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Examined by Captain Sommerville :-
Q.-You knew there was a depression off S Formosa on the 13th September?
A. Yes, that was signalled by the Observatory.
Q.-That typhoon was crossing to the NW. You hoisted no typhoon warning but only storm signals which mean nothing to the Chinese ?
A.—I do not quite agree with you there.
Q-You say this typhoon almost filled up on the 14th. Dont you think this typhoon was the same one that we got on the 18th?
A.-No, we are positively certain it was not.
Q.--Can you give me your reasons?
A. Because it ceased to exist on the afternoon of the 14th as we know from observa- tions received on the 13th and 14th.
Q. Did you notice that the barometer at Swatow was gradually falling from the 14th to the 17th September?
A.-No, there was no marked fall.
Q.-There was nothing in the telegrams received from Swatow and Koshun to show you that there was a depression south of Formosa?
A.-No.
Q. How much time elapses between your issue of an order and the hoisting of a typhoon signal ?
A.-A few minutes.
Q.-And how long between issuing an order and firing the typhoon gun?
A.-I should think from ten to fifteen minutes.
Mr. FIGG-examined by Sir Henry Berkeley :-
Q.—With reference to the published remarks in the newspapers re observations published at Sicawei Observatory, have you any information as to what those observations were ?
―
A. Yes, as published in the N. C. Daily News.
Q.-The statement has been made that if telegrams had been received from Sicawe you would have had such notice as would have enabled you to give warning of this storm-i what do you say to that?
A.-I
The general gist is that on the On the 16th at 5 p.m. that the
put copies of newspapers marked L to L 3. 15th there was a depression to the south of Meiaco Sima. new centre signalled in the South is over Formosa or east of it; though not yet violent it may cause rough weather in the Channel and strong N wind south of Chusan Archipelago. On the 17th at 5 p.m. strong N or NW breezes expected between Wenchow and Formosa because of the depression still prevailing on that island. On the 18th at 5 p.m.depres- sion over Formosa has filled up. Autumnal monsoon probably moderate al the whole coast of China. On the 19th it is stated that on the 18th heavy storm probably of narrow diameter passed over Hongkong in the morning (29.28 and a whole SW gaut 10 m.). That information re the typhoon in Hongkong was communicated by the Hongkong Observatory to Sicawei.