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 4 of 50 pages (2497 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort ascending Year County Mine Cause
McDonald William 1887 Cumberland Springhill Fall of coal from face
Spencer William 1897 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Burned by compressed powder
Myers William 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Smith William 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Cherrie William 1905 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 killed at the 2400-foot level
Vokey William 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Loose coal from face
Snow William 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Stewart William 1874 Pictou County Black Diamond Fall of coal
MacIntosh William 1899 Pictou County Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist
McNamara William 1877 Cape Breton County Lingan Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed
Oliver William 1944 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Struck by trip
Elliott William 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
McLutchy William 1890 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later
Stevenson William 1917 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Struck by prop, died 3 days later
Hamilton William 1903 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Killed by runaway trip on slope
Burke William 1866 Cape Breton County Caledonia Fall of picks in shaft
Cyr William 1920 Pictou County Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) Run over by an empty box
Hendricken William 1873 Pictou County Vale Crushed by coal tubs
Flemming William 1907 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Caught between box and boom
Henderson William 1905 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Fall of coal
Barnes William 1943 Cape Breton County Tomson Struck by runaway box
Jewkes William 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
McDonald William 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Struck by trip
Main William 1919 Cumberland St. George Struck by runaway box
Ramsay William 1915 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 15 Fall of roof
Stevenson William 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Fanning Willard 1943 Pictou County Albion Fall of coal from face
Carter Willard 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
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
Atwood Wilfred 1969 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 12 Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer
Horne Wilfred 1942 Pictou County Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) Fall of stone
Andrews Wilfred 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 6 Fall of stone
McDonald Wilfred 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 18 Haulage, surface
White Wilfred 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Seward Wilfred 1961 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage
Theriault Wilfred 1916 Cape Breton County Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) Killed by shot blowing through pillar
Hayman Wilbert 1921 Pictou County McGregor Fall of coal
Hunter Whylie or Wylie 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Hunter Wesley 1954 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Bump; 1 of 5 killed
Reynolds Wesley 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Thorne Wesley 1959 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Haulage
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
Raeshore Wayne 1982 Cape Breton County Prince
Mills Wayne 1979 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed

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