410
China having outlawed herself is apt to be treated with somewhat less deference than heretofore. The authority of the Customs may therefore nevor again
roceive the international support it has hitherto done We have seen Italy, for example, taking forcible possession of the headquarters of the institution in Peking, compelling the head of the Customs to seek shelter and carry on his business where he can. This lawless proceeding. acquiesced in by all the Powers, does not augur well for the future authority of the Customs officers in dealing with foreign traders. Moreover, some of the Powers have recently shown themselves by no means averse to their nationals improving their pecuniary position unfairly at the expense of China. The making up of the indemnity | claims offers some evidence of this. The claims of the residents of certain nationalities have been unduly inflated with the connivance of their respective Governments, while the British claims, perhaps also the American, have been rigidly restricted to actual and direct losses which have had to be proved up to the hilt. A similar inequality of treatment under the new Customs rules, a similar disposition of certain Governments to back up their nationals unjustly in their possible disputes with the Chinese officials, and a continuance of the resolution of the British Government to hold its own subjects in check, would tend in no very lengthened period to transfer the bulk of the Chinese trade from British to foreign hands.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The final completion and test of the boat is expected to take place within one or two months, and if successful will certainly revolutionise the building of submarine torpedo-boats.
HONGKONG.
The only case of communicable disease reported in the Colony last week was one of enteric fever, the sufferer being a Japanese,
The visitors to the City Hall Library and Museum last week were 410 nun-Chinese and 190 Chinese to the former, and 78 non-Chinese and 1,779 Chinese to the latter institution.
On the 10th inst. being the anniversary of the birthday of His Majesty the King of Italy, Herr Niholas Post, Acting Consul-General for Italy, held a reception between noon and 1 p.m. at the Italian Consulate, Queen's Road Central.
A Chinese apprentice boilermaker was work- ing on the s.s. Chelydra in No. 2 dock, Hung hom, on the 11th inst., when he overhalanced himself and fell to the bottom of the hold. He was carried home by his friends, and died on the 12th inst. A native icklayer fell off a build- ing in Wanchai on the 11th inst., and died in the hospital a few hours later.
Among the passengers by the Balluaraf on the 8th inst. wore Sir James Lyle Mackay, K.C.IE.. and Mr. Henry Cockburn, C.B., the former of whom has come up to China to conduct on behalf of Great Britain the commercial negotia- tions provided for under the Protocol, while the latter will assist him. They meet here Sir These are some of the dangers which may be Ernest Satow, the British Minister at Peking. apprehended from the attempt to work an ad A sale of Crown land took place on the 12th valorem tariff in China, and they constitute the inst. at the offices of the Public Works Depart- most urgent reason why the period of its operament, when Inland Lot No. 169, situated in the tion should be shortened by every possible locality of New Plantation Road Station, was disposed of to Mr. A. Denison, architect and civil engineer, acting on behalf of the Hon. F. H. May, Captain Superintendent of Police, for the sum of $700, 820 above the upset price. Mr. Denison was the only bidder.
means.
NEW RUSSIAN SUBMARINE
TORPEDO-BUAT.
|
|
The following is the constitution of the Wong-nei-choug Recreation Ground Com- mitta as approved by His Excellency the Governor : Chairman, Hon. W. Chatham (Acting); Naval representative. Commander H. Orpen R.N; Military representative, Captain H. Rotheram, E.W.F.; Polo Club representa tive, Lt-Colonel F. Koe, DA.A.G.; Football Club representative, F. Brown; Golf Club representative. Hon. J. Thurburn: Cricket | Club representative, E. A. Ram: Victoria Re- creation Club representative, W. Armstrong: Hockey Club representative. H. Packney Jockey Club representative T. F. Hough.
The new submarine torpedo-boat which is now being built at St. Petersburg by Engineer- constructor Kuteinikoff, and Naval Lieutenant Kolbusieff, does not resemble a single type of all the subinarino boats now in existence. First of all it so constructed that it can be taken apart, consisting of nine separate box-like compartments, which are joined together by bolts. The entire length of the bout will be 50 ft., 4 ft beam, and of 20 tons displace. ment. In the three middle compartments of the boat will be concentrated the machinery and steering apparatus, and from which place are also to extend the shafts, which will work by The Hon. W. Chatham, who has been acting electricity the six propellers intended to set the as Director of Public Works since the depar- boat into motion. Accumulators of the Barry ture for home about a year ago of Mr. R. D. system are to serve as the main source for Ormsby, has been definitely appointed to the electric power, which will be installed in the office. Mr. Chatham's first position in the three fore and the three aft compartments of Public Works Department, which he joined in the vessel. In order to submerge the boat below 1890, was that of Executive Engineer. and he the sea-level, the same compartments will be brought to the discharge of his duties a train- filled with water and the boat will descend. ing as thorough as it was practical. Educated Every one of the compartments has a porthole at the Royal High School, Edinburgh, he was on the top, which shuts hermetically. At the j also an undergraduate of the University of extremities of the boat. ie., on the first compart-the Scottish capital, which he left to adopt ment part and on the ninth, there will be special the engineering profession. Mr. Chatham was fly-wheels with blades, which are to direct the articled to Messrs. Thomas Maik and Son, civil boat's movements. An equilibrium rudder is to engineers, Edinbugh. and filled important be attached at the stern of the boat. The boat offices both in Scotland and England before will be armed with two antomatic torpedoes, coming out to Hongkong. We extend our the latter to be located in the upper part congratulations to him on his appointment. of the hull, one fore and aft, and each to occupy three compartments of the boat. Special gauges will be made for the tor. pedoes, which are to be of a semi-circular cut. By a special gearing arrangement it will be possible to work the torpedoes at any moment from the main part of the boat without the aid of a mining apparatus. All the exterior work on the boat is already completed and three com- partments of the boat have been launched for a trial. The tests made recently as to the impermeability of the parts under great pres- sure gave excellent results.
