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.
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5th Witness
16
Mr John Boydon having been duly sworn states I am manager of the Vancouver Coal Co. I have heard Mr. Wingates evidence & I agree with it gen- -erally. On Thursday morning last I heard that an explosion had taken place in the Wellington mine, I hastened out & after examining the plan & ascertaining that the fire had occured the day previous, I made several inquiries as to whether the fire had been put out or not, I learned that when the men left their shift at 6 O Clock on Thursday morning that there was no flame to make fire that such was the case in going down I examined the return air course I found there could be little or no flame as the air altho smelling a little of coal smoke was not other than usual after an explosion. I then went down the slope as far as No 10 level in company with Frank Little & found a number of Coal boxes piled one on top of the other at the entrance of No. 10 level, we went over the boxes into the level about 30 yards
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BC Archives GR-0431 BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL. Box 2 File 6 Inquisitions/inquests conducted by Coroners in British Columbia