Wellington Coal Mine
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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from the effects of an explosion of gas in the 10 level of the Wellington Coal mine on Thursday the 17th day of April 1879. And we further find that the said explosion was caused by a Chinaman [illegible] toward the face of the 10 level.
And we further find that greater precautions should have been taken to prevent inexperienced persons from [illegible] through curtain No. 3 into the face of the 10 level.
[illegible] R. Spalding Coroner.
BC Archives, GR-0431 Box 2 File 6 / BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL. / Inquisitions / inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.