January 21, 1899.j
FIRE AT SHAN IHA
INJURY TO A MEMBER OF THE HONGKONG
AND SHANGHAI BANK'S STAFF.
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A serions fire occurred at Shanghai on the 16th January, breaking out about ta.m. It originated, says the Mercury, at Ah Ping's furniture store and when the firemen reached the scene this and the next house the Hotel Metropole were already involved in flames. They set at once to work and in a remarkably short time had eight streams playing on ths burning premises. Owing to the strong N.E. wind, blowing at the time and the lack of water power the firemen made no head way in combatting the element. The third house in the block, an opium shop, next caught fire and the fire escape was then put into requisition but the roof being of galvanised irou the firemen could not go on to it but had to play the hose from the ladder, · The wax-work exhibition wAN
also soon ablaze, but through the valuable assistance given by the salvage company, the police, and ec me residents most of the Agures were salved. The Farm depot owned by dr. Shaw was the next to catch fire, which raged with great intensity until the two next houses forming the block-the Curio store and the International Bicycle Company-were com. pletely qonsumed. The whole black seen from the outside appears to be solidly constructed. but the inner walls were of wood and plasters, and this no doubt contributed to the spread of
the fire from one house to another until the whole blook was entirely swept away. It was a marvel that, the block of houses at the rear escaped de- struction, having wooden verandahs, and being divided from the burnt block by only a six-foot lane, The Insurance Companies seem to have been badly hit. As far as we can gather the following are the risks: Aping. Tls. 26,000. Bicycle Co. Tis. 15,000, Metropole Hotel Tis. 4,000. The wax-work was. noinsured, and so
was an employé of the Central Stores who occupied the upper part of the house with his family consisting of six. They lost their all. and Inspector Wilson very kindly accommodated them at the police quarters The property is owned by Messrs. Chingken and is insured for Tis 20,000. An unfortunate accident befell one of the firemen, Mr. Jackson, of the Hong- kong Bank, who had. a nasty cut on the face caused by a falling beam.
RIOT NEAN NINGPO.
TUTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE PAO-WÒ MINING CO.
ATTACK ON THE FOREIGN MANAGER.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
£
barred the front gate of the temple, but at eight o'clock he was assured by Kang that it was hope- || less to attempt to defend the temple, and they must fly to the hills. Mr. Rennison with bis interpreter and his boy succeeded in scaling the back wall about seven feet high and getting to the bills, their movements being hastened by the noise made by the approaching mob. Kang succeeded by promises of a big cumshow in getting a native with a lantern to guide them: They soon lost the boy, but Kaug stuck to Mr. kennison, and the two of them spent the night on the hills, hiding themselves in paddy fields or wherever they could find temporary shelter from the parsnit of the infuriated country people. In the morning, on their way down to the river. they got some food in a native houss, and met fourteen of the priests belonging to the temple, who reported that the mob had atterly cleaned it out, destroying or carrying away everything they found in it. Mr. Rennison and his inter preter got back to Ningpo in a boat, where the former, who has lost every scrap of his worldly gear except the clothes in which he escaped, laid the facts before Mr. Playfair, the British Consul, who is making the necessary claim for fight courred between the soldiers and the country people, in which two of the latter were killed and several wounded.
reparation ou the Taotai: It is stated that a
Mr. Rennison's experience is a warning to foreigners who are sent up country to open mines or make surveys of any kind without suf- ficient escort, relying on the power of the Chinese officials to preserve them from injury st the hands of the ignorant country people, We may add that Mr Rennison is very anxious to publicly acknowledge the courage and devo- tion of his interpreter, Mr. Kang.-N, C. Daily News.
RAUB GOLD.
The Local Secretary, Raub Australian Gold
Mining Company. Limited, Singapore, has received the following telegram from Raub, dated 5th January, 1899 :-
Cring finished; 2.465 tous stone realized 2,1×2 oz. smelted gold.
This return is at the rate of 17 dwts. 16.8 grs. of crushing gold per ton of stuff put through the battery. It is therefore just a shade under the recent normal of 17 dwts. When it is considered that 8 good deal of stuff of a mixed character is sent through the mill, in addition to the more solid quartz of the well-defined parts of the reef, it is easy to see that fluctuations of even a greater extent ought to be expected. Taking thick and thin together, quartz and mixed quartz and mullock, to our thinking the feature of the Raab returus is their wonderfully stable nature, a few grains up or down not counting one way or the other. The last return was of turns to the castomary level. At £3 188. per an exceptionally good character and this re-
month's work of £8,509, or say about $86,700. ounce this return gives a sterling value for two
The six crushes for the year are as follows:
1898
tons stone oz. gold dwis. per tin Jan.-Feb.
18.54 March-Apr.
18.3 May-June
18.16 July-Aug. Sept-Oct. Nov.-Dec.
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2050
2,250
2,450
2212
2,800
215
2,810
2 75
2.172
2183
2,465
2182
४. ६ 2.1.2 17..7
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FORMOSA.
