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.
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21 Answer — It would be nearly two o’clock. I looked through a window in my office on the starboard side & saw the Rithet coming towards us. We were approaching the Point from the direction of Jones Island. The Rithet was on the other side of the Point. I went on with my work and the next thing I noticed was passengers running into the cabin crying “Look out look out.” I then went outside my door into the passage way leading from the passage way to the saloon and the collision then took place. I did not see it. I went aft with the passengers into the saloon. I got out some life preservers & helped the passengers to put them on. I put one on myself. After this I went down to the ladies cabin on the lower deck to see if any ladies were there. There was a little water on the floor. Mr. Todd came out of his room. There were no other passengers down there. On my way up again I heard some passengers on the freight deck calling for help. I then opened the door connecting the ladies cabin with the freight-deck and observed a passenger jammed with a trunk across his legs. The water was there about up to my knees. I did not attempt to go down into the lower hold. No passengers are allowed down there. I assisted the jammed passenger to his feet and gave him a life preserver. After this I jumped overboard. The water was rising fast and all the passengers were provided with life preservers. I did not know the corks room and do not know whether there were 18