Wellington Coal Mine
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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3rd Witness
John Dieh having been duly swon states. When I went down the mine at 11 o,clock on Tues- -day evening I found about 70 or 80 men in No. 10 level,a portion of them being in Martin's Stall which was full of smoke and there were some of the men carrying water & throwing it on the loose coal Around as they thought the fire was there, they worked at it for about an hour when they found out they were in error as the fire was discovered to be in Homes' heading & we could not approach it owing to the smoke & coal falling from the roof. I then went home & returned about 2o.clock and I staid about the slope until Mr Robert Dunsmuir arrived I went with him & had a look at the fire as by that time the air had cleared away the smoke, and he thought it would be advisable to start the steam pump, & he asked me to assist in getting the pipes ready which I did. While I was getting the pipes ready they had put up Curtain No. 3 & when I saw this Curtain I ex- pected gass would accumulate inside in No. 10 level. I got Dixon then to go inside this Curtain to see if
BC Archives GR-0431 BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL Box 2 File 6 Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia