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.
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John Matthews Cumberland, Manager of the Wellington Colliery Company mines: sworn by M. Potts: Will you tell the gentlemen of the Jury all you know about this accident in the mines on the 15th of July; what examinations you made, and what conclusions you came to? a: A boy came to my place a little after seven o'clock that evening and told me there was a fire in no. 6. I went down there and saw some Chinamen on top who had already come up. I asked them where it was and they said the fire was down there. I went on and met some Chinamen coming up at the Drum No. 3 Incline. I passed them and went on up the level to No. 2 South and found the fire was in there. I met Gillespie and asked him where it was. He said there was an explosion. Of course I knew that before I arrived there. We went through to the return side of the place to ascertain if there was any fire. Not finding any to amount to much, I came up. By that time M. Kesley was down. I sent him back for help. When we got the help we restored the ventilation and rescued two [?] that we knew were alive and recovered the other bodies during the night with the exception of the man in No. 6. I then made an examination a casual examination of the whole section of Second South level and have examined it once or twice since. In making an examination the second day day afterwards although I am not positive as to that M. Kesley found the bottom of that lamp "B" in No. 5 stall secreted in a cog; it was really hid, not placed there after the explosion but placed there before. I searched around for some time for the cover of it and I found that hid between two cogs covered with a curtain. Evidently that was hid. We examined the place carefully and came to the conclusion, at least I did, that the explosion