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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, MAY 8, 1914.
APPOINTMENTS, &C.
161
No. 179.-His Majesty the King has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Honourable Mr. ALEC FLEMING CHURCHILL to be a Member of the Executive and Legisla- tive Councils during the absence on leave of the Honourable Mr. WILLIAM CHATHAM, C.M.G.
No. 180.-His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint Mr. ERIC WILLIAM HAMILTON to be a Justice of the Peace for the Colony of Hongkong, with effect from the 1st March, 1914.
No. 181.-Mr. PHILIP WALLACE GOLDRING was duly elected, at the Election held on the 1st instant in accordance with Government Notification No. S. 118 of the 17th April, 1914, to be a Member of the Sanitary Board in the place of Mr. FRANcis Bulmer LYON BOWLEY, until he shall return or be able to resune his functions.
5th May, 1914.
No. 182-His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint 2nd Lieutenant ROY BERRIMAN HATFIELD, 8th Battalion, City of London Regiment, to be his Private Secretary and extra Aide-de-Camp, with the local rank of Captain, with effect from the 6th May, 1914.
8th May, 1914.
NOTICES.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S Department.
No. 183.-The following Finding of the Marine Court of Inquiry into the circumstances attending the casualty to the British S.S. Tai On, is published for general
information.
8th May, 1914.
CLAUD SEVERN,
Colonial Secretary.
FINDING.
We find that the British S.S. Tai On Official Number 95,858 of Hongkong of which ROBERT HENRY WETHERELL, the Number of whose Certificate of Competency as Master is 08,651 of London, was Master, left Hongkong at 7 p.m. on the 27th April, 1914, on a voyage to Kong Mun, with a general cargo of about 100 tons, 395 passengers, of whom only 363 paid any fares and a crew of 38.
At about 10.10 p.m. the ship being then off the Island of Ki Au, near the Swashway entrance to the West River, some of the passengers, who had embarked at Hongkong rose and attempted to gain possession of the ship, being armed with Mauser and Browning pistols. They attacked the bridge, where the Master, Mate, Chief Engineer, and two armed Portuguese guards were entrenched behind iron and barbed wire grilles and loopholed bullet proof shields, who were able to repel the attack, after shooting several of their assailants, with loss on their side of one-the Chief Engineer-slightly wounded.
The pirates then retreated below, and endeavoured to persuade some of the peaceful passengers to go up and call upon the Master to surrender and, upon their refusal to do so, shot them. They then deliberately set the ship on fire in two or three places. This was about 11 o'clock.
In the meanwhile the Officers, in the intervals of fighting, fired distress signals— rockets, bombs, and coloured lights, which were seen and answered by the British Steamers Shun Lee, Shiu On, and Hoi Sang, which were on their way down the river, bound for Hongkong, and by the Chinese S.S. Wo Kwai, bound for Kong Mun. These four ships rendered all assistance in their power, and succeeded in rescuing some 165 persons by means of their boats.