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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27TH APRIL, 1895.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION_No. 186.
481
There is a vacancy at the Government Civil Hospital for an educated Chinese youth as Student Apothecary.
Candidates must be prepared to enter into an agreement to serve a 5 years' pupilage.
The salary will be $120 per annum, with an annual increase of $24 at the end of each year's service.
The student will be required to reside in the Hospital when necessary.
Applications covering certificates of age, character, and health should be addressed to the Colonial Secretary.
No application will be received after Noon on Monday, the 13th proximo.
For further particulars apply at the Government Civil Hospital between the hours of 9 and 10 a.m.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 27th April, 1895.
J. II. STEWART LOCKHART, .
Colonial Secretary.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 187.
The following Finding of the Marine Court appointed to enquire into the circumstances connected with the grounding of the British Steamer Polyphemus, Official Ño. 97,818, is published.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 25th April, 1895.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, Colonial Secretary.
FINDING.
We find that the British Steain-ship Polyphemus, Official Number 97,818, of which WILLIAM THOMAS CHUBB was Master, (Certificate of Competency No. 010,481 of Liverpool), left Singapore on the 1st April, 1895, for Hongkong with general cargo.
That on the morning of April 8th at about 5 o'clock in foggy weather the ship took the ground on Jubilee Island (approaches to Hongkong), the Master himself being on watch at the time.
The Court having regard to the evidence before it finds as follows:-
That the Master appears to have navigated his vessel in a seamanlike and proper manner. That the vessel appears to have been sufficiently found and manned,
That a safe and proper course was being steered and that when the weather became thick the necessary precautions were taken with the exception that the steam whistle was not sounded.
That the ship must have passed the Gap Rock at a distance of not more than 1 miles, she going at a moderate or slow speed, but that the appointed fog signal at that station. was not heard until almost immediately before the ship struck.
That if the Gap Rock fog signal had been heard the casualty would probably not have
occurred.
The telegraphic fog report which is usually made from the Gap Rock to the Harbour Master was put before the Court. From this it appears that the firing of the fog signal began at 4.20 a.m. and was continued till 11 a.m. and the correction of this information being assumed the attention of the Court is directed to the remarks of the United States Hydrographic Office on the subject of the "uncertainty of audibility of fog signals" published in their Pilot Chart of the North Pacific Ocean for November 1894, and the Court concludes that these remarks have been exemplified in the present case.
The Court therefore absolves the Master from blame and his certificate is returned to him. Given under our hands at Hongkong, this 19th day of April, 1895.
R. MURRAY RUMSEY, Retd. Comr., R.N., President. F. W. LOANE, Lieut., R.N.
GEO. PAYNE, S.S. Kut Sang. J. E. FARRELL, S.S. Mongkut.
JOHN H. CLARK, S.S. Benmohr.
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