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21.

G. Lippiatt, miner. Sworn:- By Mr. Potts:- Did you insist on the rescue of the miners in No. 6 mine on the evening of July 15th? A: I did. Q: What time? A: About 8 o'clock. Q: In what capacity? A: I was assisting the rescue party. Q: Did you make any search? A: I did. Q: Where did you search? A: Along the face of the workings. Q: What for? A: For bodies in particular. Q: Did you find anything other than bodies in the mine? That is anything that was a source of danger? A: The place was full of gas. Q: Where? A: All along the face of the workings, the first time we attempted to get in. Q: Did you find any open safety lamps? A: No. Q: Pit lamps? A: I found six or seven safety lamps, but they were all locked. I found one pit lamp down on the level; I think it was opposite No. 6 stall; it was right on the same level. Q: Is that on the return airway? A: No, it was on the in-take. It looked to me as if it hadn't been used; it was an old lamp lying there; it looked as if it hadn't been in use for sometime. Q: Where did you find it? A: Right on the level. There was a little wall of bog built up there, and it was set upon this wall of gob at the side of the level. Q: Was that anywhere near the explosion occurred? A: No. Q: Did you find anything else? A: No. Q: Any powder? A: No. Q: Matches? A: No. Q: How was the ventilation when you were there? A: First class. Q: Are you able to form any opinion as to the cause of the explosion? A: Well, I couldn't exactly say. I believe it was caused by carelessness on the part of the Chinamen; that it what my opinion was. Q: What makes you think so? A: Well there was a gas explosion, and the gas had to be ignited. They were all working with safety lamps. The gas must have been ignited by a blaze, but it might have been caused by a defective lamp. Q: It might have been? A: It might have been. Q: It must have been caused either by the carelessness of a Chinaman or by a defective lamp? A: Either one or the other. It seems to me there was a big body of gas coming off there, and I am satisfied the explosion occurred in the neighborhood of No. 6, between 6 and seven. I rather think there must have been a big body of gas coming off. Q: How many years experience have you had as a miner? A: I've worked in a coal mine since I was 15 years old - about 13 years' experience off and on. Q: Did you examine the place where the cave in occurred? A: No, I couldn't very well examine it. We came to the cave and had to go round to the next stall.

BC Archives GR-0431 Box 6 File 3

BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL. Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.