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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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was thrown I was on the upper deck within 20 feet of the pilot house lashing a gang plank. I can not say who had change of the navigation of the vessel. The quater master was in the pilot house. I think the Captain was at lunch. Then the quater master blew the whistle I asked him if he knew the course in that locality. He said he did. I then went on with my own duties. I can not say whether the enterprisre answered the whistle. I looked ahead and saw her - saw nothing perculiar in her position at that time about two minutes after the quatermaster said my God hes trying to cross our bows. I then looked ahead and saw the enterprise was taking a sheer right across our bow. She was between 50 and 100 yards away. I then decided to stop the engines. I went with the pilot house and stopped and reversed her full speed. I asked the quartermaster hows helm. He said it is hard a port. I tried it and found it so. The engines were backing 15 to 20 seconds before the collision. I then stopped the engine to keep the two boats together I then left the pilot house and went to the boats. I think the enterprise was carried by the tide across our bows. Her starboard side was towards us at an angle of about 21 or 22 degrees. If her helm had been a starboard they would not have been able to get her round so fast to port - we struck her on her port bow. Therefore I think she was porting but the tide carried her. I was not paying particular attention to the two boats coming towards each other as I was not in charge of the boat nor yet in charge of