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 48 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sampson | William | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Haulage |
| Burke | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Wright | William | 1933 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Asphixiated by methane gas |
| Rodgers | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| King | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope |
| Jones | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| Cassidy | William | 1906 | Inverness | Inverness | Struck by a rake on main slope |
| Kelloway | William | 1965 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage: Struck by box |
| Turnbull | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Peters | William | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Killed by main drive-chain on bank, on surface |
| Chisholm | William | 1925 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Killed by runaway box |
| Lowe | William | 1839 | Pictou County | Storr pit | Methane explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| McAldine | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Fall of stone |
| McNamara | William | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| Paterson | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of coal |
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| Whiteway | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope; died from burns 3 days later |
| Morrison | William | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 8 | Struck by box |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| Carroll | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Jammed between coal hoppers at surface |
| Aldrid | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fatally injured while riding in empty trip |
| McLellan | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Vokey | William | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from face |
| Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |
| Oliver | William | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by trip |
| Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
| Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| MacKenzie | William | 1903 | Pictou County | Albion | Jumped from moving train in mine yard |
| Cargig | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell on pick handles |
| Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |
| White | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| McLeod | William | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Muller | William | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of top coal at face of pillar |
| McDonald | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by trip |
| McCallum | William | 1931 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) | Went over surface dump with car |
| Barnes | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Struck by runaway box |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Hyde | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Hurley | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Lawson | Tube of boiler burst |
| Campbell | William | 1884 | Pictou County | Albion | Premature explosion of a shot |
| Layton | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Injured while riding trip |
| Holm | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Carmichael | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
| Dunbar | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Sumners | William | 1872 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fell down shaft |