108
each upon the other. (Applause.) Therefore wherever there are many inferests it is simply a case of give and take. But, ladies and gentlemen, where there are many interests it takes time for their adjustment and therefore I was very glad to hear the Chief Justice say that you must not expect because this park has been opened to-day you will in a few week's time have a properly equipped park. The main fact of the question is that the Secretary for War and the Secretary of State for the Colonies have both promised that this park shall be, and therefore | the park is an accomplished fact, although it may take some little time to get it into proper order and adjust the interests I hate already | spoken of. Well, you know that the opening of this park was intended to form part of the Coronation celebrations-the Corona- tion of onr King. We all remember, overy one of us here, the feeling of horror, almost of despair, when the news came of the King's dangerous illness and how the Coronation had to be postponed; but happily по have better news DOW. But 28 it was postponed I was coutent that I should take a back seat. I was content with baring done my little part in connection with the park and it did not siguify who opened it. I was anxious that the actual opening ceremony should not take place until the park was ready really to be opened. But a number of the principal residents of Kowloon-some 250 of them--came forward and in a petition to which they signed their nanies asked me in a way which I can never forget if I, who had been interested in this park, would come to open it. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I can only tell you that of the many kindnesses I have received in Houg kong this was the greatest kindness and the greatest honour, and both myself and my wife will never forget it. Well, naturally, I cor- dially and gladly accepted the invitation. Therefore to-day it is my great honour and my great pleasure to take a part in this opening ceremony of the King's Park. I believe as I said before that it will be a lasting boon to the future residents of Kowloon; and I trust that they will always associate with it the name of King Edward the VII, our King whom
we thought at one time was to be taken away from us by death suddenly in the moment of his Corona- tion; but thanks to God's mercy we hope he has recovered and will live to rulo us many years. (Applause.) Now, ladies and gentlemen, with your permission I will proceed to carry out the programme.
för
His Excellency then walked over to where a spade had been already placed in the ground and cut out a square piece of the turf which he cast into a two-wheeled barrow standing near. The conclusion of the ceremony was marked by His Excellency turning the barrow over and throwing out the sod, and when the accompany- ing applause had subsided he said-This is the first sod of the King's Park, and I ask you all to give three cheers for His Majesty King
Edward the Seventh.
The cheers were given with a will, Major- General Gascoigne leading off with helmet in
hand.
ceremony
At the invitation of the Chief Justice, Lady Gascoigne then performed the of planting a small tree to commemorate the occasion. The tree was suspended from a bamboo -tripod, and was lowered into the hole formed.in the ground by the unloosing of a white cord retaining it in its place. This ceremony,
like the one preceding, was loudly cheered, and was grace- fully marked by the presentation to Lady Gascoigne by the youngest Miss Goodman of a handsome basket of flowers.
Addressing His Excellency, the CHIRE JUSTICE said-On behalf of the Coronation
Committee, I should like to say one word only. We had hoped to be able to present Your Excellency with a souvenir of this occasion in the shape of a little silver barrow, but the silversmith his not completed his work and we would ask Your Excelleney to do us the honour of accepting it when the work is finished. (Applause.)
not
In reply, HIS EXCELLENEY said Chief Justice, ladies and gentlemen,-I am going to inflict a long speech upon you now. I am afraid I made a long one just now but, as I have said, everything had to be explained, and it took some little time
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
you
[Angust 11, 1902.
un-
to do so. It only remains for me to thank | been buried for twelve hours. Ho shouted ou from the bottom of my heart for having almost incessantly throughout the night, and so honoured ns by identifying both myself guided the rescuers to the spot where he lay. and my wife with this opening ceremony, Fourteen people were known to be in the and also to thank you for so kindly coming house when it fell, and on the 3rd inst. here to see it. I know that in the present state four were still missing. Two policemen had a of the weather it was s rong and a
narrow escape a part of the top floor of the plucky thing for many ladies to come here. adjoining house coming down when they were With the typhoons we have had and with the searching the rains and falling within heavy storm this morning it is a kind and gra. comfortably short distance of where they were cious act you have done, and I beg to thank working. all. Before 1 conclude, I must also thank the Chief Justice and the Coronation Committee, especially Mr. Chatham and Mr. Hewett. Mr. | Chatham has put up things not ones or tw're, but I think three or four times, and as he put up the matshed so the typhoon blew in down. (Laughter) Yet, at the same time, he went on with perseverance; so with Mr. Hewett. I determined the thing should he done, and determined it against typhoons and aguiust the weather. I have to thank them with my whole heart and to thank you all (Ap, lanse.)
The proceedings concluded with three cheers for Major-General and Lady Gas o'gne, given |
lency was again received with the general salute and the playing of part of the National Authem as lie passed the company of the Hongkong Regiment, which presented a fine appearance and drew admiring remarks from everyone.
ou the call of the CHIEF JUSTICE. His Excel.
In Secoud Street, West Point, three dwelling-honses were blown down, five Chinese being killed and six more or less seriously in-. jured. Part of an embankment collapsed and fel against the coolie-quarters attac! ed to "The Pines, Pak Road, the residence of Mr. T. P. Chrane, of the Chartered Bank. Threa coolies were taken ont, alive by the police, but two were killed.
