
| Hunter | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Nairn | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Martin | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Piece of coal from roof |
| Carnichael | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Roberts | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Livingstone | John | 1904 | Pictou County | Marsh | Jammed between a box and the roof |
| Dunbar | John | 1904 | Pictou County | Albion | Run over by a rake |
| Rollins | John | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Blue | John | 1881 | Cumberland | Springhill | Struck by cage |
| McDonald | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone at face of room |
| Crawford | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Wilkes | John | 1902 | Pictou County | Marsh | Dynamite explosion in office; frozen sticks put near heat to thaw; 1 of 3 killed |
| McCuish | John | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone from roof |
| Morrison | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of coal whilst holing in pillar |
| Bozeman | John | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| Dickson | John | 1940 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| McVicar | John | 1957 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage |
| Grycorn | John | 1933 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Bowens | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |