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 48 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmichael | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Grant | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 6 | Fall of stone |
| Kent | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Fletcher | William | 1883 | Cumberland | Springhill | Killed by fracture of brake bolt |
| Andrews | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Gowrie | Fall of coal |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
| Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |
| Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |
| Oram | William | 1878 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed |
| Snow | William | 1930 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck head on roof when box jumped track |
| Lewis | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Kendell | William | 1929 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| Cargig | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 3 | Fell on pick handles |
| Jones | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| 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 |
| Tracey | William | 1914 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Killed by full trip |
| 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 |
| Sampson | William | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Haulage |
| Partner | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Carroll | William | 1910 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Jammed between coal hoppers at surface |
| Nicholson | William | 1927 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 10 | Squeezed between box and pillar |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Whiteway | William | 1903 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Methane explosion No.5 S level, French slope; died from burns 3 days later |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Forrest | William | 1944 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of stone |
| Aldrid | William | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Sydney Mines (Princess) | Fatally injured while riding in empty trip |
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Dixon | William | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Jubilee, Sydney Mines | Runaway trip |
| Rodgers | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Vokey | William | 1934 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Loose coal from face |
| MacIntosh | William | 1899 | Pictou County | Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) | Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist |
| Oliver | William | 1944 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Struck by trip |
| Stevens | William | 1910 | Cumberland | Chignecto | Explosion |
| Hendricken | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Crushed by coal tubs |
| Colburn | William | 1910 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Barnes | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Struck by runaway box |
| Gillespie | William | 1913 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Caught between box at 4700 bottom |
| Burke | William | 1930 | Cumberland | Victoria No. 2 | Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| McLellan | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| McDonald | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Struck by trip |
| Holm | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 16 | Fall of stone |
| McSephney | William | 1955 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Killed by haulage |
| McDonald | William | 1887 | Cumberland | Springhill | Fall of coal from face |
| Layton | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Injured while riding trip |
| Wright | William | 1933 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Asphixiated by methane gas |
| Muller | William | 1912 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of top coal at face of pillar |