Lee Sam
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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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.
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Left me in charge of the wheel. We were coming through Trial Island fast and heading of for the beacon. Soon afterwards, I saw the Enterprise over the reef of Ten mile Point. She was to the northward of the Point. We were just past the beacon in the channel. The steamers were somewhere near a mile apart. When they were about a quarter of a mile apart I blew one whistle. Can't say whether the Enterprise answered or not.The steamers were then heading towards each otheralmost directly. I watched the Enterprise and noticed that either she was starboarding her helm or the tide had swung her. The mate was standing beside me in the pilot house. I remarked My God what is the an trying to do? He is trying to run across our bow. I had the wheel a little to post and did not shift it then as I did not know what the Enterprise was trying to do. The mate then stopped the engine and at the same time I put the wheel hard a port because I saw the Enterprise was trying to port. He was then on our starboard bow running across our bow, about 5 or 6 ships lengths away. I ported of my own accord, without any order from the mate but he helped me. We were heading over towards San Juan when the collision occurred. The Rithet struck the Enterprise on the port side. The steamers were then pretty nearly end on to each other. The mate then left the pilot house to look afterthe boats and immediately.