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 4 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stevenson | William | 1917 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Struck by prop, died 3 days later |
| Whittle | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Oliver | William | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by trip |
| McAldine | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Fall of stone |
| Henderson | William | 1905 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fall of coal |
| McLeod | William | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Muller | William | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of top coal at face of pillar |
| Carroll | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Jammed between coal hoppers at surface |
| Whiteway | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope; died from burns 3 days later |
| Patton | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Suffocated by carbonic acid (1 of 3 killed) |
| Stentley | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Driscol or Driscoll | William | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Slipped from car, wheels passed over him |
| Aldrid | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fatally injured while riding in empty trip |
| Willis | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fall of roof stone whilst driving |
| Hachey | William | 1932 | Cumberland | Maple Leaf No. 4 | Dust and gas explosion; 1 of 5 killed |
| Milburn | William | 1895 or 1896 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 slope | Thrown from cage |
| Smith | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| McDonald | William | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Fall of coal from face |
| Walsh | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Horne or Horone | William | 1895 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall from roof |
| Vokey | William | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from face |
| Kelloway | William | 1965 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Haulage: Struck by box |
| Hall | William | 1918 | Cumberland | Joggins | Fall of stone, died 14 hours later |
| Andrews | William | 1873 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| Munsie | William | 1943 | Pictou County | McGregor | Crushed between a box and a steel boom |
| Peters | William | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Killed by main drive-chain on bank, on surface |
| Fanning | Willard | 1943 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal from face |
| Carter | Willard | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Stewart | Wilkie | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Tally boy, age 14; jammed between tub and tipple at pit head |
| Seward | Wilfred | 1961 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 26 | Haulage |
| McDonald | Wilfred | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 18 | Haulage, surface |
| Horne | Wilfred | 1942 | Pictou County | Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) | Fall of stone |
| Theriault | Wilfred | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Sydney No. 4 (Scotia) | Killed by shot blowing through pillar |
| White | Wilfred | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Atwood | Wilfred | 1969 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 12 | Caught on cutting drum of Anderton Shearer |
| Andrews | Wilfred | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Hayman | Wilbert | 1921 | Pictou County | McGregor | Fall of coal |
| Hunter | Whylie or Wylie | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Thorne | Wesley | 1959 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Haulage |
| Hunter | Wesley | 1954 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Bump; 1 of 5 killed |
| Reynolds | Wesley | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Schima or Schimo | Wenzel | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Nacas | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Sherider | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Poloski | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Stephens | Wendall | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion 1A | Caught in conveyor in boiler room |
| MacLeod | Wellington | 1921 | Pictou County | Albion | Suffocated by methane under coal fall |
| Conway | Wayne Michael | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Mills | Wayne | 1979 | Cape Breton County | DEVCO No. 26 | Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed |
| Raeshore | Wayne | 1982 | Cape Breton County | Prince |