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) |
Year |
County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonar | John | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of stone |
| Burchell | John | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fell down shaft |
| Ferguson | David | 1877 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Run over by counter balance |
| McDonald | J. R. | 1877 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Fall of roof |
| MacDonald | Murdock | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| McNamara | William | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| Colin | Francis | 1878 | Pictou County | Acadia | Run over by pit tub |
| Watts | Alexander | 1878 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion of steam boiler; 1 of 2 killed |
| Strong | William H. | 1878 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed on surface |
| Greenwell | Isaac | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Hutcheson | Robert | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| McDonald | Murdoch | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| McNeil | Roderick | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Millville | Edward | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Gillies | Angus | 1878 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion of steam boiler; 1 of 2 killed |
| Oram | William | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Holland | Guthrie | 1878 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Fall of roof stone |
| Hall | Edward | 1879 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Empty horse wagon ran away |
| Boutilier | W. | 1879 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Taking down coal loosened by shot |
| Russell | Robert M. | 1879 | Pictou County | Acadia | Collapse of coal storage structure |
| Christopher | George | 1879 | Pictou County | Vale | Rope broke while on loaded tubs |
| Murdock | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Skinner | Job | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| MacLeod | Robert | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McElvie | Hugh | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| Thomas | Lewis | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Ryan | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Lewis | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McGillivray | Angus | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Connolly | C. | 1880 | Pictou County | Vale | Burned by gas ignited by his open-flame lamp |
| Turner | James | 1880 | Pictou County | Acadia | Fall of coal |
| Conway | James D. | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| Nearing | Joseph | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McInnis | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Dragon | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McInnis | Peter | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Savage | Edward | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McKay | Thomas | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Dunbar | Charles | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McKay | Angus | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Mitchell | James | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Dunbar | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Benoit | Merle | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| Fraser | James W. | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| Crawford | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Haddon | Henry | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Morrison | Laughlin | 1880 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| McKinnon | Rod #1 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Roberts | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Morrison | John #1 | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |