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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24 Robert Mard Sworn. I was a passenger on the R.P. Rithet on the 28th of July. I was standing off the port side about 2 oclock having just left Capt. Lesley at lunch. I saw the Enterprise coming on our port side about 3 or 400 yards distant. Her position was then apparently as she was about to cross our bows. He had rounded ten mile point. There was no land or rocks then between the two steamers, I could see straight ahead of the Rither on her port side. The Rither left on her course as it appeared to me, going in a straight line. This was before the whistle sounded. The Rither blew one whistle, when the steamers appeared to be about 50 yards apart and I think she forted her helm because she seemed to go starboard a little. The Enterprise blew a whistle I suppose in answer to the Rither and appears to have forted her helm also; but she appears to me to be too far across to clear us. Her starboard bow was almost directly across our bow. Then it appeared a collision was inevitable. The Rithet sounded two bells, but the collision was almost at the same moment. The Rithet struck the Enterprise on her port bow.
Laughter Hisean sworn. I was mute of the steamer Rither at the time of the Collision, then the whistle 21