Whatever con- carns the solidity of the boat, this is to be distributed all over the hullin various directions. Besides ribs of angled steel, there will be cross-beams of angled steel as well. During the test of the 3 compartment the latter, having been inclined to an angle of about 90 deg., righted themselves to the proper position momentarily, as soon as the action of the inclining power was stopped.
The Gazette contains a report by Dr. J. C. Thomson on the result of his examination of mosquitoes during the year ended 3th Sep
In all, 32,266 insects were tember. 1001. examined. The result of Dr. Thomson's obser- vations is, he says, a remarkable testimony to the truth of the mosquito-malaria theory. He urges that efforts already being made by Government, and by owners of private property as well, to eradicate these pests be redoubled dur ing the coming winter months, and recommends kerosene as being at once the cheapest, safest, and most efficient larvæcide. Dr. Thomson further urges upon householders in malarious parts of the city the desirability of making an effort to destroy as many as possible of the hibernating adult insects during the winter months, by occasionally fumigating with sulphur all servants' quarters, basements, boxrooms. stables, &c., where in ordinary circumstances the insects might remain undisturbed in dark corners for long periods.
|
[November 18, 1901.
Foot-and-month disease has broken out in the Colony. Particulars will be found under the Sanitary Board report,
Home papers note the arrival in Europe of the Hon. F. H. May. C.M.G., our Captain- Superintendent of Police, and Mrs. May by the last German Mail steamer, Prinzess Irone. Mr. May landed at Genoa, and Mrs. May went on to Loudon.
The only fresh detail brought by the Shang- hai papers about the fire at Tientsin on the night of 1st inst. is that the conflagration originated in the Fusiliers Barracks, not as was first thought in cargo stored in the open compound in Messrs. Droste, Batouieff & Co.'s godowns.
Rear-Admiral Harry T. Grenfell, who suc- coods Sir James Bruce as second in command in Chiua, arrived here the 8th inst. by the P. & O. mail steamer Ballaarat About 5 p.m. Ad- miral. Grenfell went on board the flagship Burfleur, being saluted en route by the guns of the men-of war lying in the the Harbour, sud was there entertained to dinner. The Admiral will hoist his flag on H.M.S. Albion.
onsiderable excitement was caused by a rumour which gained currency in the town on the 8th inst. to the effect that an attack had been made upon a Customs House near Mirs Bay and veral lives taken. The story as commonly related was that three Europeans had escaped but that several Sikhs and Chinese had been murdered. Enquiry in official quarters served happily to disprove the accuracy of the rumour; neither the Customs nor the police had received any confirmation of such a report. In fact
All quiet," the Customs authorities stated
Music hath charms to soothe the siva.e breast,
"
but not the cricketer. Mr Arthur was batting on the 12th inst., and just as the band was finish- ing the Intermezzo from Cavaliera Rusticana he sent a ball whizzing in its direction, and caught one unfortunate fiddler a spanker on the calf of the leg. The victim looked round in pained amazement, but Arthur played on and in a few moments sent another ball into the band-stand, this time, however, without striking anyone. Of course everyone knows that there are times when music possesses anything but a soothing influence; but one would scarcely have imagined that a man with Mr. Arthur's known fondness for music would have been upset by it, even though it was raining heavily and the bowlers sending in awkward balls. And a member of the Cathedral Choir, too! Dear, dear!
H.M.S. Arethus went into dock on Friday at Kowloon.
H.M. surveying-ship Waterwitch returned on the 8th inst. from a criuse. The Russian transport Mongolia left for Port Arthur.
H.M.S. Ocean went into dock on the 10th inst. at Kowloon.
On the 11th inst. H. M. battleship Barfleur left for Singapore. the transport Umta for Calcutta the surveying-ship Waterwitch for a cruise, and the Portuguese gunboat Zuire for Macao.
The German cruiser Kuiserin Augusta arrived on Friday morning from Shanghai.
The US. battleship Kentucky arrived early on the 14th inst
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Singapore A.D.C. has been performing Charley's Aunt.
M. Gobert, President of the Tonkin Chamber of Agriculture. is dead.
The Singapore Municipal Loan of $1,000,000 at 5 per cent. has been over-subscribed by about 4 per cent, and allotments have been made of the full loan at rates varying from 1 per cent. to 4 per cent. premium.
A number just to hand of the Echo de Chine. says that the French gunboat Olry has passed the last rapid on her trip up the Yangtze. The Madame von Rosthorn was ut Ichang on the 29th ult. The captain and pilot (of the Olry?) were expected to join her in a few days.
courts
The French decree organising the native of justice in Tonkin submits the judgments rendered by these tribunals to a Commission of Appeal composed of three Conncillors of the Indo-China Court of Appeal and two mandarins. Corporal punishment is suppressed,
These modifications necessitate the creation of two new Councillors for the Court of Appeal, and a substitute for the Attorney-General.
Page 20Page 21