Chung Chi
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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Q: From the position you found the chinaman lying in, what would you infer?
A: From the position he was lying in I would say that if anything, he must have been knocked down before the cave; it is possible.
Q: You think the cave occurred before the explosion?
A: No, I said the other thing just now. I said that probably he was knocked down before the cave.
Q: From the position the chinaman was lying in you infer that?
A: Yes.
Q: Have you found, since the explosion, anything which was a source of danger in the mine?
A: Yes. Q: What?
A: A large quantity of gas.
Q: Anything else which is contrary to the rules to be there?
A: I would like you to put that a little clearer.
Q: Have you found anything in the second south level contrary to the rules, to be there any matches or explosives?
A: No.
Q: Pit lamps?
A: No.
Q: Were you present when some of these lamps were found?
A: This is one, "A".
Q: Do you know to whom that lamp belonged?
A: No.
Q: Have you any means of identifying the chinaman with the lamp?
A: No, I haven't.
Q: Every chinaman has a lamp, but you don't know which chinaman the lamp belongs to?
A: No.
Q: Do you know whether a pit lamp was found in the mine?
A: I heard there was one.
Q: Where?
A: At No.6 switch, No.2 south level.
Q: To whom did it belong?
A: I don't know, probably the driver.
Q: Isn't that int he same ventilating district as the 2nd south level?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you examine the miners' safety lamps before they went down?
A: Yes.
Q: Were they all securely locked?
A: All those that had to be locked.
Q: Can you give the jury any explanation as to the cause of the explosion with your knowledge from the examinations that you have made?
A: No, I can't. There is no doubt it is owning to a break in the roof but how it came to be lit up I couldn't say.
Q: Were these Chinese that were in the mine able to understand all the orders you gave them?
A: Yes, those on my shift, but these were not on my shift.
Mr. Morgan:- Do you examine every shot before it is fired, Mr. King?
A: Yes.
Q: There were no shots fired without your consent that day?
A: That day, no.
Mr. Pooley:- You stated that the quantity of gas you found was a ,very small one?
A: Yes.
Q: If it had been a large quantity of gas, would you have allowed the men to go down?
A: It just depends. Upon certain conditions I would.
Q: Was this mine in good working order?
A: Very good. Exceptionally good that day.
Q: Now you have not told us your view as to where the explosion started?
A: I have no doubt it started in No.6 branch stall.
Q: At the head of the branch off No.6?
A: Yes.