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 29 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherpack | John | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Runaway trip; 1 of 3 killed |
| Arsenault | John | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Caught between box and prop |
| McEachern | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Runaway car, died 6 days later |
| Morrison | John | 1947 | Cape Breton County | Greener | Fall of roof |
| Martin | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Piece of coal from roof |
| McDonald | John | 1950 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of coal |
| Blois | John | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Four Star | Fall of stone |
| Scully or Soully | John | 1885 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 | Run over by cage |
| Dunbar | John | 1904 | Pictou County | Albion | Run over by a rake |
| McDonald | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone at face of room |
| Beaver | John | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 25 | Fall of stone; 1 of 2 killed |
| Dickson | John | 1940 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Livingstone | John | 1904 | Pictou County | Marsh | Jammed between a box and the roof |
| McLeod | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Lee | John | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| Crawford | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Milley | John | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Struck and run over by rake on main slope |
| Bowens | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Morrison | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of coal whilst holing in pillar |
| MacKay | John | 1953 | Pictou County | McGregor | Haulage accident: thrown from trip |
| Murphy | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| McNaughton | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Wilson | John | 1885 | Cumberland | Syndicate | burned by explosion of powder; 1 of 3 killed |
| Dunn | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Mitchell | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Holvia | John | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of stone |
| Mailman | John | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Davidson | John | 1895 | Cape Breton County | Hub | Fell from stage down shaft; 1 of 2 killed |
| Treige | John | 1945 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Struck by level trip |
| Carr | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Potts | John | 1874 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Rope broke on bucket going down pump shaft |
| Pendergrast | John | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Fergusson | John | 1887 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of roof coal |
| Manning | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Murphy | John | 1929 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| McGilchrist or Gilgrist | John | 1866 | Pictou County | Foster pit | Clothing caught in hoist winding drum |
| McNeil | John | 1887 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from pillar |
| McDonald | John | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Tighe | John (boy) | 1966 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 17 (old Victoria) | Methane inhalation; 1 of 2 cousins who went down old slope |
| Morrison | John #1 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John #1 | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Morrison | John #2 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John #2 | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| McKinnon | John 1st | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| MacNeil | John A. | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| MacIsaac | John A. | 1951 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18A | Haulage |
| McNeil | John A. | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Run over by loaded box |
| Richmond | John A. | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| Rickets | John A. | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by fall of coal |