306
1.
cost of machinery, also, is not too great.- Yours, etc.,
H. R. JHU. [The paragraph to which our correspondent refers appeared in the Scientific Miscellany,' and was as follows:-"The telephone system of Captain Charollois, which is rapidly coming into use in the French and German armies, permits the laying of the bare wire upon the ground when not too wet. The wire, usually about one-fortieth of an inch in diameter, is of a special alloy known as Martin bi-metal, and it is so light that a man ean easily carry three or four miles of it, reeling it off at two and a half miles an hour. With a microphone trans- mitter and adjustable receiver the line can be worked up to six miles."-ED., D.P.]
PARSEE CHARITY FUND.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
Hongkong, 11th April.. STR, Though inconvenience I regret I could not reply to a correspondence over the nom de plume of "Problem" in your issue of Tuesday last. In the last paragraph the writer vaguely questions or raises the question whether the Canton Parsees have the sames rights as those enjoyed by their brethren in Hongkong, If the writer means to set Canton Parsees by the ears he is mistaken, for nobody has ever questioned the rights of their co- religionists in Canton, nor have their “ powers and privileges" ever been denied then, and they invariably subscribe to any list of subscriptions sent by the secretary of the fund in Hongkong; but this question has simply come out of the vapid brain of an irresponsible writer who, knowing his case hopeless, writes anonymously. If the Parsees up the river have a mind to take part in any meeting they have only to come down to Hongkong and attend it, as they have done times out of number.-Yours, etc.,
H. S. K.
TYPHOON WARNINGS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS."
Hongkong, 14th April. SIB, With the typhoon season approaching, it may not be out of place to strike a note of protest against the paucity of information re- ceived by mariners at the Port of Hongkong during that season. A frequent navigator in these waters cannot help but notice the great difference in the quality and quantity of storm warning information given at the various treaty ports as compared with that given from the Observatory in the British Colony of Hong kong; and what is more to be regretted, greatly to the detriment of the latter. The following para- graphs may help to explain matters which to an outsider appear inexplicable. They are printed as a foot-note in a pamphlet issued from the Observa- tory at Ficawei, near Shanghai, on the typhoon of August 1st and 6th, 1901:-"It is to be regretted that the service thus rendered to Shanghai south-going ships caunot be reci- procated in favour of Hongkong north bound vessels, as cur weather warnings, which are received at Amoy, Foochow, &c., are flatly refused at Victoria. In the present occasiou it seems that captains would have been warned at least 24 hours earlier than they actually were and thus spared many chances of sailing into the typhoon. Be that as it may, nothing would Le more desirable than a joint uniform service of warnings, carried on in common by all the meteorologi al stations in the Far East; and all these stations, American, French, Portu- guese, Chinese, German, Corean, and Japanese, would no doubt readily concur in it, with the always ready help of the Telegraph Companies if their good-will was not mostly baffled by the regrettable missing of one link in the chain of friendly co-operation, extending all along the coast from Saigon to Manila and Tokyo.'
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
worse.
[April 21,
1902.
The Kowloon Oracle was dumb: it is not prudent for a vessel to lie in an insecure position with the night and a possible typhoon coming on; and some vessels went to shelter. The weather got no worse, and next day the information was given that the centre bad passed the Colony at 4.30 the previons afternoon. Had that little piece of news been allowed to transpire when ascertained it would have saved much needless anxiety, as well as wear and tear and expen- diture of coal.
storms prevalent on their coasts; to issue the most correct warnings possible; to follow the course of these storms from their origin to their final dissolution; and to endeavour to give the navigator timely warning and all the assistance possible gleaned from the latest evolutions of meteorological science. We want these warnings to-day, to morrow, not in a future generation, when our descendents will read of the disastrons effects of such and such a typhoon, the warnings for which were not issued in ¡ time to be of practical assistance down south. It is fair to compare such a state of things, paid But ships north were warned in time It is for with public money, with the corresponding not pleasant to find that British representa service in Shanghai, which is rendered largely tives hold aloof from the friendly co-operation gratuitously by the French anthorities and of their neighbours in matters meteorological, missionaries. Then on the Bund is a convenient and refuse to receive profferred warning. It little weather office where may at all times is more, it is unjust to the seafaring propula-be seen the weather chart of all Chins for the tion whose living is eked ont in these seas, and present and previous days, so that any one may who have a right to expect that their
forecast the probabilities for himself, and from institutions should not be behind those of other the flagstaff above are kept flying distinot nations, the more especially so, hat British signals giving the latest weather and wind in- tonnage is in a vast preponder ince. Science formation from far and wide; and these benefits should benefit them to the best of her ability, are not grudgingly confined to Shanghai; out- In open seas they can help themselves, and lying stations have the same kindly considera. avoid the dangers by ordinary laws, but in ti n shown them. So does Shanghai; so dors narrow waters, such as the Formosa Channel, not Hongkong. What goes on in our establish. a warning in time is an estimable bon, and
ment we who are "not meteorologists" know in many cases the salvation of much life and not; but it does seem to the lay mind that when property, and it is sinful to think that whilst a certain work is paid for it might reasonably one portion of the coast may receive definite be required even if the correspondence with warning the other is left in complete ignorance, learned societies on various haven'y pheno- I do not sy that warnings are not issued
mena has to be neglected. by the Hongkong Observatory, but I do assert that compared with those issued by the Sicawei Observatory they very meagre and vague, and are not issued on Sundays and Government holidays, as if the storms would wait. Sicawei makes no such exceptions, and when depressions are located, warnings telling the mariner of the place and direction they are travelling, are kept flying from daylight to dark, whether it be Sunday or week day. Why cannot the same arrangement exist at Hong- kong? Why cannot the generous code of siguals such as is given in the North be adopted by the Hongkong Observatory in common with the rest of China, in-tead of that incomplete code it now adopts? The present selfish, incomplete system is a bit Colony, und 1 trust the day is not far off when those who are responsible for it will see the error of their ways, and co-operate heartily with their neighbours, from whose useful institutions they might learn many a wrinklo.
