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.
*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person.
*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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39
opinion to offer as to the cause of the explosion and I have no theory of it either Taken upon oath and acknowledged on this the 26th day of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight seven before me } W Wymond Walkem Coronier Robert Scott Overman Wellington being duly sworn saith: To Mr Ebert: I knew the late John Liam. I was one of the parties that found him. I found him at the bottom of the dump formed from the material [?lattern] out of the number two shaft which was being sunk below the level. A chinaman was lying near him. Mr Robins Mr McGregor Mr Frank Little Mr Brydon and myself went down the shaft at midnight on May 3rd. He went down to look at the fire. He went into the engine room first and then into the sinking shaft and there he found Liam and a Chinaman. Then in we went to number two south and thence to the air shaft to examine the fire. Then we went to the [?slath] and to the return airways to see if we could find any fire. We wished to see if it was safe to explore or not. We found no signs of fire expect that was the number two shaft. It was then even that it was safe to explore that portion. No more [?brachies] were examined that might [?] day at [?norm] I went down again. I went a short distance into the diagonal and then back and in number one north level a short [?picer]. The fire was burning pretty briskly and we tried to check it. On Thursday I went down again I had to attend to the fire. I went down short distance down diagonal and main slopes and about one hundred and fifty yards into the number one North level. I went down again in the night. The firemans shift had burned seven out of the thirty men when they had found in number one north. He too [?]