Coal Mining Fatalities

This database contains 2498 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 (2498 entries).

Surname Given Name(s)sort descending Year County Mine Cause
Rodgers William 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
McSephney William 1955 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Killed by haulage
Parsons William 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Large William 1942 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of stone
Grant William 1907 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 6 Fall of stone
Blake William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Cherrie William 1905 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 killed at the 2400-foot level
Andrews William 1910 Cape Breton County Gowrie Fall of coal
Betts William 1914 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed
Whittle William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of stone
Stevens William 1910 Cumberland Chignecto Explosion
Hamilton William 1950 Pictou County Albion Fall of coal
Bonar William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Burke William 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed
McLellan William 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Burchill or Birchill William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Desmond William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Sumners William 1872 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) Fell down shaft
Wright William 1933 Pictou County Allan Shaft Asphixiated by methane gas
Stevenson William 1917 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Struck by prop, died 3 days later
King William 1903 Cape Breton County Reserve Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope
Lettuce William 1958 Cape Breton County Tomson Explosion
Hannaham or Hanrahan William 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Henderson William 1905 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Fall of coal
McLeod William 1952 Pictou County McGregor Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed
McAldine William 1910 Cape Breton County Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) Fall of stone
Muller William 1912 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of top coal at face of pillar
Hutchinson William 1916 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Killed by cage
Brown William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Carroll William 1910 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Jammed between coal hoppers at surface
Gadd William 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Hall William 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Run over by full box
Whiteway William 1903 Cape Breton County Reserve Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope; died from burns 3 days later
Aldrid William 1907 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Fatally injured while riding in empty trip
Walsh William 1905 Inverness Port Hood Hit by boom sliding down slope while timbering
Turnbull William 1873 Pictou County Vale Under a falling derrick
Campbell William 1884 Pictou County Albion Premature explosion of a shot
Cassidy William 1906 Inverness Inverness Struck by a rake on main slope
White William 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Cann William 1942 Cape Breton County Princess Struck by trip
Milburn William 1895 or 1896 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 slope Thrown from cage
Chisholm William 1925 Inverness Inverness No. 1 Killed by runaway box
McCallum William 1931 Cumberland Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) Went over surface dump with car
Munsie William 1943 Pictou County McGregor Crushed between a box and a steel boom
Snow William 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Horne or Horone William 1895 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall from roof
Dunbar William 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Hamilton William 1903 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Killed by runaway trip on slope
Murdock William 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Lewis William 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion

Pages