*
436
SINKING OF THE STEAMER
«PAKSHAN.”
Cing, it is supposed, to a sea-valve having been left open, the British steamer Pakhan whilst lying at her buoy near Jardine's old wharf, West Point, on, Monday night, shipped water to such a serious extent that at 11.3;)- p.ra, she settled down and is now resting on the bottom of the harbour in about 50 feet of water.
When the occurrence became known, enquiries were made at the office of the agents, Messrs. Bradley & Co., but beyond the bald, statements that the steamer had actually sunk and that this might have been due to a sea-valve having beeu -left open, the agents declined to go. Investi gations were in progress, and pending their result it was not intended to say anything at ything at present regarding the affair. circumstances of the case, however, the raising of the steamer should not be a matter presenting insurmountable obstacles.
The Pakshan. 1,976 tons, is of the Shan line of steamers, of which Messrs, Bradley & Co. are the managing owners, and trades between this port and Swatow; she is commanded by Captain
J. Reid.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
Later details show that the sinking of the Pakshan was due to the snotion-valve of the donkey-engine having been left open. The steamer was due to sail yesterday, and on Mon- day night all hands were busy loading cargo. The third engineer was working the donkey engine, and through an oversight is said to bave neglected to close the valve in
question-technically described as an inlet or suction-valve. About seven o'clock he noticed that the ship was leaking, and immediately made a report to the chief officer, who, without exactly knowing what had caused the leak, gave orders for several lengths of tarpaulin to be hung over the side with a view to preventing the inrush, of water. This measure, however, had no apparent effect, the steamer continuing gradually to sink. The crew, which was composed entirely of Chinese, became alarmed when they recog: nised the state of affairs, and were allowed to land in sampane.
One, it is reported. becom- ing panic-stricken, threw himself into the water and swam ashore. On landing. several of the Chinamen made their way to No. 7 Police Station, West Point, and reported what had occurred. From here a telephonic message to Tsimshatsui apprised Inspector Riley, of the Water Police, of the affair, and he lost not a moment in steaming to the scene of the accident in one of the pinnaces under his command, At nine o'clock Captain Reid went ashore and telephoned to the Hongkong & Whampoa Dock Co. to send assistance at once, but be either had difficulty in securing connection on the telephone or his message was misunderstood, for a launch from the Dock Company did not
Pakshun arrive at the
until the chief engineer, acting on the suggestion of In- spector Riley, personally went and fetched it. In the meantime the Pakshan was steadily settling down by the stern, and at ten o'clock she caught fire amidships, this being due to the oil in the engine-room floating ou the water which now flooded the compartment, becoming ignited through contact with the flame of a lamp burning in the engine-room, The fire glowed fiercely, in spite of the water rushing into the holds of the steamer, and at eleven o'clock the deck was in flames. Without a single member of the crew to assist them, the officers of the doomed vessel saw that they were entirely helpless, and sought safety on board the police pinnace which was standing by. It was about this time that the chief engineer adopted Inspector Riley's advice and left for the Dook Company's premises in a private launch which had been hovering in the vicinity awaiting developments; he returned in the Dook launch at 11.30 p.m. in time to see the Pakshan throw up her head and go down stern first. A few moments later she sank completely from sight As the steamer was have sailed yesterday, as we have already said, she was loaded with cargo, so that the loss from this source alone must be very great. - 24 A
!
4
The Hon. R. Murray Rumsey, Harbour
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Master, has issued the following Notice to Mariners: The 8.8. Pakshan is sunk in the harbour off the Sailors' Home, on the southern boundary of the Central Fairway. Her posi- tion will be marked by two sampans, moored one at each end of her, and showing, by day, a red flag, and, by night, a globular rel lantern."
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE,
The following revised list of Justices of the Peace resident in the Colony has been published
in a Government Gazette Extraordinary :
Non-
[June 7, 1902.
