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 40 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) | Year |
County |
Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilliar | Joseph | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | |
| Howie | Alexander | 1901 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Killed by runaway coal wagon in east deep |
| Finlay | Bart | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Harbour Seam | Fall of stone from roof |
| McDonald | Dan | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of cage down shaft |
| Warren | Edward | 1904 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone from roof |
| McVarish | J. | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Run over by box |
| Morrison | John | 1906 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fatally injured between boxes on slope |
| McMullin | John | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Bartlett | John C. | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal |
| Johnston | James | 1908 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fatally injured by air pipe bursting, died a month later |
| Seaman | Max | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Electric wire |
| McLean | Dan S. | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | While connecting wire, shotfirer fired |
| Connors | John | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Run over by motor, died a few hours after |
| Hamilton | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal | Killed by runaway trip on slope |
| McLean | Dan | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fell under engine |
| Purchase | Harry | 1911 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines No. 3 (Florence) | Methane explosion and coal dust; 1 of 8 killed |
| Gumatto | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | uncertain if killed; confusing records |
| Graham | Alex | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 15 | Fall of stone |
| Geuro | Petro | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Struck by box |
| Gaskin | Thomas | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Flavin | Edward | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| Milo | Louis | 1915 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Killed by runaway box |
| Johnston | James | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 14 | Killed by trip |
| Wasakalius | Ant. | 1916 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Killed by runaway box |
| Riley | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of stone |
| Curry | John | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Matthews | George W. | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Nicholson | Philip | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Rescue work after explosion |
| Walsh | Joseph | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Copely | David | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Scotia (Sydney Mines) | Fall of stone |
| Pohoronz | Wasyl | 1919 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Fall of coal |
| McInnis | Daniel | 1920 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of coal |
| Desmond | Frank | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Greener | Empty box passed over him, died 28 days later in hospital |
| Hest | Joseph | 1922 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 22 | Struck by runaway car, near landing |
| McNeil | Michael K. | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone in room |
| McDonald | Daniel A. | 1925 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Killed by coal tipple on bankhead |
| Martell | Louis | 1926 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Falling pit timber |
| Young | James | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Squeezed between prop and trip |
| Lee | Charles | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Fall of coal |
| Phalen | Edward | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | Arch. B. | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1B | Struck by a full box |
| Ferguson | Donald J. | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 4 | Fall of stone |
| Hamilton | Thomas | 1931 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | Henry | 1933 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Kicked by a horse |
| Hines | Thomas J. | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Fall of stone |
| Scott | Leslie | 1935 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from rib |
| Dow | Lawrence | 1936 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 24 | Fall off roof |
| Fry | Stanley G. | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Fall of stone |
| Marsh | Thomas | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or | Struck by trip |
| Aspinall | James | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Broken cable on riding rake; 1 of 21 killed |