These, so far as is certainly knowu, are the only accidents which were attended by fatal results, but numerous lesser oues are reported from nearly every district in the city and its suburbs. A house in course of erection in Old Bailey fell to the ground, and a landslip occurrel in Macdonnell Road, at its junction with Ken- cely Road. A 1ndship also occurred farther down Kennedy Road, just above the Wesleyan Chapel, near Happy Valley, and, falling against the door of the chapel, carried it away and filled the building with a great mass of debris. The harmonium, it is said, is almost completely' buried. The verandah of a house in Caine Road gave way, fortunately without injuring anyone, Several houses in course of erection on Cains and Bonham Roads were partially blown down. and in two or three cases large new retaining The typhoou which overswept the Colony on
walls have slipped, in one case, near Breezy the 2nd in-t, was the most violent since the ill-fated 10th Novemuer, 1900, a date that will
Point, entirely blocking up the road and render- ever be recalled with a feeling of sadness bying it impassible for any but pedestrians. reason of the terrible loss in life and loss, indeed, that has never property, a bee properly estimated. Saturday's storm, happily, though bad enough, accompanied by such disastrous consequences life on land at least probably not exceeding as that of November two years ago, the loss of
twenty persons, all of them Chinese, and the
THE TYPHOON.
VICTORIA.
was not
damage to property, everything considered, being comparatively trifling.
The first warning of the typhoon-the third in as many weeks of whose approach we had
been notified-came at 5.15 a.m. on the 2nd inst., when the red drum was hoisted. This, at 10.35
a.m., was replaced by the black drum. At 11 a.m, a notice was issued from the Observatory stating that the typhoon appeared to be situated to the south of Swatow, and
was moving W.N.W. It was predicted that strong N.W to S.W. winds, and possibly a gale, might be expected in Hongkong, where the barometer had fallen a quarter of an inch.
The prediction from the Observatory was more than fulfilled. Towards the middle of the day the wind became equally and a pene.
trating rain fali; as the hours passed these con- ditions intensified and everything pointed to About four o'clock extremely bad weather. the typhoon gun from the Tamar was heard, and, as thongh the elements had until then been held in leash, down came the rain in torrents, whilst the wind strengthened to a gale and whipped the waters of the harbour into fury; It was doubtles this conjunction of wind and rain that caus
the several collapses which occurred throughout the city, for, though many of the houses inhabited by the poorer Chinese may withstand a gale of wind, few of
them are built of the material to outlast a soddening rain driven for hours into the very foundations almost. The most serious accident was that which happened at 16, Wanchai Road,
at its junction with Nullah Lane, a few hundred yards from No. 2 Police Station, causing the death, it is reported, of niner natires and the injury of five others. The house fell in with a great crash about a quarter-past ten on
Soon after the Saturday night,
typhoon changed direction. The police under Inspector Warnock toiled arduously at the work of rescue. for from the debris could be heard the cries of some of the buried people. Assistance was sent from the Central Police Station, and, one after
another, five living people, one or two terribly injured, were recovered from the ruins. The last man to be taken out alive was rescued at ten o'clock yesterday morning, after having
Three honses in Winglok Street, West Point, and one in Des Voeux Road, fell, again without causing hurt to any person, as was the case also with the collapse of two houses in Ladder Street and part of a retaining wall in Seymour Road. In Bridges. Street, West Point, a building in course of erection succumbed to the gale, as did no less than seven bouses in Third Street, sil- ated in the same district; these, however, were not entirely destroyd, and so far as is known no one sustained injury. The whole of the verandah on the west side at Ball's Court, the residence of Mr. Lopes, also gave way.
This completes the detailed list of collapses that bad on the 3rd inst. been compiled by the
police, but reports from several districts both in Hongkong and Kowloon are still to come in In many parts of Victoria the telephone wires have suffered, and communication with the central part of the city was on the 3rd inst. entirely cut off.
The matched and ti ket-boxes at the Star
the
Ferry Company's pier were wrecked com-
strange chance pletely, whilst by a matshed shelter on the adjacent Queen's Statue wharf was left practically unharmed. The matshed at the former pier was approach- ing completion after having suffered by the gale of a fortnight ago. In falling, it cut the heads of several cool es who were standing near by. Many streets in the city were flooded. for in many places yesterday a supply of the The electric light plant must have suffered, fluid was unobtainable till late in the day. The Hongkong Club was without light till after six o'clock in the evening, and from the same cause the electric fans failed in their functions In Des Voeux Road the falling wires gave off three lurid bursts of light, just like a series of small explosions. Near the Naval Yard great trees were uprooted and driven where they lay into the ground. The tennis-courts completely rained.
KOWLOON,
were
In Kowloon, overturned, ma'sheds; uprooted trees, and flooded streets, fields, and gardens, testify to the great severity of the storm. The matshed at the Star Ferry pier is dismant-
led and the framework stands out like a colossal skeleton. The matsheds at the entrance to two of the wharves of the Godown Company were also blown down, but gangs of coolies were soon
at work to clear the pbstructions The and so reopen the wharves to traffic. premises of the Victoria Recreation Club have vanished (even the brick foundations
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