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 |
| Nacas | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Sherider | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Poloski | 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 |
| Hunter | Wesley | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Thorne | Wesley | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| 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 |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| 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 |
| Atwood | Wilfred | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer |
| White | Wilfred | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Horne | Wilfred | 1942 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Hurley | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Lawson | Tube of boiler burst |
| Kent | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Fletcher | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by fracture of brake bolt |
| MacKenzie | William | 1903 | Pictou County | Albion | Jumped from moving train in mine yard |
| Smith | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Cyr | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Run over by an empty box |
| Murdock | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |
| Large | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| Willis | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of roof stone whilst driving |
| Cargig | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell on pick handles |
| Power | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Jones | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Gadd | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Blake | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
| Stevenson | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Andrews | William | 1873 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Myers | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Frew | William | 1906 | Pictou County | English Slopes (abandoned) | Methane exploded when boy lit match while playing near old slope opening; 1 of 2 killed |
| Kelloway | William | 1965 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage: Struck by box |
| Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |