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)sort descending Year County Mine Cause
Chisholm William 1925 Inverness Inverness No. 1 Killed by runaway box
Thompson William 1924 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of stone and coal
Andrews William 1873 Cape Breton County Gowrie Fall of coal
Kelloway William 1965 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Haulage: Struck by box
Aldrid William 1907 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Fatally injured while riding in empty trip
Horne or Horone William 1895 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall from roof
Jones William 1928 Cape Breton County Florence Steel railing falling from car
White William 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Hall William 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Run over by full box
Morrison William 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 8 Struck by box
Colburn William 1910 Pictou County Albion Fall of coal
Paterson William 1912 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of coal
Penny William 1928 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of coal
Turnbull William 1873 Pictou County Vale Under a falling derrick
Hamilton William 1950 Pictou County Albion Fall of coal
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
Cann William 1942 Cape Breton County Princess Struck by trip
Murdock William 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Betts William 1914 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed
Hurley William 1913 Cumberland Lawson Tube of boiler burst
Hannaham or Hanrahan William 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Blake William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Ferguson William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Draegerman; carbon monoxide post explosion
Spencer William 1897 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Burned by compressed powder
Bonar William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Hyde William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Power William 1920 Pictou County Allan Shaft Fall of coal
Peters William 1918 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 11 Killed by main drive-chain on bank, on surface
Desmond William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
McNamara William 1877 Cape Breton County Lingan Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed
Carmichael William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Smith William 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Carrigan William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Myers William 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
McLutchy William 1890 Cape Breton County Reserve Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later
Kent William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Burke William 1866 Cape Breton County Caledonia Fall of picks in shaft
Fletcher William 1883 Cumberland Springhill Killed by fracture of brake bolt
Lettuce William 1958 Cape Breton County Tomson 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
Hutchinson William 1916 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Killed by cage
Jones William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
Lewis William 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
Cargig William 1900 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Fell on pick handles
Hachey William 1932 Cumberland Maple Leaf No. 4 Dust and gas explosion; 1 of 5 killed
Stevenson William 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
McDonald William 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Struck by trip
Barnes William 1943 Cape Breton County Tomson Struck by runaway box

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