THE LATE PETTY OFFICER
GROUNDS. 1
the
In the death of First-Clam -Petty Offosr Hospital, on the 2nd inst., from Grounds, which occurred at the Kennedytown cholera, H.M.S. Terrible has lost a man whose services as a gunner were quite invaluable and whose great popularity with his shipmates had elevat- ed him to the position almost of an idol.” A young man of about 26 years of age, Potty Officer Grounds, after eight years ipint Navy, had through his excellent qualities opened up for himself as fiue a career as was poffibi for any one commencing in the Service as he had at the lowest rung of a ladder perhaps nowhere more dimcult to climb than in the Royal Navy. About a year ago he attained the rank held by him at the time of his death, thist of First-Class Petty Officer, and this promotion taken in winning for the Terrible the high was doubtless due to the important part he had and enviable distinction of being the best ship in the matter of sho ting in the whole all the necessary qualifications for warrant officer, of His Majesty's fleet. Later on he passed and this position he was shortly to have assumed. He was the best known captain-of-gun in the Navy, having for two successive years made unique records-that of 1901, when he scored 8 rounds, 8 hits, being considered a sensational score. Only recently that eminent naval critic, Mr. Arnold White, sent Grounds
■ handsome cheque as an appreciation of his gunnery proficiency, but we understand it was respectfully returned to the donor. as its acceptance would has been an act subversive to all discipline," to gnote Admiral Fitzgerald whon criticising Lord Charles Beresfor.'s famons speech on naval inficiency. Where the deceased contracted the malady that ent him off in the bloom of a promising life is as yet a mystery, as he did not leave the ship for several days before his illness. Coming so quickly after the announcement that he was progressing favourably, the news of his untime- ly death carried with it a pang that added to the grief of his friends at the loss of a comrade they held such high hopes. The deceased, who whom they esteemed so highly and for whom
was a native of Birmingham, and unmarried, Was buried in the Happy Valley on Monday with full nayal honours. The funeral was attended by Commodore Robinson, R.N. Cap. tain Percy Scott, C.B., B.N., Commander Ogilvy, Lient, L. Boyle, Senior Lient, of the Rinaldo, and numerous officers, petty officers and men from the Terrible. The Rev. C. L.
Chat
Official: Atkinson. Dr. John Mitford, Badeley, Francis Joseph, Ball. James Dyer, Bell. Dr. John, Brewin, Arthur Winbolt, Chapman Arthur, Chatham, William, Clark, Dr. Francis William, Clem- nti, Cecil, Craig, Robert Henry Arthur, Doberck, William, Ford, Charles, Goodman, William Meigh, Hallifax, Edwin Francis Arthur, Johnston, Reginald Fleming, Richard, Hanson, Bertram Evelyn, Hazeland, Jones, John William, Jordan, Dr. Gregory Paul, Kemp, Joseph Horsford, Kyshe, James William Norton, Lewis, Edward Cornewall Lynch, Messer, Charles McIlvaine, May, Alfred John, May, Francis Henry, C.M.G. Melbourne, Charles Alex Dick, Nicolle, Hilgrove Clement, Pearse, Dr. Wilfred William, Plummer, John Isaac. Ross, Stewart Buckle Carne, Rumsey, Robert Murray, R.N., Seth, Arathoon, Shepherd. Bruce, Smith, Thomas Sercombe, Taylor, Basil Reginald Hamilton, Thomson, Alexander MacDonald, Thomson, Dr. John Christopher, Tocker, Hngh Pollock. Wakeman, George Herbert. Wase, Alfred Gascoyne, Wodehouse, Philip Peveril John, Wolfe, Edward Dudley Corscaden, Wood, David, Wood, John Roskrnge, Woodcook, George Albert, and Wright, George Henry