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Taipeh, 21st December. Formosa has shown decided progress in, her trade and international administration during the year 1898. The natives are apparently-in- oreasing in wealth, as their trade han grosily ex- panded and the labouring classes have benefitted from the great increase in wages. With har. bours and railways, the island will, doubtless become one of the richest parts of the Chima- Sea. The total sum of the import and export trade for 1896 was 20,033,000 yen. and the trade for 1997 suddenly increased, to 25.418,000 yen. For the first half of this year the total trade amounts to 14,421,000 yen. So that the whole year will probably reach some- thing like 28.000.000 yen. This is about double the amount of trade for 1894, the last year of the Chinese administration in the island and is even higher when compared with preceding years. The import and export trade in tes, sugar, oil, and flour is gradually iho easing. but camphor, owing to the low prices in the market and high wages, has decreased. In Twatatia, Mourilyan, Heimann & Co. bav general merchants, and Tait & Co. will again recently established themselves as tea BDC
engage in the sugar trade in the south general, foreign as well as native trade is in a healthy and prosperous condition.
In
The armed banditti in the south and central districte disturbed the peaceful villagers and attacked travellers, oresting much alarm, but they are now quieting down again with the ex- ception of some districts where a Japanese ex- pedition is at present in operation. In the northern districts things are now very peaceful, and it is quite safe to travel without any danger, and the natives are now engaging in road-mak- ing and other works under government control. These bands of robbers seem to be a common product of all parts of Chins, and the Japanese authorities find it a difficult task to root them all out. If they are destroyed in one district they spring up again in another, but with the completion of the plaus for their subjngation it is quite certain that in course of time the For- mosa banditti will become quiet, and for the welfare of the island generally we hope this end will soon be attained.-N. C. Daily News corres- pondent.
CANTON NOTES,,
CHUNG NGOI BAN PO
[FROM THE Rumours have been current in Canton that the Viceroy received a telegram' on the 7th in- staut from the Teungli Yamen telling him to make all preparations for emergencies. The report still requires confirmation.
The Viceroy has received a despatch from Wa Ting-fang, the Chinese Minister In Ameri-
ca. to the effect that it has been discoved thắt some people are now engaged in an unlawful business of smuggling arms and ammunition from America to be imported into China to supply them to bad characters and that strictest care should be exercised to prevent their im- portation. The Viceory has accordingly atructed his subordinate officers to that effect.
Mr. J., E. Rennison, foreign manager of the Pao-wo mine at Ninsikong near Niugpo, has arrived in Shanghai with a thrilling tale of outrage and attempted murder. On Sunday, the 8th instant, the third attempt to open the mine was made, Mr Rennison. the Chinese manager Mr. Chu Tze-ping, two Chinese officials, and forty soldiers being 'present at the ceremonies, which included the propitiation of the guardian spirit...of the mountain.
Firewood is exceedingly dear in Canton, b The officials brought a hundred soldiers alto. gether, but sixty were left a short distance
pical being sold for over sixty cents. The cause of such a high rate is that no fresh off at Fangys, There were about a hundred
supplies have lately come forward from country people looking on, but there was no
East River, where the article is in great disturbance of any kind. After the ceremony
abundance, for junks laden with firewood are was byer, the Chinese officials went away un-
not allowed by the pirates to proceed to Canton fortunately taking their troops with them, and
till each junk has paid fifty dollars blackmail, Mr. Chu Tze-ping went away on business to
The local authorities do not take any steps to Sungan, a town near-by, Mr. Rennison re In order that these returns may be understood get rid of the pirates, but simply ask the silk turned at noon to the temple where he was in relation to expenditure, we may mention factories to use coal instead of firewood, for they staying, and where the stores, etc., for the mine, again that all working charges, including de- say that the heavy consumption of frowood of to the value of something under $10,000, were preciation, and also the whole work of devolop-over seven thousand piculs daily by the silk deposited. About six o'clock, as Mr. Rennisoning, which is really an addition to the value of factories is the cause of the high price, was about to sit down to dinner, two soldiers who the property, amounts to some £1,500 a month. had thrown away their uniforms, came rushing The expenditure for the twelve months is thus in for safety Sortly afterwards, Mr. Rennison's about £18,000, against a returd of gold valued boy came in, looking very scared, having armed at £50,000, and the profit margin over £30.000 himself with a chopper, and advised his master on a capital of £200,000.—Singapore Free Press. to take the carving knife-be had left his gun at Ningpo as a mob of between two and three- thousand men, were coming up to attack the temple, and
e. and mugler every-one in it connected with the mine. Mr. Renniso with his inter preter, a young fellow named King who stuck to bimmost gallantly all through, declaring that if Mr. Rennison were killed he would die with him,'
Total 3,937 12.862 (av.)18.11 Roughly for the twelve months' work the return is £50.000 or over $500,000.
There was only one case for the criminal sessions which opened on 18th Jan. and after the jury had been empanelled the Chief Justice, in dismissing the other gentlen-n who had been summoned, thanked them for their attendanos and at the same time congratulated them on the shortness of the calendar.
On the 7th instant a big fire broke out market place in Sai-chiu, Nam-hoi district, in which there were about one hundred and twenty houses. The fire originated in a grocer's shop. Over fifty houses were burnt to the gron
ground but luckily there was no loss of life.
It is said that H.E. Chang Pat-shi, Director General of the Canton-Hankow, rallway, who TROYED QUEENS invite, want to Singapore some months ago 1p subscriptions for shares for the undertaking, has raised a subsoription of 12,000,000 their. He will probably return to Canton by the end of
next month.
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