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 50 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burchill or Birchill | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Hamilton | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Killed by runaway trip on slope |
| Rodgers | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Ramsay | William | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of roof |
| MacIntosh | William | 1899 | Pictou County | Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) | Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist |
| Hachey | William | 1932 | Cumberland | Maple Leaf No. 4 | Dust and gas explosion; 1 of 5 killed |
| Patton | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed) |
| Blake | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Stentley | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| McGillvary | William 2nd | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Cope | William A. | 1922 | Cumberland | Victoria | Caught between roof and car on slope, died 30 days later |
| Rushton | William A. | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| MacDonald or Greenwood | William A. | 1933 | Pictou County | Milford | Fall of stone |
| Cameron | William Archibald | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Caught by revolving wheel on main driving shaft of screen engine under bankhouse |
| Muirhead | William B. | 1912 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Runaway empty box on Drummond #1 slope; 1 of 2 killed |
| Downs | William B. | 1910 | Pictou County | Albion | Scalded or burned, causes unknown; a machinist making repairs |
| MacDonald | William B. | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Campbell | William C. | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Trip of boxes |
| Ross | William D. | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Robbins | William F. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Canning | William G. | 1952 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Found dead in mine |
| Tower | William H. | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Strong | William H. | 1878 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed on surface |
| Turner | William H. | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| MacDonald | William J. | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |
| Nelson | William J. | 1929 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between boom and car |
| Peach | William J. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Maiden | William J. | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Cottenden | William J. | 1953 | Cumberland | Springhill (Cumberland Railway & Coal) | Electricity, on surface |
| Mitchell | William James | 1925 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by trip of boxes; 1 of 2 killed |
| Aucoin | William Joseph | 1946 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of roof |
| Fraser | William K. | 1898 | Cumberland | Springhill Surface | Cause not recorded |
| Cochrane | William L. | 1946 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Killed by mine machinery |
| Cunningham | William M. | 1897 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of rock on mail level |
| Terris | William R. | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Killed by haulage |
| Reid | William S. | 1923 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump caused fall of coal |
| Marshall | Willian | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Caught between cage and roof |
| Deveau | Willie V. | 1966 | Inverness | Evans Mine | Killed by haulage |
| Bates | Willis | 1957 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Haulage |
| McLean | Wilmont | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Haulage |
| O'Connor | Wilmot | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of coal |
| Beaton | Wilson | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 25 | Drowned; 1 of 2 killed |
| Sample | Winton | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Dickson | Wlliam | 1927 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 7 | Struck by rake |
| Mitetski | Woosyl | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of coal |
| Wadystan | Wyercbick | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |