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 48 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname |
Given Name(s) |
Year | County | Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milburn | William | 1895 or 1896 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 slope | Thrown from cage |
| Power | William | 1920 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Cassidy | William | 1906 | Inverness | Inverness | Struck by a rake on main slope |
| Horne or Horone | William | 1895 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall from roof |
| Jones | William | 1928 | Cape Breton County | Florence | Steel railing falling from car |
| Blake | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Peters | William | 1918 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 11 | Killed by main drive-chain on bank, on surface |
| Thompson | William | 1924 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | Fall of stone and coal |
| Chisholm | William | 1925 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Killed by runaway box |
| Stewart | William | 1874 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Fall of coal |
| Bonar | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Carey | William | 1905 | Cape Breton County | New Campbellton | Killed on main slope by the trip |
| Penny | William | 1928 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Fall of coal |
| Hyde | William | 1887 | Pictou County | Vale | Caught beneath a roof fall while timbering; 1 of 2 killed |
| Gumatto | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 2 | uncertain if killed; confusing records |
| McLeod | William | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Victoria | Killed by coal fall while removing coal leg |
| Myers | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Spencer | William | 1897 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 1 | Burned by compressed powder |
| McNamara | William | 1877 | Cape Breton County | Lingan | Explosion of boiler; 1 of 3 killed |
| Desmond | William | 1952 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 20 | Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed |
| Ince | William | 1938 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Caught by fall of rock |
| Roache or Roche | William | 1909 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Fall of stone |
| 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 |
| Main | William | 1919 | Cumberland | St. George | Struck by runaway box |
| McLutchy | William | 1890 | Cape Breton County | Reserve | Fall of stone from roof, died 5 weeks later |
| Hall | William | 1937 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 5 | Run over by full box |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| Lettuce | William | 1958 | Cape Breton County | Tomson | Explosion |
| Ferguson | William | 1956 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 4 | Draegerman; carbon monoxide post explosion |
| Long | William | 1901 or 1902 | Cumberland | Jubilee, River Hebert | Bankhead under construction fell on him |
| Hyde | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Paterson | William | 1912 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Fall of coal |
| Cann | William | 1942 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Struck by trip |
| Morrison | William | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 8 | Struck by box |
| Betts | William | 1914 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed |
| Carmichael | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Snow | William | 1908 | 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 |
| Smith | William | 1958 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Terrific, devastating bump |
| Colburn | William | 1910 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Carrigan | William | 1891 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 | Gas and coal dust explosion |
| Parsons | William | 1917 | Cape Breton County | Dominion No. 12 | Methane and blasting powder explosion |
| Newcomb | William | 1911 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Killed by a fall of timber |
| Hamilton | William | 1950 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Lowther | William | 1900 | Cumberland | Springhill No. 2 | Leg broken in fall of stone at working face |
| Mintis | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Collins | William | 1943 | Cape Breton County | Princess | Crushed under trip |