July 7, 1900.]
THE NEW TERRITORY BOUNDARY. The staffs at the police stations near the boundary of the New Territory are being still further strengthened by the addition of Euro- pean and Indian constables. The lawless characters in the neighbourhood of Sam Chun are getting more and more threatening.
THE RETURN OF THE “HINSANG '
TO HONGKONG.
The Hinsang returned from Taku on the 1st inst., bringing with her from Chefoo a missionary lady named Mrs. Brown and her children (from Peking) and some 15 or 16 Hongkong children who were at school at
Chefoo.
Our readers will remember that the Hinsang, which had been chartered by the military au- thorities, left Hongkong on the 15th ult. with 500 troops, etc., for Taku, Major St. John being in charge. When nearing Amoy she encountered a heavy sea, and it was deemed advisible to put in at Amoy. She remained here from four o'clock in the morning and left in the evening. The weather was no better when she resumed her voyage, but in view of the urgent nature of her errand it was decided to get on. She went through the Haitan Straits, and lay to for a short time between the islands. A good deal of fog was encountered in the gulf of Pechili, and a heavy mantle overspread the spot where the U. S. 8. Oregon came to grief.
On the 22nd June, she cast anchor about six miles from the anchorage of Taku. On the 23rd and 24th the troops, etc., were taken on board a smaller steamer-the Shenhing (owned by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire) and by her landed at Taku. The Hinsang left Taku on the 24th, and the following day (Monday) put in at Chefoo, taking on board the refugees mentioned above on the Tuesday. During the night it was discovered that the Chinese at Chefoo had mounted two guns and made extensive entrenchments. The Hinsang called at Weihai- wei and then came straight on to Hongkong, experiencing very dirty weather. She will pro- bably go north again on Wednesday with ammunition and stores.
She passed men-of-war all along from Taku to Chefoo, and the officers on board were struck by the fine appearance presented by the Rus- siana. Some of the British ships appear to have been practically denuded of men in order to swell Admiral Seymour's relief column.
THE REINFORCEMENT OF THE CHINA
SQUADRON.
The two boats Bramble and Britomart, which have been commissioned for service on the China Station, are First Class gunboats, with indicated horse-power of 1,300 forced draught. Their speed is 13.5 knots, forced draught, and 12.5, natural draught. They draw 8 ft., and their displacement is 700 tons. The armament is two 4 in quickfirers and four 12-pounder quick-firers.
GERMAN L088ES WITH SEYMOUR'S COLUMN.
The Acting German Consul at Shanghai gives the following casualties of the Germans with the force under Admiral Seymour: Captain-Lieutenant Buchholz (1st. officer of H.I.M.S. Kaiserin Augusta) and 10 men killed; 4 officers and 3 men seriously wounded. Cap. tain von Usedom (Commander of H.I.M.S. Hertha) and 40 men slightly wounded. Capt. Lans of the Iltis, wounded at the capture of the Taku Forts, was, according to an Extra of Der Ostatsiatische Lloyd on the 30th ult., still living and doing well. The German Emperor has
decorated him with the Order for Merit.
THE SICK AND WOUNDED,
The London Daily Mail from its Absent Minded Beggar Fund has remitted by wire
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
and their practice was highly commendable. All units, consisting of artillery, A. and B. Co's, the Reserve Co. and the Naval Co. with two Nordenfeldts, together with the Customs Co., about 90 strong, the German Co. and the Ambul- ance corps, mustered on the ground at 5.45, and were given a good useful hour's drill in the presence of a very large gathering of spectators, many of whom were ladies. The troops in the march past had loud applause from the lookers on. Major Brodie A. Clarke acted as commanding officer, and there was a full at tendance of officers, including three mounted irregulars. The march back to the Bund began shortly before 7 p.m. and, passing the Central Hotel, our volunteers had a compliment which they highly appreciated. It was general leave night for the British fleet, and a strong party of bluejackets and marines, on the steps, cheered the volunteers with all the lustiness that characterises British sailors. The dismiss took place on the Bund opposite the Custom House."
Since the recent formation of an American company of volunteers, the Portuguese and Japanese of Shanghai have raised companies The Portuguese movement was heartily entered into and Senior Consul Valdez has promised the recruits every support. It is estimated that the Company will be 125 strong. The Japanese Company will probably muster 200 strong, under Captain Inamurs. The com- panies will be armed by the Municipal Council, but it is understood that the Japanese dispatch vessel Yayeyama brought down a supply of arms also, for use if needed.
There is now almost a formidable array of ordnance at the British Consulate, where the naval machine guns, a 3lb. Hotchkiss (quick- firer), and other pieces are parked. The Nordenfeldt's are still kept at the Central Police Station.
ANTI-FOREIGN FEELING IN CORRA.
The anti-foreign feeling has apparently spread to Corea. The special correspondent at Seoul of the Tokyo Nichi Nichi telegraphed on the 24th inst. that the inhabitants of Chung- chong-do, Chulla-do and the northern part of Kyung-chong-do have presented an application to the Imperial Household asking for permis- sion to exterminate the Christians in their provinces. The ringleaders in the application have been arrested. The gist of the application was that the foreign missionaries living ten Corean li outside the foreign settlements should be ordered to retire within the Treaty limits, according to the Treaty provisions. Apparently the memorialists were supported by a section of the Government officials, but great reticence is maintained regarding the whole matter.
