Chung Chi
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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Alexander Folds, mine manager. Sworn: - By Mr. Potts: - You visited the scene of the explosion in No. 6 mine? A: Yes. Q: When? A: On the day following the explosion was the first visit I made. Q: That would be the 16th of July? A: Yes. Q: Did you make any examination? A: Yes. Q: Now tell the Jury the result of your examination. A: I went in the entrance of the Second South Level; went up No. 3 right along along the lond long wall, and examined the roof and face for gas etcetera, and travelled round the large cave in the branch off No. 6. Found couldn't get out there, so came down No. 6 and went up No. 7. Travelled the rest of the long wall of No. 6 and found gas. Then went in 7 and travelled the remainder of the long wall back. Q: Did you make any examination that day? A: Yes, I visited throughout the whole district. Q: Were you able to form any opinion as to where the explosion occurred? A: Not then. It was too premature then to form any opinion until we say the cave cleared up. Q: Were you able to form any opinion at all? A: Yes from the evidence of the force and direction, the explosion was somewhere in the neighborhood of the cave. Q: And the cave was where? A: In the branch off No. 6. Q: Did you search for any explosives? A: Well I examined for evidence of blasting, open lights, matches and so forth. Q: Did you find any? A: Not on that day. Q: When did you make your next examination? A: On the following day. Q: Did you find anything on that day? A: The following day was the 17th. On the 18th I found that open light "B" in No. 5, and a box of cigarettes. Q: Did you find anything else on that day? A: Some matches I found in a vest pocket; either a vest of a jacket pocket hanging on the same road. Q: To whom did the coat belong? A: To the party to whom the watch belonged. Q: Did it appear to be the coat of a miner working? A: The coat of one of the fellows who worked in that place. Q: Was there anything near the scene of the explosion? A: It was within two stall lengths of the explosion. Nearly 100 feet. Q: Did you find any other portion of the lamp "B"? A: Not at that time. I think the day following we found the other portion of the lamp, a little down the roadway, opposite some rock work. Q: Was it broken? A: No, it was all right alright. Q: Is it in court? A: It has disappeared someway. Q: What condition was it in? A: It was all right alright; it had evidently been separated for a purpose. Q: From your examination, Mr. Folds, where in your opinion do you think the explosion occurred? A: In examining carefully, and tracing the evidence of the force and the non-coking dust and coking dust deposits, I am of the opinion, without any hesitation in saying that it occurred between the end of the branch road off No. 6 roadway, and the branch road off No. 7; the end of these two branches, between the two, in the neighborhood of where the last Chinaman was working. Q: