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 2 of 50 pages (2497 entries).

Surname Given Name(s) Year Countysort descending Mine Cause
Gunn Dan 1933 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of stone
Durdle Neslon 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Riding on trip which left the road
Lawless Marcel 1935 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 11 Found on haulage
Steele James 1936 Cape Breton County North Sydney Pier Falling into pocket
Ralph John 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of coal
Dixon Richard 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
Campbell Thomas 1938 Cape Breton County Princess Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed
McNeil Angus J. 1940 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Struck by trip
Eveleigh G. Hector William 1941 Cape Breton County Indian Cove Coal Company Explosion; 1 of 2 killed
Pembroke James 1942 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 16 Struck by rake
Marsh Henry 1943 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 25 Drowned; 1 of 2 killed
O'Toole Terrance 1943 Cape Breton County Franklin Crushed between box and timber
McMullin Roderick 1945 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 18 Fall of stone; 1 of 2 killed
Salcon Trifon 1946 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Haulage
Melnick Steve 1948 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Haulage
Lyons Thomas 1949 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 24 Fall of stone
Clarke Edward 1951 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Fall of stone
Ledger Walter 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 4 Fall of stone
Ferguson Robert 1954 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Haulage
Head George 1955 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of stone
Moseychuck Victor 1957 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Haulage
Campbell James 1958 Cape Breton County Four Star Electrical
Brown Albert 1960 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of stone
Cameron John 1962 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Haulage
Hogan Cornelius 1964 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1B Fall of stone
Seward John 1967 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 26 Haulage: Run over by empty trip
Martell John Alexander 1970 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 12 Squeezed between 2 boxes on material landing
Cameron Alexander 1978 Cape Breton County Lingan Fall of stone
MacDougall Alphonse 1982 Cape Breton County Lingan Heart Attack
Brennick John 1870 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) Run over by wagon
MacDonald Murdock 1877 Cape Breton County Lingan Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed
Hall Edward 1879 Cape Breton County Lingan Empty horse wagon ran away
Vicars John 1889 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess?) Fall of loose coal, died after 12 days
Ferguson Ronald 1894 Cape Breton County Caledonia Explosion of dynamite while heating it
Spencer William 1897 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Burned by compressed powder
McDonald Alexander 1899 Cape Breton County Caledonia Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed
McDonald John 1900 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Killed by stone fall at face
Thistle George 1901 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Killed by runaway wagon from pit bottom
McDonald Daniel 1892 Cape Breton County Victoria Scalded by boiler explosion, died 9 days later 1 of 3 killed
Jackson Harry or Henry 1903 Cape Breton County Reserve Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope
McMullen Bernard 1904 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Killed by a trip
McPherson Malcolm 1906 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 1 Fall of stone
McNeil John P. 1906 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Killed by runaway box grab slipping off rope
McDonald C.R. 1907 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 6 Struck by empty trip
Hawley or Holley Edward 1908 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Box knocked out prop and boom, stone fell on him
Stewart Malcolm 1908 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Overwind man-shaft cage; 1of 2 killed
Schiavan Petro 1909 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 3 Fall of stone
Andrews William 1910 Cape Breton County Gowrie Fall of coal
MacIntyre Joseph 1893 Cape Breton County Victoria Run over by cage in balance, died next day
McDougall John A. 1904 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Fall of stone

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