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)sort descending Year County Mine Cause
Large William 1942 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of stone
Mirtan William 1872 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Powder explosion
McKenzie William 1908 Inverness Port Hood Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed
Betts William 1914 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Boiler explosion in surface plant; 1 of 7 killed
Morrison William 1913 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 8 Struck by box
Hannaham or Hanrahan William 1883 Pictou County Vale Drawbar broke, crash of runaway slope rake
Wright William 1933 Pictou County Allan Shaft Asphixiated by methane gas
Stevenson William 1917 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Struck by prop, died 3 days later
Reid William 1929 Pictou County McGregor Struck on head by falling jackhammer; died 5 weeks later
Paterson William 1912 Cape Breton County Princess Fall of coal
Henderson William 1905 Cumberland Springhill No. 3 Fall of coal
Turnbull William 1958 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Terrific, devastating bump
Roach William 1861 Pictou County Bye pit Methane explosion
O'Brien 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
Turnbull William 1873 Pictou County Vale Under a falling derrick
Sumners William 1872 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery (Queen pit) Fell down shaft
White William 1930 Cumberland Victoria No. 2 Gas explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Hall William 1937 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 5 Run over by full box
Milburn William 1895 or 1896 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 slope Thrown from cage
McCallum William 1931 Cumberland Victoria No. 4 (Bright Light Mine) Went over surface dump with car
Elliott William 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Peters William 1918 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 11 Killed by main drive-chain on bank, on surface
Horne or Horone William 1895 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall from roof
Lewis William 1880 Pictou County Foord pit Devastating methane explosion
McDonald William 1887 Cumberland Springhill Fall of coal from face
Hurley William 1913 Cumberland Lawson Tube of boiler burst
Cyr William 1920 Pictou County Drummond No. 5 (Intercolonial No. 5) Run over by an empty box
Cann William 1942 Cape Breton County Princess Struck by trip
Penny William 1928 Cumberland Springhill No. 2 Fall of coal
Jones William 1928 Cape Breton County Florence Steel railing falling from car
Ferguson William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 Draegerman; carbon monoxide post explosion
Thompson William 1924 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Fall of stone and coal
Hutchinson William 1916 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Killed by cage
Partner William 1918 Pictou County Allan Shaft Devastating methane explosion
Blake William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Bonar William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
McKee William 1891 Cumberland Springhill No. 1 & No. 2 Gas and coal dust explosion
Rodgers William 1873 Pictou County Drummond mine (Intercolonial) Devastating methane explosion
Oram William 1878 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines (Princess) Methane explosion; 1 of 6 killed
Desmond William 1952 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 20 Methane explosion; 1 of 7 killed
Vokey William 1934 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 2 Loose coal from face
Cooke William 1979 Cape Breton County DEVCO No. 26 Methane explosion, sparked by coal shearer hitting stone; 1 of 12 killed
MacIntosh William 1899 Pictou County Six-Foot Seam (became Acadia No.3) Caught, crushed by revolving drum on hoist
Frew William 1906 Pictou County English Slopes (abandoned) Methane exploded when boy lit match while playing near old slope opening; 1 of 2 killed
Parsons William 1917 Cape Breton County Dominion No. 12 Methane and blasting powder explosion
Lettuce William 1958 Cape Breton County Tomson Explosion
Jones William 1956 Cumberland Springhill No. 4 On bankhead, Electricity-fired coal dust explosion
Hamilton William 1903 Cape Breton County Sydney Mines Colliery; Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Killed by runaway trip on slope
Hendricken William 1873 Pictou County Vale Crushed by coal tubs

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