THE DISASTER IN DES VŒUX ROAD.
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In our issue of the 4th inst. we briefly stated that the previous evening a couple of houses had collapsed and one caught fire. Further particulars are now to hand.
At about nine o'clock a report was made at No. 7 Police Station, West Point, by Indian Constable 740 that the house No 239, Des VOBILX Road, had collapsed and another caught fire. Inspector Baker and a body of firemen, were soon on the scene with a despatch box. They❘ found that the wall dividing 239 from 240 had given way and caused 239 to collapse and a portion of 240, the disaster being due to the weight of 6,000 piculs of rice stored against the wall. The shop 240 contained a large quantity of matting, and this had been set on fire through the overturning of a lamp.
When the firemen arrived they found a
this time the fire had got such a hold that there was not the slightest chance of saving the accountant. When the flames had been got under somewhat the charred body of the account- ant was found in a standing position, with one arm over a rail. Close beside him was what had apparently been an account book, so that the police at once concluded that the fire had been caused by the upsetting of the lamp by which the man had been writing.
It was close on midnight before the polios took their leave. Comparatively little damage was done to the rice-only about $200 worth being destroyed, but the contents of the mat shop were almost completely demolished.
A gentleman who was one of the earliest arrivals on the scene and who took a prominent part in the rescue work- indeed it was owing to the labours of himself and his friends that the life of one unfortunate Chinaman was saved--- has kindly given us an account of what he saw. When he arrived with three companions,) at about 9 o'clock, the fire had already taken hold of the ruins, and quite a crowd of Chinese tras watching. A Chinaman was found crushed between some scaffolding, his body being free but his arm under quite half a ton of wood. The four new arrivals and a Sikh watchman at once set to work to get him out. The scaffolding was too heavy to be lifted without mechanical assistance, so the side-arm of a lukong on the spot was borrowed, and an attempt made to cut away the wood, without success. Next the rescuers tried to lever it up, but again failed. At this point two of the
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Messrs. Musso arrived with a hose from the neighbouring Gas Works, and soon this was playing on the fire, which had become threaten- ing. The Sikh managed to get hold of a saw and with this a fresh attack was made on- the woodwork imprisoning the Chinaman. After it had been sawn half through the job was completed with a lever, and the China- man was set free, an Inspector arriving just as the operation was completed. By this time the first fireman arrived—it was about 9.20- but there was no hose with him. The Chinaman who had so narrow an escape said that he thought that there were at least two of his compatriots among the ruins, but he did not know where they might be. A search for them would have commenced, but at this point more firemen arrived, and the rescuers were unceremoniously told to move out of the way. This seemed to them rather ungrateful, as they had worked so hard and reduced themselves to a sad plight through the combined action of the fire and the water with which they were utterly drenched. However, as they felt "not fit to be seen and there was so little official appreciation of their work, they had nothing to do but to retire. The younger of the Messrs. Musso (whose assistance alone enabled the others to set the prisoner free, as otherwise the fire must have reached him before he was got out) lost a couple of rings, which were torn off his finger by the force of the water; and our informant had his glasses smashed.
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SAD ACCIDENT IN THE HARBOUR.
A sad accident took place to a picnic party at Capsuimoon on the afternoon of the 1st inst Mr. H. E. Mackenzie, of the East Point Sugar Works, losing his right hand. Mr. Mackensie and four or five others were in a boat undressed,
the sum of £200 to be used in the purchase of number of Europeans busily engaged in extin-right hand and slightly injured two or three.
comforts for the sick and wounded, which are
to be sent to the chartered hospital ship, Sheng. king, at Taku, and the Daily Mail asks to know by wire what further hospital relief is required
THE DEFENCE OF SHANGHAI.
guishing the flames. There was only one man on the premises at 239 when the accident took place, and he escaped, but the police learned that of the three men known to be in 240 only one was seen to get away, and accordingly the The N.-C. Daily News gives an account of firemen set to work to find the other two. Fire- the Volunteer parade on the Shanghai polo man McVickers soon came across a foki buried ground on the evening of the 28th ult. Our under the debris near the door. He extricated contemporary says:The muster was first- him, and found that he was not much worse for rate, fully 500 men turning out, and if there his experience. This man stated that the were places in the ranks where the costume was accountant was in the first floor in a cubicle any but uniform, the man and the gun were at the back of the premises, and that there, and that's the main thing. The Light when he last saw him he was seated at a Horse with lances and pennons looked very well, ' table writing by the light of a lamp. By
preparatory to having a swim. Mr. Mackensie had a dynamite cartridge in his hand, and he proposed throwing it into the water so that and his friends could dive after the fish stunned thereby. He accordingly lit the fuse, and the cartridge exploding prematurely blew off lis
other men in the boat. The arm was at on bound up, and Mr. Mackenzie was taken the Hospital, where the hand was amputated above the wrist. We are pleased to say that he is doing well. Much sympathy is felt for Mr. Mackens on account of the calamity which has befallon him.
The Chinaman who escaped from the prison- ers' detaining room at the Magistracy has beim - re-arrested and re-sentenced to six months' jh. prisonment. A Chinese detective (No. 100) caught him as he was stepping into a launch for 'Kong Mun.