A TRAGIC FLOUR MILL VENTURE 2
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The previous article reviewed the commencement of Rennie's Flour Mills at Junk Bay. The idea was conceived by Mr. A.H. Rennie, a Canadian who came here in 1890, and had for some years represented big Canadian and American flour interests as their agent. In 1905 he received financial backing from Sir Paul Chater and Mr. H.N. Mody for his local milling project, and the Government of Hongkong also favoured this industrial enterprise. The mills were erected in 1906, and opened in January, 1907.
But they could not compete with the North American millers; grain had to be brought to Hongkong to be turned into flour, and the trans-Pacific freights had to be met; also the conservative Chinese dealers would not take up the new brand which Rennie was turning out.
By 1908 failure was seen to be inevitable, liquidation loomed ahead; and the founder of the Junk Bay mills, whose name still commemorates that tragic enterprise, decided to take his own life.
We can follow the tragedy through contemporary newspaper extracts. The Hongkong Daily Press (or H.K.D.P. or similar, as original text is unclear) of April 15, 1908, states:
Hongkong was shocked yesterday afternoon by the news of the death of Mr. A.H. Rennie, which occurred at Lyeemoon Pass about 4:30 p.m. Little information could be ascertained about the sad event last evening, for the only spectators of the death of the late manager of the Junk Bay Flour Mills were the Chinese members of the crew of his launch Canada. So far as could be learned, the launch left Hongkong at 3 p.m. with Mr. Rennie on board. Excepting himself, there was no European on the launch. It was Mr. Rennie's practice to pay a visit every afternoon, and he usually telephoned his arrival to the town office. Yesterday he did not reach the mills, and the first news received was from the coxswain of the launch who returned with the dead body of Mr. Rennie on board.
He reported that Mr. Rennie had jumped overboard with a dispatch box while the boat was proceeding to Junk Bay mills. The crew had made every effort to rescue him, and had succeeded in keeping the body afloat until it was again got on board, and had recovered the weighty dispatch box which was tied to the body. In fact, one of the members of the crew seems to have displayed considerable gallantry in the matter.
According to one story, Mr. Rennie was seen to come out of his cabin with the dispatch box in his hand, to which was tied a cord. He threw the loop of cord round his neck and sprang into the water from a stanchion on the port side. The launch was then going at full speed through Lyeemun Pass, and the sea was somewhat choppy. When Mr. Rennie went over, the second coxswain, To You, seized a lifebuoy and dived overboard. He reached Mr. Rennie, who had not sunk, and forced the lifebuoy in front of him three times. The third time Mr. Rennie is stated to have said that he did not want the buoy. The coxswain, however, supported Mr. Rennie till the launch, which had stopped, had returned to the port.
Mr. Rennie apparently had lost consciousness when his body was dragged onto the launch. Once the body was placed aboard, all steam was made for Hongkong. The crew tried to restore respiration, and when the Water Police were communicated with, the police officers at once sent for a doctor, and meantime continued the ...