966
12.
*She has been sold to an American firm at Manila and will be shipped by the s.s. Kaifong. The buyer is highly pleased with his purchase and, after having a few lessons in the working of the motor, thoroughly understands the engine and drives her himself, although he is not a mechanic. The engine is so simple that any person can be taught to run it, after two or three lessons.
"Messrs. Moxon and Kew are also building two motor launches of 70 ft. and 60 ft. respectively to be fitted with motors using ordinary kerosene. The 70 ft. launch is to be completed in about three weeks, and will carry thirty tons of cargo and sixty passengers on a draught of 3 ft.
*The 60 ft. launch will also have a kerosene motor, and is to carry four tons of cargo and sixty passengers on a draught of only 18 ins.
"The motors are made by Gardiner and Co., of Manchester, for whom Messrs. Moxon and Kew are sole agents for China.
*Specifications are being drawn up by the same firm for a boat 150 ft. long to carry 600 passengers at a speed of thirteen knots on a draught of only 3 ft.
"It may be mentioned that the company for whom Messrs Moxon and Kew are acting have contracted to build eight 200 ft. motors for the Egyptian Government.
"There is no doubt that the motor launch has come to stay. The simplicity of the machinery, the economy of space, smokelessness, freedom from disagreeable noise are important features which commend it to all, and ought particularly to commend it in this busy harbour."
In the course of his speech (referred to yesterday) at the laying of the City Hall foundation stone in 1867, the Governor of the time, Sir Richard Macdonnell, mentioned the explosion of the Colony's powder depot, which "had shaken their walls and nerves." This occurred early that year, and greatly disturbed the inhabitants. Fortunately the explosion was aboard a hulk some considerable distance from shore—otherwise, as pointed out at the time, a large part of the city might have been wrecked, with serious loss of life. A total of 200,000 pounds of gunpowder was involved: close inshore the disaster would have been stupendous.
Yet, strangely enough, the main chronicles of the period remain silent on the subject: only the newspaper files have references to that nerve-shattering explosion. As we have seen, the Governor considered it important enough to refer to in his speech at the City Hall corner-stone function.
We find in the report of the actual disaster that a number of people aboard the hulk and a schooner alongside at the time were literally blown to pieces. A summary of the above occurrence is reproduced below and from this we can gauge what the city escaped. Says a contemporary account:
The greatest event of the fortnight in Hongkong has been a terrible explosion of gunpowder which took place in the harbour on the 17th of January (1867) and broke half the windows in the town.
A powder hulk called the Zephyr was anchored in the bay on the Kowloon side, at least two miles and a half from the nearest part of the city. She had on board at the time nearly 200,000
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