Vancouver Coal Company
As part of the Chinese Historical Wrongs Legacy Initiative, we’ve digitized a small selection of inquests and inquiries from 1872 to 1934, found in series GR-0431. These were chosen to reflect the experiences of early Chinese immigrants to B.C. – their living and working conditions, and their unfortunate accidental or unusual deaths. They range from a woman working in a brothel in Barkerville who died of natural causes to three sawmill workers who died from malnutrition. Learn more.
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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum. Some materials may contain content that is racist, sexist or otherwise offensive. The Royal BC Museum is only the custodian of archival materials; the content does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Royal BC Museum.
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28/ an upright hole when it is tampered with clay. The ventilation in this mine was good. It was always good. The current of air was running at a good speed. I have marked off the old slope and the ventilation was always good down there. I have never seen any bad ventilation. I have not been down the mine since the explosion.
To the Coronier I have worked in coal mines off and on for thirty five years. The slope was pretty dry near my stall. There was plenty of coal dust. It appeared the same on the day of the explosion as before. The slope had not been watered to my knowledge
To Mr Drake [2. L?] The ventilation was as good in this mine as any I have ever worked in. I have worked in mines in Scotland which gave off no gas. The mines I speak off are in Lancaskshire. There is very little gas accumulation in this mine. As far as I know the fireman always attended to his duty. There is no more dust in this mine than there is in the Mount Diablo mine – in California. There was an explosion of Coal dust in the Clark Vein in Mount Diablo when I was there. The mine was tested after the explosion with safety lamps to see if there was any gas there. This examination was made on the day succeeding the explosion. The explosion took place in the Shute where the coal is sent down from the counter shute level to the main level and in its passage down the shute the supposition was that a great deal of dust was formed which was ignited by the loaders lamps. There was an inquest and this theory was the result of the inquest.
To Mr Ebert. That explosion was about fifteen years ago. The examination of the mine was made the day after to ascertain whether gas was present or not. There was none. A handful of coal dust was [turn?] over the lamps and it went off in the same way as in the explosion.