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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neal | John | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 2 (Lloyd's Cove) | Struck by runaway box |
| McDonald | John | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Runaway car, died 6 days later |
| Luckman | John | 1870 | Cape Breton County | International | Crushed by cage |
| Frye | John | 1914 | Pictou County | Albion | Riding a coal trip that derailed |
| McLeod | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| McVicar | John | 1957 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage |
| Savage | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Murphy | John | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Crushed by runaway box |
| Williams | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Brennick | John | 1870 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Run over by wagon |
| Bennett | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Yakubaski | John | 1940 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fractured ankle, infection and shock, died 27 days later |
| Wilson | John | 1885 | Cumberland | Syndicate | burned by explosion of powder; 1 of 3 killed |
| Nairn | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Capstick | John | 1960 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Fall of stone |
| Nicholson | John | 1881 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught between moving rake & door |
| Roach | John | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Fitzner | John | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | John | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of coal |
| Nicholson | John | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake |
| Rollins | John | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Green | John | 1871 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fall off bridge |
| Pittman | John | 1955 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage |
| Dickson | John | 1940 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| O'Handley | John | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominon No. 11 | Killed between box and roof |
| Finlayson | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal, died 15 days later |
| Connorton | John | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Ryan | John | 1904 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of stone from roof |
| McLean | John | 1937 | Inverness | Inverness | Struck by trip or rope |
| Wilkes | John | 1902 | Pictou County | Marsh | Dynamite explosion in office; frozen sticks put near heat to thaw; 1 of 3 killed |
| Gould | John | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Martin | John | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Piece of coal from roof |
| McLeod | John | 1904 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by motor |
| Roberts | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | John | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone at face of room |
| Crawford | john | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Cormier | John | 1907 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Caught between car and bankhead |
| Newman | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Mazur | John | 1931 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of Coal |
| Tighe | John (boy) | 1966 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 17 (old Victoria) | Methane inhalation; 1 of 2 cousins who went down old slope |
| McDonald | John #1 | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Morrison | John #1 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | 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 |
| Richmond | John A. | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| McLellan | John A. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| McNeil | John A. | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| Foster | John A. | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) | Fall of stone |
| Young | John A. | 1956 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of timber |