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THE LO88 OF THE “ WHITE OLUUD."
PROCEEDINGS AT THE MAGISTRACY
́YESTERDAY.
At the Magistracy on the 27th October before Mr. Gomperis, Captain Raymond was charged that he "on the 8th day of Sept., 1899, then being master of the British steamship White Cloud, did knowingly take the said steamship to sea in such an unseaworthy state that the lives of the officers and crew on board the said steam- ship were likely to be thereby endangered, from the waters of the Colony, contrary to Ordinance 26 of 1891, section XI, subsection 12."
Mr. Bowley (Acting Crown Solicitor) ap. peared for the proseention and Mr. Grist (Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist) for the defence, Mr. Bowley said defendant was charged under section E., Ordinance 26 of 1891, sub- section 2, which said :-“Every Master of a British or Colonial ship who knowingly takes the same to sea in such unseaworthy state that the life of any person is likely to be thereby endangered shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, unless he proves that her going to sea in such unseaworthy state was, under the circumstances, reasonable and justifiable, and for the purpose of giving such proof he may give evidence in the same manner as any other witness." The section also provided, A prosecntion under this section shall not be instituted except with the consent of the Governor. A misdemeanour under this section shall not be punishable upon summary conviction.” Mr. Bowley concluded by saying that he would first call Commander Rumsey.
Commander Ramsey said he was Harbour Master of Hongkong; also Registrar of Ship- ping, and Stipendiary Magistrate. He pro- duced the register, from which it appeared that the White Cloud was a British ship aud was built in 1875. Her original owners were the Hongkong and Macao Steamboat Company Limited. On the 2nd September the resel changed hards under bill of sale dated August 30th.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
enquiry was held, as both the owner (Mr. Robin son) and Captain Raymond had asked. verbally for one. Subsequently a request was sent in that there should be no enquiry, but he replied that the court having been constituted the enquiry would have to go on. Defendant came to his office after the enquiry and said he wished to offer an ex- planation as to his non-attendance, but witness declined to hear any. It appeared from the evidence that defendant was not in the colony at the time of the enquiry.
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and
[November 4, 1899.
Re-examined by Mr. Bowley-Captain Ray- mond told me he thought she was all right.
By the Court-I agreed to receive $200 for the trip and a first-class passage back from Manila.
The further hearing was adjourned until to-day, defendant being again allowed bail.
40 caulking of the scams. The bankers. were full when he joined the ship. He was given to understand that there were between 120 and 130 tons of coal on board. He did not go into the hold. He had a European second engineer with him and ten Chinese. They left the harbour at about four o'clock on the Friday afternoon, and at about nine o'clock at night the ship began to roll. The weather was not bad, but there was a heavy sea on. He noticed the water in the bunkers. It got in through a seam under the covering boards. He put Antonio Guterres, Deputy Superintendent of the donkey pump
on
at about half-past the Mercantile Marine Office in this colony, nine. They kept the water fairly well under said all ships' articles were prepared and signed until the pump broke down. He turned in at in his presence. He produced the articles of 12 'clock and was called up at a quarter-past the steamship While Cloud, signed on the 4th one, when there was a good deal of water about September last by defendant as Master and by the stoke-hole plates. The plates were about 80 the crew. He delivered the articles to the Mas- inches above the bilge. The bilge-injection was ter, who returned them to him after the voyage. put on and the water was reduced so as to enable William Ramsey, superintendant engineer of them to get up a good head of steam at about the Hongkong, Canton, and Macao Steamboat half-past three. At about six o'clock in the Company, and of the Scottish Oriental Steam-morning a plank was stove in, and the water shot ship Company, said he knew the White Cloud, across from the starboard side to the port. It was which belonged to the Hongkong, Canton, and impossible to repair the plank or stop the leak: Macao Company previous to August last. He The fires were put out by the water at about a had known her for 24 or 25 years. She was quarter to seven or seven o'clock, and then built at Hongkong. Formerly she ran between as they had no means of pumping the water Hongkong and Macao and then between Macao out, the Captain said there was no other course and Canton. She had been on the latter run but to abandon the ship, which was done. From all the time-18 months-be had been superin- his experience as a chief engineer, he should tendant engineer to the company. She was a say the vessel was not in a seaworthy condition wooden ship sheathed with copper. She had to start leaking in such weather. not been docked during the last 18 months. In reply to Mr. Grist, witness said he On the Saturday before the 24th July he ex-examined the engines and machinery. He had amined the White Cloud, which was then lying no reason to think the White Cloud was not at Macao. He did not know when the engines seaworthy when she left the harbour. He were built, but they were older than the ship. would not have gone away with her had he He could not say for certain, but he be thought she was not seaworthy. lieved the boilers were over 20 years old. When he examined the engines and boilers in July last he found the shell plates of the boilers thin in several places and also the furnaces. They were safe enough at the pressure upon them then, but with continual running they would want repairing. He did not consider the boilers worth repairing. The angines were all Captain Raymond again appeared at the Magi- right. He examined the boiler space and found stracy on Saturday on the charge of knowingly the frames decayed from rot. The wood of the taking the White Cloud to sea in an unseaworthy White Cloud must have been very good to have condition. Mr. Rodrigues, formerly sole en- lasted so long. The White Cloud was good|gineer on the White Cloud, said he left the White enough in ordinary weather for the run from Cloud in August last after heaving been on her Macro to Cauton. She was a paddle boat and ha! | for six years. The engines were in good con- spousous. The latter would be a source of weak. | dition but the boilers were weak. If there was DeRs in a heavy sea unless well fastened dowu.
