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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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47 in number two stall. James Knights had the next stall. I found a little gas there sometimes. I was working there at the same time Knights was working there. Never once was gas enough there to do any harm. He lit the gas there twice but there wasn’t enough to harm the men. The Chinaman lit the gas there once. I set the gas off once when the roof fell down and brough the gas down with it on my naked light. The place as 2 mph in the roof a third of “niggers lead” I was stopped by the fireman from working there any more that day. I quit that place then altogether and went into the level to work
Taken upon oath and acknowledged on this the 16th day of June in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight seven before me } John Duncan W Wymond Walkem Coronier
Richard Gibson Oversear Nanaimo being duly sworn saith: To Mr Eberts I am overman of the number one shaft and was on the afternoon shift on the day of the explosion. At the time of the explosion I believe I was between the number one and two shafts I did not hear anything of the explosion until I encountered it. All I remember of the explosion was a blast of wind and no flame. I do not remember very much. I must have been unconscious from one hour and a half to two hours. I remember going up to the fire at the number two shaft. When I am on the afternoon shift I have full control subject to the Manager. The ventilation was very good. Have had thirty five years experience in coal mining. I visited the diagonal slope twice during the shifts every day. It was a very dry slope. One hundred yards of the top of the slope might not be so dry but below that it was dry down to the face. From number three down