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 7 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) | Year |
County |
Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts | Michael | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Kerr | Ross | 1983 | Cape Breton County | Prince | Electrocuted |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| Green | John | 1871 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) | Fall off bridge |
| Nearing | John | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| Cook | Robert | 1881 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Riding on Engine plane |
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| Fortune | James | 1894 | Cape Breton County | International | Full trip on deep road |
| Boutilier | John | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess?) | Fall of roof stone |
| McDougall | Roderick or Rory | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McLellan | Joseph | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Roof stone fell on him while driving |
| McIntyre | Donald | 1901 | Cape Breton County | International | Caught by runaway coal box from bank on surface |
| McLeod | John | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of coal from pillar |
| King | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope |
| Carey | William | 1905 | Cape Breton County | New Campbellton | Killed on main slope by the trip |
| Dominick | P. | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of coal from face |
| Dunphy | James | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal from face |
| Campbell | John A. | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone |
| Lee | John | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| Philpot | Nicholas | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 and No. 9 Surface plant | Boiler explosion; 1 of 3 or 4 killed |
| Roache or Roche | William | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| McAldine | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Fall of stone |
| McDougall | Peter | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Killed on balance, run over by cuddy |
| LeBlanc | Edward | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 3 (Florence) | Struck by moving box |
| Spiccochi | Higo | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 or Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal from face |
| McSorley | Anthony | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Caught by rope and drawn behind drum |
| Curry | Michael | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of stone |
| Gillis | Peter | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Live wire |
| Zyales | Stainslaw | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of stone |
| Baldwin | Philip | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| Degaust | Alex | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 7 | Fall of stone |
| Saccrey | John W. | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Fall of roof |
| Gardner | Michael A. | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Fall of roof |
| McDonald | A. J. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of coal |
| Butts | Joseph L. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Ferguson | Charles | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| McLellan | Andrew | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Pietzrak or Pietchieck | Carl | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Rescue work after explosion |
| McDonald | John | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 9 | Runaway car, died 6 days later |
| McLeod | Daniel | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by runaway box |
| Witstanley | John T. | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Snow | John W. | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of coal |
| Flemming | Edward | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, Sydney Mines | Found dead with radial coalcutter resting on body |
| Walzak | Albert | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone from roof in pillar work |
| Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
| Skinner | Richard | 1925 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of stone |
| Kralieck | Bohuslon | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Kernekant or Heinekamp | Herman | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
| Turner | David | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Squeezed between rib and box |