uo typhoon signalled and it was good weather ns the straining would tend to open the seams, he would willingly have gone to Manila in the The seam next to the covering board would White Cloud. Evidence having also been given he the first place affected. When he examined by Li Po, who sigued on as boatswain of the be on the 24th July he considered the White White Cloud for the voyage to Manila, the Cloud fit to make the voyage from Macao further hearing was adjourned till Tuesday. to Manila in ordinary weather. He had 25 years' experience of the weather in this part o the world and did not consider it safe to take the White Cloud to Manila in September. He considered that 100 tons of coal would be ample to serve the ship on a voyage to Manila. A hundred tons of coal would do her no harm with no other cargo in the hold, but the lighter her draught the safer she would be, as she would| strain less. At a great expense she might have been put in a fit condition to go to Manila. He heard of the White Cloud having gone to Manila the day after she left. The weather Commander Rumsey, continuing his evidence, was not bad then in Hongkong, but it could not maid-The-White Cloud had no passenger be called fine and settled, as it was in the typhoon certificate on the 2nd September. The lust season. He considered that from the middle of declaration as to the surveying of the White August to the 10th October was the worst sea. Cloud by the Government Marine Surveyor son. He himself as chief engineer would not was dated September 5th, 1893. A passen-have taken the White Cloud to Manila in Sep- ger certificate was issued on that declara. tember. tion on the 18th September, 1888, and the certificate expired on the 12th September, 1894. The ship had not been surveyed by the Govern- ment Marine Surveyor since September, 1893. The boat was cleared for Manila on the 7th September. He presided over a Marine Court at which the circumstances connected with loss of the White Cloud were enquired into. De- fendant did not attend at the court, though notice was issued. The finding of that court was gasetted in the Government Gazette. The do- cument produced was the original finding of the court and was signed by all the members of Yaumati. On the 5th September she came | inmates of the house did not arrive the
Mr. Grist took a preliminary objection, sup- gesting that the first thing which should be done was to prove that the Governor had given his consent to the prosecution.
Commander Rumsey, continuing, said he re- ceived a document coutaining the Governor's signature saying that be consented to the prosecution.
Mr. Grist said the document should be put in. Commander Rumser said he had not the document in his pocket.
Mr. Grist pressed his point contending that the document must be put in or else his client must be discharged.
Mr. Bowley had in his haud a document which showed that His Excellency had consented to the prosecution, but demurred to putting it in in the first instance. Subsequently, on the sugges- tion of His Worship, he entered the box, and said he had received instructions from the Governor, through the Colonial Secretary, to institute this prosecution. He produced the document, which showed that His Excellency had consented to the prosecution of Captain Raymond.
the cou
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eply to Mr. Grist, witness said he did not know defendant did not appear at the court of enquiry. He could not at the instant remember on whose application the court of
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In reply to Mr. Grist, he said he would have taken an ordinary lannob to Manila if properly fitted up and if hard up for a job. He did not consider the White Cloud as safe to go to Manila as one of the launches which had gone, but it was not particularly safe to go in either.
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David Adamson said be held a chief engineer's certificate issued in 1879. On the 4th of Sep- tember he joined the White Cloud, being en- gaged by Captain Raymond for one trip to Manila only. He went on board on the even ing of the 4th September, when she was at
round to Wanchai. When he signed en Cap- tain Raymond was master of the ship. She sailed on the Friday after the 4th. While at Wanchai some measures were taken to strength on the ship. He saw the shoring of the boilers
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At the Magistracy où Tuesday afternoon the hearing was resumed of the charge against Captain Raymond of taking the White Cloud to sea in rn unseaworthy condition,
Mr. R. C. Dixon, Goverument Marine Sur: veyor, said he surveyed the White Cloud in 1893 and passed her for river limits. He would not have given her a certificate for going to se8, At great expense she might have been made fit for a sea voyage.
Mr. Jones boarding officer gave evidence as to Captain Raymond's service record.
Mr. McCalloob second engineer of the White Cloud, also gave evidence.
The case was committed for trial at the Criminal Sessions.
A brutal robbery was committed at Bangkok the other day. It seems, according to the so- count given in the Bangkok Times, that about four o'clock in the morning the house a Mrs.
e of Clunis, in Windmill Road, was entered by a thief who went direct to the bedroom where Miss Clanis was sleeping. He at once seized her and proceeded to pull her earrings. She struggled and screamed, but the thief wrenched the ornaments away, mutilating, both her ears rather badly in doing so. There were a pair of brilliants in the rings, worth it is said 4,000 thief ticals. These were the only things the
cleared attempted to take, and of course he away as soon as he had got them. The other scene till it was too late. Miss Clavis had, it seems, managed to recognise her assailant as a man living in the neighbourhood, and Chief- the Inspector Sheriff effected his course of the day.
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