April 18, 1904.]
The failure of a German mail to arrive last week is due to the accident which occurred to the Oldenburg at Aden. The mails were trans- ferred to the P. & Q. steamer Marmora, and presumably they will not reach here till next Friday.
His Lordship Archbishop Guidi, the Papal Delegate to the Philippines, is expected to arrive here this afternoon by the steamer Zafiro, accompanied by his secretary. His Lordship is unwell, and is coming to Hongkong and Macao for the benefit of his health. During his stay here, he will be the guest of Monsignor Piazzoli at the Italian Mission house at Glenealy.
It is notified in the Gazette that the following appointments have been made to the Committee for the Wongneichong and Queen's Recreation Grounds-Capt. G. R. H. Nugent as Polo Club representative, vice H.E. Mr. F. H. May; Mr. R. Hancock as Cricket Club representative, vice Mr. E. A. Ram; and Mr. E. J. Grist as Golf Club representative, vice Mr. W. J. Saunders.
On the 11th inst. there took place at the Happy Valley the funeral of William Frank Bamsey, manager of the Hongkong and China Gas Company, Kowloon. Mr. Bamsey was at one time a well-known and popular member of the Hongkong Volunteer Force, in which he held the rank of Sergeant; he was also a mem- ber of the Victoria Recreation Club, where he enjoyed the deserved reputation of being a good sport and companion. He died on board the hospital-ship Hygeia from small-pox. Mr. Bamsey's father was formerly manager of the Gas Company at West Point, having served in that capacity for 28 years; he is presently in England. Mr. Bamsey leaves a widow and three young children. His funeral was attended by a large number of his friends and acquaintances. An al fresco fête in aid of the orphans and invalids of the Italian Convent was held in the compound of the Roman Catholic Cathedral on on the 10th inst. from 9 to 11 p.m. There was a big concourse of people, and the business done at the various stalls was apparently very brisk. That the fête was successful financially we hope, as it was enjoyable to those that were there. We do not know the proceeds of the sale, but judging by the business done, a large sum was collected for this deserving institution, which has been dispensing charity in Hongkong for a great number of years. The band of the 110th Mahratta Light Infantry, by kind permission of Colonel Birdwood and the officers, was pre- sent and enlivened the proceedings by a select programme of music.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The German cruiser Hansa, with Rear- Admiral Holtsendorf on board. arrived from Tsintau on the 14th, having left that port on the 9th inst. The United States cruiser San Francisco, Capt. Verg, arrived here yesterday for docking purposes. She left Cavite on the 11th.
The appointments Gazette of Messrs. H. T. Jackman and A. are notified in the
Carter to discharge the duties of Sanitary Surveyor during the absence on leave of Mr. J. J. Bryan; and of Messrs. F. Ward, T. Abley, D. McHardy, and W. Cameron to be Inspectors under the Sale of Food and Drugs Ordinance.
It is notified in the Gazette that the follow ing are exempted from the operation of the Poison Bye-law in the Public Health and Build- inga Ordinance :--Messrs. J. R. Capell, W. Davies, H. G. McKilligan, H. Humphreys, A. P. Nobbs, H. S. Spurge, H. G. Stevens, A. Stevenson, and W. G. Sutton.
自家
It notified in the Gazette that on and after the 1st June nuisances arising by reason of the emission steps will be taken to abate of black smoke from the funnels of steamships within the waters of Colony when the same is sent forth in such quantities as to come within the meaning of section 26 sub-section 12 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, No. 1 of 1903."
Fire broke out at No. 288, Queen's Road West at about 11 p.m. on the 14th inst. The fire brigade hurried to the scene, their prompt- ness, however, being to no purpose as there was no water on the mains. The flames spread rapidly, a large crowd of spectators and the powerless fire brigade simply watching the fire. Before water commenced to spurt from the brass nozzles five houses, Nos. 282, 284, 286, 288, and 290, were ablaze. At the two outer ones, Nos. 282 and 290, the state of affairs was not so bad, the work of destruction being con- fined more-or-less to the roofs, but the other three were soon gutted. Luckily the block of buildings, comprising Nos. 284, 286, 288, and 290, was in some measure isolated. Curiously enough the conflagration spread from house No. 288 against the wind. The red glare in the sky attracted spectators from all directions, many Europeans being amongst the throng. By working hard with their hoses from both back and front-the rear, by the way, with its numerous bright red windows and showers of sparks, was the best sight-the brigade managed to secure control before midnight. Burn. ing, though, continued well into the morning, the ruins still smouldering as we go to press. Fire broke out on the second floor of No. 288, which, as far as we can gather, was a Chinese Hotel. We understand that No. 290 is a paper store, 286 jewellry and silk and piece goods, and 282 jewelry. It is estimated that the fire' caused damage to the extent of $10,00 or so House No. 288, where the fire broke out, was insured in the Commercial Union for $80,000, and in the Tung On Fire Insurance Company for $2,000. No. 290 was insured with Messrs. Lemaire & Co. for $5,000, and 286 was also to some degree covered. In our account of yesterday we gave the locality of the fire, by accident, as Queen's Road East instead of Queen's Road West.
The mortality returns of the Colony for last January. now published in the Gasette, show a total of 340 deaths, 12 in the European and foreign community (9 civilians, 3 in the Army), and the rest Chinese. 102 deaths were due to chest-affections and 21 to malaria. The European civil death-rate was 10.4 per 1.000 per annum and the Chinese 12, which was also the figure for the whole civil population.
