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 47 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacLeod | Wellington | 1921 | Pictou County | Albion | Suffocated by methane under coal fall |
| Stephens | Wendall | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion 1A | Caught in conveyor in boiler room |
| Poloski | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Nacas | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Sherider | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Schima or Schimo | Wenzel | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Thorne | Wesley | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Hunter | Wesley | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Hunter | Whylie or Wylie | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Hayman | Wilbert | 1921 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| 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 |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Horne | Wilfred | 1942 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| Atwood | Wilfred | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer |
| 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 |
| Carter | Willard | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Fanning | Willard | 1943 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal from face |
| Stevens | William | 1910 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Explosion |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| Paterson | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of coal |
| Parsons | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Morrison | William | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 8 | Struck by box |
| Burke | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| McLellan | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Turnbull | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| McNamara | William | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| Wright | William | 1933 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Asphixiated by methane gas |
| Blake | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| McLeod | William | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Gillespie | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between box at 4700 bottom |
| Muller | William | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of top coal at face of pillar |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Hamilton | William | 1950 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Colburn | William | 1910 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| McDonald | William | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Fall of coal from face |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Kelloway | William | 1965 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage: Struck by box |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Hannaham or Hanrahan | William | 1883 | Pictou County | Vale | Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake |
| Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |