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 4 of 50 pages (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort ascending Year County Mine Cause
Large William 1942 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of stone
Jones William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
Nicholson William 1927 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 10 Squeezed between box and pillar
Betts William 1914 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed
Hannaham or Hanrahan William 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Brown William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Gumatto William 1912 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 uncertain if killed; confusing records
Cargig William 1900 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Fell on pick handles
Stewart William 1874 Pictou County Black Diamond Fall of coal
Andrews William 1873 Cape Breton County Gowrie Fall of coal
Walsh William 1905 Inverness Port Hood Hit by boom sliding down slope while timbering
Grant William 1907 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 6 Fall of stone
Colburn William 1910 Pictou County Albion Fall of coal
Andrews William 1910 Cape Breton County Gowrie Fall of coal
Cassidy William 1906 Inverness Inverness Struck by a rake on main slope
Main William 1919 Cumberland St. George Struck by runaway box
Forrest William 1944 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of stone
Chisholm William 1925 Inverness Inverness No. 1 Killed by runaway box
Morrison William 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 8 Struck by box
Paterson William 1912 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of coal
Newcomb William 1911 Pictou County Allan Shaft Killed by a fall of timber
Hall William 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Run over by full box
King William 1903 Cape Breton County Reserve Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope
McAldine William 1910 Cape Breton County Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) Fall of stone
Mintis William 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Long William 1901 or 1902 Cumberland Jubilee, River Hebert Bankhead under construction fell on him
Carter Willard 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Fanning Willard 1943 Pictou County Albion Fall of coal from face
Stewart Wilkie 1903 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Tally boy, age 14; jammed between tub and tipple at pit head
McDonald Wilfred 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 18 Haulage, surface
Theriault Wilfred 1916 Cape Breton County Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) Killed by shot blowing through pillar
White Wilfred 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Horne Wilfred 1942 Pictou County Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) Fall of stone
Atwood Wilfred 1969 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 12 Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer
Andrews Wilfred 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 6 Fall of stone
Seward Wilfred 1961 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage
Hayman Wilbert 1921 Pictou County McGregor Fall of coal
Hunter Whylie or Wylie 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Reynolds Wesley 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Thorne Wesley 1959 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Haulage
Hunter Wesley 1954 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Bump; 1 of 5 killed
Schima or Schimo Wenzel 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Sherider Wentzell 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Poloski Wentzell 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Nacas Wentzell 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Stephens Wendall 1928 Cape Breton County Dominion 1A Caught in conveyor in boiler room
MacLeod Wellington 1921 Pictou County Albion Suffocated by methane under coal fall
Conway Wayne Michael 1992 Pictou County Westray Devastating methane and coal dust explosion
Mills Wayne 1979 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed
Raeshore Wayne 1982 Cape Breton County Prince

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