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 45 of 50 pages (2497 entries).

Surname Given Name(s) Yearsort ascending County Mine Cause
McDonald Hugh 1889 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of loose coal
Jones James 1889 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Explosion of methane
White Amos 1889 Cumberland Joggins Struck by rake in slope
Vicars John 1889 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Fall of loose coal, died after 12 days
Cameron Alexander 1888 Pictou County English Slopes (abandoned) Overground as a boiler was being lowered
Adams John 1888 Cumberland Springhill Surface Cause not recorded
MacKinnon Neil 1888 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Run over by trip
Haley or Hanley Angus 1887 Pictou County Vale Run over by boxes on main slope
Hyde William 1887 Pictou County Vale Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed
Mackey or Mackie James 1887 Cumberland Springhill Leg broken; caught by cage in balance
McDonald William 1887 Cumberland Springhill Fall of coal from face
May George 1887 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fatally hurt
Crawford Clinton 1887 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Fall of frozen clay; 1 of 2 killed
Guthro Thomas 1887 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Fall of frozen clay; 1 of 2 killed
Richmond John A. 1887 Cumberland Springhill Surface Cause not recorded
Fergusson John 1887 Cape Breton County Gowrie Fall of roof coal
McNeil John 1887 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of coal from pillar
Steele Thomas 1887 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Fall of roof stone
Spoors Mat 1887 Pictou County Vale Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed
McLeod Murdock 1886 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 Fall of roof
Turner George 1886 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of top coal
McGowen Alex 1886 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Dropped dead at face by heart disease
Morrison Daniel 1886 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Run over by tub due to broken rope
Hayman David 1886 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Run over by a box of coal
Kennedy Dan 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
McNeil Dan 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Cameron Hugh 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Ryan Thomas 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Scully or Soully John 1885 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 Run over by cage
Haslam James 1885 Cumberland Syndicate burned by explosion of powder; 1 of 3 killed
Foley Pat 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Tower Thomas 1885 Cumberland Syndicate burned by explosion of powder; 1 of 3 killed
Wilson John 1885 Cumberland Syndicate burned by explosion of powder; 1 of 3 killed
McDonald Donald 1885 Cumberland Westville or Springhill mine Died after breaking legs
Grant John 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Campbell John A. 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
McBeth or MacBeath Phillip 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Haggart Joe or James 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Fraser John Walter 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
MacEachern John 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
McKinnon Neil 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
McLean J. 1885 Pictou County Vale Devastating methane explosion
Gillis Peter 1884 Pictou County Acadia Fall of coal
Crocker Frederick 1884 Cumberland Springhill Crushed between water box and timber
Campbell William 1884 Pictou County Albion Premature explosion of a shot
Stubbert Foreman 1884 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of coal
McLellan James 1884 Pictou County Albion Struck by a rake
Gillies or Gillis James 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Flinn or Flynn Garnett 1883 Pictou County Vale Fall of coal
Fletcher William 1883 Cumberland Springhill Killed by fracture of brake bolt

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