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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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Dick
75
Sometimes more reckless than green hands Once the explosion got started the large quantity or current of air would increase its violence. The air going down the shaft is dampened as it goes down. Cannot say that the velocity of the air would increase the dust. To Mr Young - I do not think it possible for the air to go up the diagonal over the lagging Gas might collect in a pot hole if there is no air there to carry it away. Previous to the explosion I did not believe that coal dust would explode unless gas were mixed with it. If such men as Galloway, Scott and other eminent mining engineers differ in regards to coal dust why my opinion is not worth much. I myself think that coal dust will not explode without gas. I have never know coal dust to explode of it self. The explosion of the "Queen of the Pacific” is no criteria for this explosion. The engineer in his evidence at that inquest said that it was gas and that it started from his lamp. This confirms me in my opinion that it requires gas as well as coal dust to make an explosion. I think that stopping that could he blame out by an explosion are better than them that would not be blown out. I think all of the stoppings were good safe stoppings but {?thick] stoppings along the main gangways would be an improvement. It would be better if stoppings were so put in as to confine the explosion if any to each separate split of the air. A wooden door is better than a canvas on the main level. A wooden door can be made tighter than canvas and would not be so liable to be knocked down