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.
*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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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.
Current Page Transcription [edit] [history]
think so, because the evidence of force were towards that lamp, not from it
Q: Was this a wet or a dry mine? A: A wet mine
Q: How was the ventilation of the mine? A: Perfectly adequate when I saw it tested by N[?]. Morgan on the 16th. He then got 15,000 cubic feet, being 4000 to 5000 cubic feet per man
By a Juror: How do you account for that lamp B being in that condition? A: It has simply been opened, detached from the upper portion, for the purpose of lighting cigarettes probably
W: How could it be detached if it had been locked? A: It had been tampered with and opened. Men frequently open these lamps
Q: Could any person open them? A: They can open them with an American clock key, nails and pieces of wood made for the purpose. Men often open them without any business for doing so
Q: They can hardly be safety lamps then? A They are safe till they are tampered with
Q: Your opinion is that some Chinaman opened that lamp for the purpose of lighting a cigarette? A" Not this extra lamp, because there were the usual number of lamps at the face for the workers there. This extra lamp was lying there for how long I couldn't tell, but it had evidently been placed there for the purpose of making a light.
Q: You couldn't tell when it went down? A: Couldn't tell from the dust that was on it. It might have been sent down that day, and it might have been sent down previously.
By Mr. Potts: Was it in a dusty state when you found it? A: Yes. You can quite understand that from the dust blown upon the road.
Mr. Pooley[?]: Did you examine it closely? A: very closely.
BC Archives GR-0431 Box 6 File 3 BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.