On Monday Mr. M. B. Leavitts Trouba dours opened a short season in the City Hall. In the entertainment that they put up many of the turns
were capitally done, while the Zancigs (Professor and Madame Zancig) gave a first-class display of thought-reading and hypnotism. The performance concluded with a comedy entitled "A Busy Day in a Theatrical Agency
which kept the audience in roars of laughter. The season closed on Saturday night.
of banknotes in circulation and of specie in The following returns of the average amount reserve in Hongkong during March are certified by the managers of the respective Banks:-
Average Specie in Amount. Reserve.
$
$
Banks.
Chartered Bank of India, Aus-
tralia and China..... Hongkong and Shanghai Bank-
ing Corporation National Bank of China, Limited
Total...
3,172,20 2,000,000
205
in a matshed at West Point on Friday. A A dead Chinese plague victim was reported
there is no plague there this year, but we learn recent enquiry at Canton elicited the reply that that among the few cases reported here several of the victims have reached the Colony from Canton less than a month before their death.
the four-storied house No. 138, Wellington Early on the 9th inst. fire broke out in Street. The Fire Brigade turned out speedily with two engines and a float. water was got from the mains, but not before A good supply of the building was on fire from top to bottom. adjoining. This, however, the firemen managed The flames spread to the top floor of No. 136 to check, and the conflagration was confined to No. 138, which was gutted. On the ground were family houses. There were no occupants on floor was a silversmith's shop; the upper floors the second floor.
13,758.861 8,000,000 |
426,607 150,000
$17,358,088 10,150,000 We are informed that a marriage has been arranged, to take place on the 30th of April, between Mr. Charles Stewart Sharp, of Messrs. Gibb. Livingston & Co., Unofficial Member of surviving son of the late Dr. Hugh Sharp, our Legislative Council in Hongkong, eldest
M.R.C.S. of England. of Cullen, Banffshire, and Mrs. Burrows, widow of Mr. Henry Burrows, of Storkholme, Worksop, daughter of Mr. William Lenton, J.P., of Lime House, Oundle.
oon-
Mr. J. H. Kemp, Police Magistrate, has con- victed newsboys of the Hongkong Telegraph and them over in personal bonds of 810 to come up China Mail for hawking newspapers, and bound for judgment when called upon. From enquiries, under the heading of "Hawkers," but they we learn that in England newsboys do not come
trol. carry badges and Bra well under
It will now be necessary for the Hongkong urchins to have hawkers' lieen- сев, on which pasted. For these they will be required to pay their photographs will be 30 cents a quarter. It has been alleged that newspaper boys here have become quite a sistently offering their wares for sale. The nuisance, obstructing pedestrians when per- vicinities of the Kowloon ferry landing, and Hongkong and King Edward Hotels are said to be localities where offences, of this description are often to be seen. One big boy with several brothers, each of whom has a paper to sell, when competing with the numer- ous brothers or friends of other newspaper boys youngsters work on commission-three cente are said to be sometimes intolerable. The
or three-and-a-half cents per copy.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Viceroy Yuan Shi-kai is very anxions to start a Red Cross Society in China, and the necessary regulations are to be drawn up shortly by Prince Ching, it is said.
An office boy in the Chartered Bank at Bangkok has been arrested on a charge of being implicated in the forgery of a cheque for 12,000 ticals.
The N-C: Daily News has the following: Sunday School Teacher-Where do bad people go? Pupil (who has studied Police Court re- ports)-To Hongkong." This is a joke for Shanghai, but none for us. How long are the local authorities going to remain apathetic in
dust-hin of the Far East. the matter? There is no reason whatever why we should tolerate this imposition, not being the
Mr. F. 8. A. Bourne, Assistant Judge, H.B.M. Supreme Court, Shanghai, having gone home on a holiday, Mr. J. C. E. Douglas is taking up the duties of Acting Assistant Judge, and Mr. H. Phillips, lately Vice-Consul at Tientsin, takes Mr. Douglas's duties as Registrar, Police Magistrate, and Coroner. Mr. Bertram Giles, Assessor of the Mixed Court, is going to Canton as Vice-Consul, as we have already an- resort.nounced.
Kang Yu-Wei, the well-knowu Reform leader who has been a thorn in the flesh of the Chinese Government for many years past and who, it will be remembered, fed to Darjeeling in India to escape assassination has been expelled from Hongkong his last During his stay hare of three months or so the police had him under their close protection and it is necessarily a relief to them to have him away from the Colony. He left ostensibly for Japan.
At Messrs. Hughes & Hough's auction rooms ou the 9th Inland Lot No. 631 was put upfor sale. The lot was divided into two sections, the first comprising Nos. 62 and 64, First Street and Nos. 61 and 63, Second Street, the second section being Nos. 66 and 68, First Street and No. 65, Second Street. The property is held for the residue of a term of 999 years from 26th December, 1860, at a Crown rent of $72.88. The first section produces $146,50 per month, and the second section is let at $138.50 per month. The first section was bought by Hing Li for $13,160; the second by Hing Li and Sun Chan for $10,650,
Owing to the similarity of the China Mer- chants' S. N. Co.'s house flag to the Japanese Mercantile flag-that of the C. M. S. N. Co. is a red flag with a yellow ball in the centre, while that of the latter is a white flag with a red ball in the centre--it has been decided by the Chi- nese Ministry of Commerce to make the follow. ing changes:The China Merchants' flag will in the future be the usual square red flag with & yellow ball in the centre, but with the addition of two black dragons facing each other in the middle of the yellow ball (designated by the Chinese "Yellow Moon"). The foregoing fing is intended to distinguish the vessels of the China Merchants' S. N. Co. from Chinese tra ding vessels belonging to other owners who the future are to fly a similar flag (red, with yellow ball in the centre), but with only a single black dragon inside the yellow ball.
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