are
the
Let them
sink their petty jealousies in their zeal for the public good, and unite in their efforts for the very laudable object of baffling the elements in these stormy seas. In this way will they earn the gratitude of seafaring men, not only of the coast, but those who trade beyond-among the latter of whom may be reckon d.-- Yours, etc.,
MASTER MARINER.
4
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,
Hongkong, 16th April.
J
Again, why should not the benefit of the Observatory be somewhat extended? Occasion. ally the Canton Customs are advised (by their own people) of the propinquity of typhoons; but there seems no reason why, as the junks and Chinese shipping are likewise of considera- tion, a warning signal might not be arranged fr at the entrance of the river, the Bogne: many an unfortunate junk might by it be prevented leaving the shelter of the river and so saved the almost certain fate awaiting her if caught outside. Of course there are lions in the way," but there is a line of wire down to the forts and there appears to be no insurmount- able obstacle to the project, which it seems to me would be worth trying. The Colony is not so poor but that it could spare a few dollars on such an object. Why the extraordinary assump tion of superiority by the Hongkong Observatory and the game of cross-purposes carried on by it, both with those who wish to give and those who wish to receive information, have not long ago
K
been peremptorily put a stop to is a conundrum that has never been satisfactorily answered. Yours, etc.,
"
L.
SHELTER AT PLANTATION ROAD.
TO THE 1 DITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,"
Hongkong, 17th April. SIR,-May I be permitted, through the medium of your valuable columns, to call the attention of the management of the Tramway Company to the urgent necessity of having some sort of shelter put up at the Plantation Road Station? This spot is very much exposed to the harbour side, and, with the rainy season so near at hand, it is indispensable that some provision should be made without delay. I feel sure that all those who, like myself, make use of this station must have often felt the want of a shelter while waiting for the tram. It seems rather ungracious, in the face of the many im- Jrovements effected by the management, to be somewhat exacting, but I think they will be the first to admit this shelter is an absolute necessity.-Tours, etc..
IMPROVEMENT.
SIE, In your correspondent "Master Mariner's" letter of the 14th inst., attention is called to the attitude of our meteorological authorities in the matter of typhoon warnings, and the remarks he makes will, I think, be endorsed by all who are interested in shipping; but it is an old story. Again and again has the plea for an improved system been urged, only to be calmly ignored by the impassive Dispenser of Weather at the Observatory. If that insti- tution has any raison d'étre it surely is the distribution in the promptest and fullest manner of the warning of all possible or anticipated bad weather. That was the purpose for which it was established, and the public has a right to expect such performance, How does it fulfil its mission? Calmly it goes on grinding out a weather report which is sent over to Hong- kong in the afternoon (weather permitting) and posted up somewhere, telling what the weather
TO THE EDI OR OF THE “DAILY PRESS. The above is not nice reading for English- phenomena of the previous afternoon and the
Honkong, 18th April, 1902, men. To find our only observatory in the Far forenoon up to 10 o'clock have been, weather
SIR,-The Colonial Secretary has hit the nail East carrying out a policy of "splendid fair or foul; that is the result of its labours.
on the head by his suggestion of a “King's Isolation" here, in the centre of storm-beaten It is true, in addition, certain signals are hoisted Park" as a lasting and worthy memorial of the tracks, is, to put the most charitable construc-in various places, but they are too indefinite to
Coronation of His Majesty the King. Pre- tion on it, most imprudent. To "flatly refuse be of much real value. What is wanted is sumably, the " 'excellent site” referred to by to receive warnings amicably offered seems to information up to the latest known phase or Mr. Lockhart is within easy access of Hong- me to be worthy of a stronger term. It is but development of the weather. A case fairly inkong, snd of sufficient extent to afford the in- natural to suppose that the maritime nationali- point occurred last October; the weather was creased recreation facilities of which the Colony ties of the Far Eastern seas should band threatening, a typhoon passing to the south, stands so badly in need. Now is the time to together in common cause against the terrible and toward nightfall tho appearances seemed "peg out" a King's Park in Kowloon, which,
THE PROPOSED "KING'S PARK.”
**