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) | 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 |