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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in the level
J: You qualify it by saying he found a little gas? A: Yes, because I know it was a little.
J: What was the condition of the ventilation on that day? A: I [consider?] the ventilation was extraordinarily good
J: Did you measure it? A: No, sir; I didn't measure it.
J: What is the condition of the air course in the second South level? A: Fairly good: I wouldn't say it was [just?] an [avenue?], but I should say it was fairly good.
J: Is it such that it would dispel any accumulation of gas in the roof? A: What's that?
J: (Repeats question) A: Yes, unless it was filling up above the level of the roof and then there is no air course that would take it out, unless some contrivance is placed there to take start.
J: What is the condition of the roof in the Second South? A: Shaly. Very shaly.
J: What is the height of the roof from the ground?
A: The [seam?] would average five to six feet.
J: So there a hole in the roof? A: Yes.
J: Does that go inwards? A: [It?] goes upwards.
J: If there was an accumulation of gas in that hole, is the air course such that it would dispel the gas out of it? A: No, it is impossible to make an air course that would dispel it
J: Was the quantity of air adequate to ventilate the mines? A: Yes, we had a great deal more air than the law calls for.
J: When did you last measure it? A: M . [Morgan?] measures it every month.
J: Would the quantity of air vary? A: No, I don't think it did
J: So the Second South level a portion of the mine where an explosion has occurred
BC Archives GR-0431 / BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL. / Box 6 File 3 / Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia