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 3 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassidy | William | 1906 | Inverness | Inverness | Struck by a rake on main slope |
| Newcomb | William | 1911 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Killed by a fall of timber |
| MacKenzie | William | 1903 | Pictou County | Albion | Jumped from moving train in mine yard |
| Flemming | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Caught between box and boom |
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Hutchinson | William | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Killed by cage |
| Cyr | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Run over by an empty box |
| Chisholm | William | 1925 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Killed by runaway box |
| Stewart | William | 1874 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Fall of coal |
| Snow | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Turnbull | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Mintis | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
| Oram | William | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Reid | William | 1929 | Pictou County | McGregor | Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later |
| Mirtan | William | 1872 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Powder explosion |
| Main | William | 1919 | Cumberland | St. George | Struck by runaway box |
| Gillespie | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between box at 4700 bottom |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Roach | William | 1861 | Pictou County | Bye pit | Methane explosion |
| Hamilton | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Killed by runaway trip on slope |
| O'Brien | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Ramsay | William | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of roof |
| Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
| Frew | William | 1906 | Pictou County | English Slopes (abandoned) | Methane exploded when boy lit match while playing near old slope opening; 1 of 2 killed |
| Kelloway | William | 1965 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage: Struck by box |
| Grant | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Long | William | 1901 or 1902 | Cumberland | Jubilee, River Hebert | Bankhead under construction fell on him |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Andrews | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| Hyde | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Carmichael | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |
| Kent | 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 |
| Fletcher | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by fracture of brake bolt |
| King | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope |
| McAldine | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Fall of stone |
| Vokey | William | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from face |
| Tracey | William | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by full trip |