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March 23, 1901.].
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. in their best endeavours to prevent the spread of the diseases they had suggested taking pre- ventative measures beforehan 1. Among these measures there was one which was recommended | by the Medical Officer of Health, and that was the limewashing of the native villages. In a small detail of that sort if there was any one in the colony capable of giving an opinion, if there was any one whose counsel and advice should be valued, it was that of the Medical Officer of Health. If he said limewashing was necessary, that should be sufficient to have it done. He thought it was most discouraging to the Board after all the difficulties and troubles they had had to contend with, to find the Legislative Council unanimously rejecting their recommendations on that point.
No further comment was made on the subject.
"In reply to His Excellency's minutes I re- gret to say that the mortality returns for the separate health districts of the city afford no reliable imformation for the purposes of com- parison, owing to the fact that no less than 35 per cent. of the total deaths occurring in the city (1,527 out of 4,371 in 19 0) are returned from the French and Italian Consuls, and I have no means of allocating these deaths to the districts to which they belong. I have, however, gone into the statistics of sick ness at the Tung Wah Hospital during the half-year ending December last and I attach an alphabetical list of the numbers of cases in each street, the number of houses in such streets, and the percentage of cases and houses. Where the percentage was not less that twenty, I have added notes as to the width of such streets and the number of stories to the houses therein, and from this return it will be seen that the A letter was submitted from Capt J. K. high percentages of sickness to number of houses Gordon, the Under Secretary to the Govern are very largely confined to narrow streets with mont at Bombay, forwarding a statement show. lofty buildings on the both sides, and that evening the number of plague cases in Bombay ti y in the wider streets, such as Ladder Btreet, Mc- Gregor Street, New Street, Shing Wong Street, Taipingshan Street, West Street, and Hing Hing Street, the houses considerably exceed the limit recommended by the Board, which in itself exceeds by fifty per cent. the limit allowed in most of the great cities of England.
As it is impossible to give the exact height of the houses in these streets it may be taken that two-storey buildings will be less than 30 feet high, three-storey buildings will not be less that 40 feet high, four-storey buildings will not be less that 50 feet high, and in many cases they will probably exceed these measurements."
Dr. Hartigan minnted : Morbidity statis- tics that have obtained in other large cities should be a gufficient guide to sunitary action at Hongkong."
THE PROPOSED CATTLE CREMATORIUM.
Correspondence relative to the proposed Cattle Crematorium at Kennedytown was laid upon the table. It was stated that the Public Works Committee had unanimously agreed to recom- mend that a vote be taken for $2,020, and that the apparatus had been ordered from England. The Finance Committee had recommended, and the Legislative Council had approved the ex- penditure.
VICTORIA HOSPITAL.
The plans for the Victoria Hospital for women and children were laid on the table, and after inspection by the Board they were approved, and the Secretary directed to retarn them to the Government.
WATER ANALYSES.
The reports of the analyses of the public water supplies were submitted.. Water taken from a fountain in Chater Road was of excel. lent quality. A similar quantity taken from a fountain in Hollywood Road gave the same result, as also was that taken from a fountain at the pumping station in Bonham Road West.
THE VILLAGE LIMEWASHING QUESTION.
The Secretary laid the limewashing returu for the past fortnight upon the table.
Mr. OSBORNE said he did not think he should allow that opportunity to go pass without com- menting upon the unfortunate result in the Legislative Council of their recommendations to the Government in connection with the limewashing and cleansing of the outlying villages. In reading the discussion which had taken place in the Council he was much surprised to see that very old worn-out argument brought forward by one of the unofficial members of the Council that he did not know it had been proved that limewash- ing was a good preventative against plague. He (Mr. Osborne) thought they had fully thrashed out that matter, and had sufficiently educated the intelligent public to their way of reasoning, so far as they would understand that the limewashing itself was not carried out with
BUBONIC PLAGUE.
from 22nd January to 4th February last to be 1,382, and 1,188 deaths.
There were 24 cases of plague at Tainar, and 18 deaths.
The SECRETARY read a communication from the Government of Burma as to the removal of the plague restrictions at Burma Ports against arrivals at Hongkong and from Singapore.
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A telegram was read from Shanghai declar- ing Hongkong a plague-infected port, anf one from Singapore that no case of plague had occurred there for the 10 days onded March 17th.
PLAGUE AT MANILA.
A statement from the Board of Health at Manila as to the plague cases in that city for the week ended 2nd March gave the number as 7, bringing the total up to 37. There had been 24 deaths.
