Vancouver Coal Company
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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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34 I saw it going down in a box with four men with it. The water was got out of the number three air course. I do not know how long they worked. I saw them going down the right [?actver] on Saturday evening and I saw the effects of the watering on Monday morning. To the Cormer The water on Monday morning was standing in pools all over the stalls. There are no thermometers Kept below and there are no means of ascertaining the temperature Taken upon oath and acknowledged this 25th day of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight seven before me } L Jamison W Wymond Walkem Coronier George Churchill. Fireman Nanaimo – being duly sworn saith: To Mr Eberts I am a Fireman in the employ of the Vancouver Coal Company and I was in the morning shift on the third of May the day of the explosion. I go down the diagonal slope. It is my duty to ascertain whether there is any gas in the mine before the miners go down to work. Sometimes I found gas in the diagonal slope and it was my duty to report to which I invariably did. I entered “clear” or “not clear” as the case might be. I produce the firemans books and I find entered in that book on May 3rd everything clear. I examined the whole mine on that day and have entered the following in the Firemans book “ May 3. 2 P.M. I examined mine ” “ 13ar 29.95 – found all places clear ventilation “ “ good “ Churchill” – Sometimes or during three months previous to the explosion I have found gas and have reported it in the book