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 6 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) | Year | County |
Mine |
Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Brien | William | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Roach or Roche | James Sr. | 1932 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Sherider | Wentzell | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Tabbot | John | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Chisholm | James | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Francis | James | 1938 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Struck by cage lever on surface; died 3 days later |
| Grasesnack | C. G. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Heyne | Victor | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Kayens | Felician | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Launey | Francis | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Lohez | Joseph | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| O'Brien | J. D. | 1939 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal from roof |
| Van Larkin | Dominic | 1924 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Carbon monoxide suffocation after explosion; 1 of 4 killed |
| Hasey | Angus | 1934 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft Power House | Caught in stoke driver shaft |
| Lamb | Herbert | 1934 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft Power House | Collided with turbine in power house |
| Conway | John | 1868 | Cape Breton County | Aspe Bay | Explosion of powder |
| Gower | Frederick | 1953 | Cape Breton County | Beaver | Fall of stone |
| Fraser | Alexander | 1875 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Crushed by moving coal tub against a doorpost |
| Stewart | William | 1874 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Fall of coal |
| Fraser | Albert | 1890 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Riding on a coal trip which jumped track |
| Porter | James | 1914 | Cumberland | Black Diamond | Thawing Samsonite (possibly a powder brand) |
| Marsh | Thomas | 1938 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or | Struck by trip |
| Todd | Matther | 1941 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or | Fall of stone |
| Beaton | Philip | 1939 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or No. 1 | Caught between 2 cars, died 3 days later |
| Adair | Robert | 1921 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or No. 4 | Explosion of methane |
| Collier | Alfred | 1923 | Cape Breton County | Bras d'Or No. 4 | Fall of coal from roof in room |
| Crowly | Eli | 1898 | Cape Breton County | Bridgeport | Fall of roof stone |
| Cathcart | James | 1896 | Cape Breton County | Bridgeport | Fall of coal while loading |
| Campbell | David | 1913 | Cape Breton County | Broughton | Struck by runaway box |
| Harvey | Robert | 1867 | Pictou County | Cage pit | Gas suffocation |
| Redpath | George | 1858 | Pictou County | Cage pit | Methane explosion; 1 of 2 killed |
| Russell | unknown | 1858 | Pictou County | Cage pit | Carbon monoxide after methane explosion 1of 2 killed |
| Martin | Donald | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McKinnon | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Killed by falling roof stone while driving |
| McDonald | Daniel | 1901 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Killed by shot going off while firing squib |
| McAulay | Malcolm | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Nolan | John | 1900 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Coal fall in room, died next day |
| McCormick or McCormack | Stephen | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Ferguson | Ronald | 1894 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Explosion of dynamite while heating it |
| McDonald | Alexander | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| McDonald | Neil | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Burke | William | 1866 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of picks in shaft |
| McDougall | Roderick or Rory | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Simpson | William | 1899 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Afterdamp from methane explosion; 1 of 11 killed |
| Frost | Jacob | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of coal rolling on him |
| McNeil | Stephen | 1904 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Killed by fall of roof coal |
| Brown | Frank | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of stone |
| McDonald | John Y. | 1902 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of coal from face |
| Borden | Alex | 1905 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of coal from face |
| Dericimn | F. | 1907 | Cape Breton County | Caledonia | Fall of coal |