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.
*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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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.
Current Page Transcription [edit] [history]
J: Did you report on the safety of the mine that day?
A: I reported it in the journal.
J: It has no reference in [the?] book to safety. Did you tell the miners before they went down to work that the mine was safe? A: Yes, every individual miner.
J: They passed you at the station? A: Yes.
J: Did you consider it safe? A: Yes, perfectly safe.
J: I think you said just now that you found less gas on the 15th than you did on a previous occasion? A: Yes.
J: Did you chalk mark the place you examined? A: Yes.
J: Did you see the body of the Chinaman that was buried under the cave in? A: Yes
J: Was he burnt? A: I couldn't tell
J: Did you examine him? A: I looked at his face, but it was all over with wet coal [dust?]. His face was all black anyhow, but his clothes were not burnt.
J: What position was the body lying in?
A: On his back
J: What is your opinion as to whether the explosion occurred before the cave or after?
A: I really couldn't say
J: From the position you found the Chinaman lying in, what would you infer? A: From the position he was lying in I would say that if anything, he must have been knocked down before the cave; it is possible
J: You think the cave occurred before the explosion? A: No, I said the other thing just now. I said that probably he was knocked down before the cave.
J: From the position the Chinaman was lying in you would infer that? A: Yes
J: Have you found since the explosion, anything which was a source of danger in the mine? A: Yes
J: What? A: A large quantity of gas
BC Archives GR-0431 / BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL. / Box 6 File 3 / Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.