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opera-
the attempt did not succeed. Later, a further attempt was made under the direction and charge of Captain Percy Scott, H.M.S. Terrible, and the vessel was uprighted. The next step in the
successfully tions was to float her, which was to be dono by covering all the apertures in the deck, and having coffer-dams or trunks brought above the level of the water. The after-end of the dredger was pumped out, and she was hauled towards the Praya. The idea was to get her into shallow water and then pump her out entirely. A very heavy purchase from shore was necessary to carry out this plan, as the vessel had to be dragged along the bot- tom of the harbour. On the 2nd inst., after having carried out some repairs to the coffer- dams, rendered necessary through damage caused a day or so previously by a strong wind and heavy sea, pumping was re-started shortly after mid-day, and the after-end pumped out first. One of the larger pumps was shifted to the fore-end of the vessel, on the port side. This end was divided fore and aft by bulkheads, a fact which made it difficult to maintain the equilibrium of the vessel, although the running of the pumps was carefully regulated with a view to maintaining that equilibrium, The operations were proceeding to all appear- ances successfully, and at about half-past five Captain Scott, who, with witness, had been at work all day, suggested that they should go ashore and have a cup of tea. This they did, and on going ashore examined the tackle, which was in charge of the boatswain of the Terrible, a most experienced mar. The hawsers were found to be strained to their full extent. Almost immedi. ately afterwards the dredge: took a slight list, which was gradually increased until she cap sized. Witness examined the shore tackle again after the dredger went over, and found it perfectly rigid, showing that the vessel, in the act of capsizing, was still resting on her port bilge. The divers Johnson and Brodie were in witness's employment, and working under the direction of Mr. Morton, an ex. perienced salvage diver from Shanghai. divers were on a diving punt, both fully dressed. One of the two men had just come up from be- low, and the other was on the point of going dowa. The eye-piece of the diving helmet in each case was removed at the time of the acci dent. The pant capsized, and the two divers, impeded by their cumbrous dress, went down. Immediate steps to rescue them were taken, and Brodie was hauled to the surface within five minutes from the accident. His dress was out off, and he was attended by Dr. Gibson. Efforts to revive him were not immediately successful, The mortality returns from Macao for the and he was sent on board the Tamar, and he week ended 3rd March, 1901, were 37.
died in A fow days. Johnson's life-line had parted, and was found impossible to haul him up in the same way as Brodie. As soon as possible, however, another diving ap- paratus was procured, and Morton went down and got the body, which was then hauled to the surface. Dr. Gibson, after using restorative measures, pronounced life extinct. Witness had nothing to say as to the cause of the ac- cident except that it was quite possible, con sidering that the vessel was fast ́ ́aground. The dredger was sub-divided into four com. partments, and this made the maintaining of her equilibrium difficult, and probably tended to the accident, which would not have happened with an ordinary ship. Witness ascribed the accident to the unstable condition of the dredger, consequent on her structure, under conditions of her being submerged and pumped out.
NETHERLANDS INDIA.
A telegram was read to the effect that quaran tine was imposed against arrivals from Hong kong in Netherlands India.
VENICE SANITARY BEGULATIONS.
Tel grams were read anent the withdrawal of the Venice Sanitary Regulation imposed in Madras against arrivals from Singapore, and withdrawn at Calentta and Chittagong against arrivals from Hongkong.
CHOLERA AT SINGAPORE.
A. statement which had been received from the Straits Government relative to cases of cholera at Singapore was submitted. It gave 7 cases and 8 deaths between 31st January and 13th February.
MACAO.
MORTALITY STATISTICS
The number of deaths in the colony for the week ended 2nd March in the British anil For- eign communities was 22.3 as against 33.5 the previous week, and 228 the corresponding week of last year. In the whole colony (excluding army and navy) there were 21.7 deaths as against 23.6 in the previous week, and 21.6 in the corresponding week of last year.
This was all the business.
THE OVERTURNING OF THE "CANTON RIVER.'
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ENQUIRY INTO THE DEATHS OF THE TWO DIVERS.
An enquiry was held on the 19th inst at the Magistracy, before Mr. F. A. Hazeland, into the circumstances attending the deaths of the two divers, Brodie and Johnson, st the over- turning of the dredger Canton River on the 2nd inst.
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any idea whatever of preventing plague, but | Punchard, Lowther & Co., who are engaged in | Tamar. Wolever
The
Dr. Gibson was next called. He stated that he was called to attend at the accident shortly after five o'clock. · He found one diver, Brodie, lying in an unconscious condition, and after clearing out his mouth and stomach he
proceed. The first witness examined was Mr.[ James | ed to resuscitate him. These efforts were not Lennox Houston, partner in the firm of successful,
and Brodie was sent to the could not certify as to the with the sole aim and object of enforcing certain works in connection with the Naval | cause of death, as he had not attended Brodio cleanliness. Without limewashing it was im Yard extension. With reference to the afterwards At 6.10 the body of Johnson was possible for the inspectors to know which house dredger Canton River, Mr. Houston said brought up.⠀⠀⠀ The man was quite dead, the had been cleansed and which had not, and the vessel was ocident had been
formerly owned by his firm, cause of death being drowning. until they saw some white mark they were not but since
· sur- Lieut. Lichfield, H.M.8. Terrible, enid On the 10th been in charge of the salvage of November, the day of the typhoon, the dred dredger since about 20th January, Briét ger was moored opposite Murray Pier, and evidence was to the effect that the foundered during the storm. At the request, on the dredger consisted losing of parties interested, witness attempted to raise | breaks and apertures in the deck, her, but for want of sufficiently strong tackle fire coffer-dams over her principal
assured that the law had been complied with. rendered to the underwriters ?
That was one of the unfortunate circumstances which illustrated how powerless the Board was to do anything effectiveofitsown socord. They were confrented at the present moment with two very fatal epidemica-small-pox and plague-and
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