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 49 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) | Year |
County |
Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josso | John | 1891 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of coal in room |
| McKinnon | Alexander | 1895 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Methane explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| McDonald | John | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Caught between full trip and prop |
| Evans | George | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from face of room |
| Jameson | Hector | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal whilst drawing pillars; 1 of 2 killed |
| McPherson | D.J. | 1901 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed while examining shaft on top of cage when cage in motion |
| McGowan | Harry | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Fall of stone from roof |
| Nicholson | Norman | 1904 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Broken back, died 11 weeks later |
| Fitzgerald | Laurence | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone from roof |
| Ireland | Dan | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Struck by box |
| Wilson | Nelson | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed on surface by haulage rope used to convey cars under screens |
| Broderick | R. | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Struck by runaway box down main slope; 1 of 3 killed |
| Snow | William | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| MacLeod | Neil | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 5 (Queen) | Fall of stone |
| Wilson | Robert | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Fall of stone |
| Johnson | Angus | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Jammed between coal hoppers at surface |
| Farrell | Sebastien | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Scotia | Fall of stone; died with another family member |
| Hennessey | Joseph | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone, leg injured |
| Ferguson | Archie F. | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) | Methane explosion and coal dust; 1 of 8 killed |
| Cauffery | Albert | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Premature shot |
| Shoder | Martin | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of roof |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Ferguson | A.T. | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Killed by a box |
| Neary | Andrew | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Fell under moving car |
| Brown | Thomas | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone |
| Boutilier | Seth | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Trip ran over him, died 7 days later |
| Hutchinson | William | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Killed by cage |
| Cummings | James | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Caught between cars and rib |
| Coleman | Peter | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Killoway | Arthur | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Milley | Nelson | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Skacun | Mitro | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| McGill | James | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Runaway car |
| Boutilier | Thomas | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | Kenneth | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Crushed between box and pillar |
| McDougall | Allan | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Prentice | Patrick | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Colonial No. 2 | Electric wire |
| Handrigan | John | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Fall of stone in pillar work; 1 of 2 killed |
| Devoe | James | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Killed by box on main deep |
| Roach | Dan | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Fitzner | John | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Young | George | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Colonial No. 1 | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | John | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall of coal |
| Strang | Thomas L. | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Donkey runner; caught in rope on drum |
| Chiasson | Joseph R. | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Gerard | Daniel | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Engine and bed raised by jerk; he fell underneath |
| Kavanaugh | Michael | 1933 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Overcome by gas |
| Kutzyk | Matthew | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| Martin | Isadore | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of stone |
| Bradbury | Isaac | 1936 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2, Surface | Fell in pickling tank on surface |