Bateson. Official:-Anderson, George Cobban, Arjanee, Framjee Hormusjee, Bain, George Mur. ray, Bamji, Hormasji Edalji, Barton. John, Beck, James Middleton, Bird, Herbert William, Brown, David Ellsworth, Byramjee, Bomanjee, Ch'an A Fook, Ch'an Kwan-E, Chater, Catchick Paul, C.M.G., Chau Tung-shan, Clark, Duncan, Cohen, Charles Coleman, Cox, James Henry, Cruickshank William Arthur, Danby, William. David, Abraham Jacob, Denison, Albert, Dickson, Charles Wedderburn, Dixon, William Basil, Dowler, Herbert George, Fung Wa Ch'un, Gibbs, Lawrence, Gregson, William Jardine, Gubbay, Charles Sassoon, Hancock, Sydney, Harston, Dr. George Montagu, Hawkins, Villiers Alweyn Cæsar, Hewett, Edbert Ansger, Ho Fook, Ho Kai, Ho Tung. Hooper, Augustus Shelton, Whatley, chaplain of the Terrible, officiated. Howard, Thomas, Hü Shun-ts'ün, Hughes, Edward Jones, Kaw Hong Take, Lau Wai Throughout the Service the death of this pro- mising young petty officer will be received with Ch'ün, Law, Donaldson Riddell, Layton. Bendyshe, Leigh, Robert Kennaway, Leang general regret, and the sympathy of all goes Pui-chi, Leung Shin-kong, Lewis, Johnout to his family in their bereavement. Hughes, Maitland, Francis, McKie, James, Medhurst, George Harold, Mehta, Hormasjee Merwanjee, Mitchell, Edward William, Mody, Hormusjee Nowrojee, Morris, Alfred George, Mumford, Newman, Orange, James, Ormiston, Evan, Osborne, Edward, Percival, William Howes, Peter, John Charles, Phillips, Thomas Morgan, Playfair. George William Forbes, Foate, Walter, Potts, William Hutton, Ram, Edward Albert, Raymond, Abraham Jacob, Reid, Thomas Hird, Rennie, Alfred Herbert, Rennie, Dr. Alexander, Robertson, Ernest William, Henry Wallace, Rutter, Sassoon, Moses Silas, Saanders, William Joshua, Sergeant, Philip Walsingham, Sharp, Charles Stewart, Sharp, Ernest Hamilton.
On the 21st ult. the Grand Duke Boris, Shellim, Edward. Shellim, Shellim Esekiel, Shewan, Robert Gordon, Slade, Henry Adolph cousin of the Tsar of Russia arrived by the us Warre, Slade, Marcus Warre, Smith, John Singora in Bangkok, attended by Chevalier von Ross Middleton, Stedman, Dr. Frederic Shaeck, M. Constantin Greaves, Lleuts A. Osmund, Stewart, Gershom, Stokes, Arthur Greaves, Frederici, and Strandman: The palace George, Swan, Dr. James Herbert, Taylor, landing, decorated with Russian and Biamese James Walter Ross, Thompson, Charles Henry, flags, was reached about 9.30, when Prince Nakon Tomkins, Herbert Edward, Tseung Ss Kai. chaise, attended by the military and civil Turner, Arthur, Un Lai Chuen. Veitch, George authorities, received Duke Boris and they drove Thomas, Vernon, John Yardeley Vernon, together, under an escort of the Boyal Horse Wales, Dr. John Frederick, Wei Long Shán, Guard, to the Saranrom Palace, where the Grand Wei Yuk, Whealler, Edmund Singleton, Duke is to stay during his visit. On the 2nd White, Henry Percy, Wilcox, Robert Chalter-ult, the King and Queen, ton, Wong Shing, and Wood, Alexander George, | the Grand Palace," and His Major The newly appointed Justices took the oaths visited him at the Sarauroni l'alać at 10 a.m., on the 4th inst. in the Council evening the King gayo Chamber,
HEALTH OF HONGKONG.
During the week ended 31st May there: occurred in the Colony 53 cases of plague, 50 of which proved fatal; 32 cases of cholera, 31 deaths; and 1 case of enteric fever. Among the plague cases was 1 European, and the rest were Chinese; of the cholers cases 4 were Eur- opsan, 25 Chinese, and 3 o her Asiatics.
Since noon last Saturday 46 cases of plague have been reported, bringing the year's total up to 234 cases.
[~of the Grand Dukosa a Dear