Getts
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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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3rd Witness, John Frame, having been sworn states on the 15th September at a little past 6 o’clock a.m. I went down to the mouth of the slope in the mine on Newcastle Island for the purpose of getting my tools with which I had been working four or five days previously. At the mouth of the Slope I met Andrew Miller & some other men. I got a light from them & went down the slope. George Brown was a little ahead of me. I did not see anything unusual about the air that that I noticed the doors were open that were usually shut except when mine cars were coming down. When I got to the level where most of the men usually worked, I delayed then for about a minute. George Brown going a little ahead. When I got about 30 yards past the levels the explosion took place, and when I came to my senses again I found myself lying under a car. I called out three times but no one answered & I then struggled to get my legs free & crept up the slope for about 60 or 80 yards & met Alexander Clarkson coming down with some others and they assisted me out, at the time the explosion took place Brown had 15 or 20 yards ahead of me the sound of the explosion appeared to be
BC Archives, GR-0431 Box 1 File 7 / BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL. / Inquisitions / inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.