Q: Did you find any pit lamps: A: I believe I did see a pit lamp on the level somewhere

Q: How far away from the explosion? A: I should judge about 40 yards, but it is hard to say.

Q: Was that in the return air way? A: No, it was right on the level. The air was coming in the level at that time.

Q: Were you able to form any opinion as to the cause of the explosion? A: Well, no; from all that I saw it was my opinion that it was a gas explosion, but how it was caused I could not say.

By a Juror:- Explosion are liable to occur to both white men and Chinamen. Do you think it possible that the same explosion would have occurred if there had been nothing but whitemen in there? A: Well, that is a pretty hard question to answer

Q: Do you think that Chinamen take the same precautions for safety as white men? A: I don't know; some may and some may not. Some white men do not take all necessary precautions. The Chinamen, I don't think are a class of men fitted for this class of work. I don't think they take all necessary precautions, for this reason; they don't know the danger that there is; but then I've known lots of white men that really didn't understand the danger, and I think there should be a very heavy penalty for breaking the law.

Q: Is it against the law for these Chinamen to take matches into the mines? A: Decidedly, I think so.

R H Hodson

Taken upon oath and acknowledged this 14 day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and three before me

James Abrams, Coroner

BC Archives GR-0431, Box 6 File 3 BRITISH COLOMBIA, ATTORNEY GENERAL. Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.