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 31 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald | John J. | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| McDougall | John J. | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Hit by a small stone |
| MacLean | John J. | 1966 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage: Hit by an empty trip |
| Laffin | John J. | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from face |
| Vienneau or Veneau | John J. | 1940 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Caught between box and boom |
| Smith | John J. | 1926 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Coal fall that had him buried for 2 hours |
| Gouthro | John J. | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Struck by empty trip |
| McElvie | John Jr | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| McNeal | John Jr. | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Fear | John L. | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Richards | John M. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Scotia No. 4 | Slipped and fell on travelling road; accident Jan. 4, died Jan. 24. |
| McNeil | John M. | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal at face |
| Blue | John M. | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Caught under descending cage |
| Baudoux | John maybe George | 1930 | Pictou County | Albion (Purvis slope) | Riding an empty trip that derailed; killed by falling timbers and stone |
| Reid | John N. | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Accidental dynamite explosion |
| McNeil | John P. | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Killed by runaway box grab slipping off rope |
| Halloran | John Philip | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Whalen | John R. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Ferguson | John R. | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Kicked by a horse |
| Murphy | John R. | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone at face |
| MacDonald | John Robert | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Taylor | John S. | 1935 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Struck by trip |
| McElvie | John Sr | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Cullen | John Sr. | 1934 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Elliott | John T | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| MacDonald | John T. | 1951 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall in shaft |
| Witstanley | John T. | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Holloway | John Thomas | 1954 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Electricity |
| Bates | John Thomas | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Haley | John V. | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Caught between car and timber |
| Scott | John W. | 1905 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by trip on turnout |
| Ryan | John W. | 1903 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Fatally injured |
| Cameron | John W. | 1946 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by coal trip on main slope |
| Gouthro | John W. | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Struck by trip |
| McKay | John w. | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Killed by riding on a trip |
| Saccrey | John W. | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Fall of roof |
| Sweeney | John W. | 1924 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Burney | John W. | 1901 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Killed by fall of top coal and stone |
| Snow | John W. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Fraser | John Walter | 1885 | Pictou County | Vale | Devastating methane explosion |
| McMullin | John William | 1945 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Fall of stone |
| Beaton | John William | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| McDonald | John Y. | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of coal from face |
| Doyle | John, Jr. | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Doyle | John, Sr. | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McDonald | Joseph | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Debodt | Joseph | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Pitt | Joseph | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Nearing | Joseph | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McIntyre | Joseph | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion 2 and 9 pityard (surface) | Jammed between wall and superintendent''s auto |