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Referring to the appearance of the weather on Monday 17th, Monsieur LIEBERT said the appearance of the sky on Monday "to any one accustomed to these regions indicated a typhoon not far off"; among other indications "the sun set with sharp red colour in part purple in others yellowish copper behind a thick veil of grey heavy cloud." That appearance was not observed on board H.M.S. Tamar, nor at the Observatory, which the witness remarked was in his opinion probably due to "the declination of the sun being such just now that the sunset would be screened by the Peak." This peculiar sunset was not noticed by any other witnesses examined.
Continuing, Monsieur LIEBERT said "since 16th atmosphere was heavy, the temperature exceptionally warm, the sky grey colour with thick cloud in the West": whereas the weather observation taken at the Observatory at 4 p.m. on 16th read “B” (=blue sky without cloud). Monsieur LIEBERT also said that on Monday evening there was "very little breeze and what there was came from the West," whereas the observation taken at the Observatory read "ESE2.”. (Exhibit D 5), and on H.M.S. Tamar at 4 p.m. on Monday "wind E 2". Monsieur LIEBERT assured the Cominittee that in view of the appearances described the Captain of the Polynesien ordered full steam at 3 o'clock on the morning of the 18th, and the officers commanding the French destroyers "began to steam up at 7 a.m., sometime before the first signal was hoisted, precautions which would have ensured their safety, had it not been for merchant steamers drifting on to the French destroyers who were fully prepared for the typhoon."
11. With respect to the last portion of Monsieur LIEBERT'S statement it is to be observed that the Polynesien, (on her way from the North to Europe), was due to sail at noon on the 18th, and would in any case have had steam up at the hour mentioned. With respect to the destroyers it seems to the Committee inconceivable that they should have been "fully prepared" for the typhoon, and yet have remained at their buoys in close proximity to a dangerous lee shore instead of slipping and anchoring under the lee of Stonecutters Island, as ships were drifting about not under control.
12. Reviewing the evidence as a whole, the Committee find that prior to 7.44 a.m. on the 18th September there was no indication of a typhoon approaching Hongkong: and that warning, by the hoisting of the Black Drum on the morning of the 18th, was given as soon as, in the circumstances, was practically possible.
HENRY SPENCER BERKELEY,
HENRY BUTTERWORTH, Lieutenant, R.N., A. B. SKOTTOWE,
ALEXANDER SOMMERVILLE.
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS,
23rd October, 1906.