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part of old England, when a landlord starts to fell his largest trees it always means that money must be raised. Let us hope that is not the case in Hongkong. — Yours, etc..
CHIPS.
"AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM."
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
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Hongkong. 10th August. SIR.--I hope you will allow me the medium of your valuable columns to clear any mis- conceptions which may arise from perusing the details of the "Blasting Case which was heard | at the Magistracy yesterday. Two men were said to have been killed through no covering having been used during blasting, and that the blasting was done on Crown land without a permit. The facts of the case are as follows:— The deceased (and there was only one man killed) had no business there. and he was repeatedly warned, but persisted, in spite of danger flags, gong-sounding, &c., in rushing up the hill as the blasts went off, in order to gather the fragments of rock for selling as broken stone for concreting purposes. He approached as near as nine feet to the rock which killed him. The Naval or Military Authorities might as well be charged if a man chose to commit suicide by making a target of himself at the Rifle Butts. Then as to the permit side of the case. The contractor enquired if one was necessary, but was told that none was required. as the land had been acquired for the Segrega- tion Camp. I think you will agree with me that (like a medal) there are always two sides to a question.-I remain, Yours. etc..
FAIRPLAY.
STORY OF THE "MAHARAJAH'S "
coast
WRECK.
The crew of the British steamer Maharaj dh came to Hongkong on the 4th inst. Since then we have been able to piece together some interesting particulars about the steamer's recent mishap. The Maharajah (Capt. T. Groves), it will be remembered, was wrecked off the Japanese on the 9th ult. The vessel struck just at the beginning of the captain's sleeping watch-the middle watch commenc
She had stranded herself ing at midnight.
the S.E. coast of near Atami, a town on Honshin, about 40 miles W.S.W. of Yoko. hama. The stranding, it appears. was prin- cipally due to an abnormal current setting to the N.N.E., catching the ship on the port bow and setting her astern towards the land. Robert Charles, the second engineer, the hero of the incident who was officially praised. had only just gone off watch and turned in when he was hastily summoned for duty in the engine room. The engines, however, were of no avail : the ship was immediately hung up on the reef of rocks. The impaled ship was in a most perilous condition. She seemed absolutely at the mercy of the waves. One after another, big seas curled and broke over her, dashing tons of water with tremendous force against the deck houses and upperworks. No craft could stand such usage. Heavy spars and other wreckage, moreover, were swinging and hammering against the hatches and companions. Water poured into the hold. Those on board were in a terrible
plight. A knot of Japanese was seen to be gathering on shore, on the edge of the water. Some of them were signalling, and others were busy over something that was presently noticed to be a long bamboo. Using it rather as a dry-fly angler uses his rod in casting a line, the friendly natives attempted to cast a weighted line to the ship, which was now very close in shore. Mrs. Groves, the captain's wife, and her two children occupied the bridge the whole time, and thus had all the horrors of their situation to face. Mrs. Groves, who is a New Zealand woman, remained perfectly calm, dis- playing great fortitude, and her bearing was admired by every man on board. She never gave way for an instant, realising that at such a time men should not be unmanned more than could be avoided. Then there were her babies to soothe. The two children have scarcely yet got over the shook. The line thrown by the Japanese fell short. What was to be done? Though the shore was but a few yards off, death stared every.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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one in the face. So far as they knew. the ship might soon fall to pieces, and their fate then in such a case was obvious. The only chance seemed to be the seizure of that connecting line with the shore. Who could reach it? Between ship and shore was a maelstrom, a dozen maelstroms, with here and there through the swirling broth and opaque green sluices jagged rocks pro- jecting like fangs in the ravening jaw of an elderly wehrwolf. A life-buoy tentatively cast in- to the sea on the landward side was snatched at
by the hungry waters, tossed up again and again as if by many fiendishly gleeful hands, and then sucked out of sight, somewhere beneath the vessel's counter. The prospect of a swim in that aqueous inferno was one of sore muti- lation. if not of death. Young Robert Charles volunteered. He was the best swim- mer on board. Every soul on board gripped hands and bade him
a fervent farewell. From the moment he dropped overboard, until, breathless and bleeding from several wounds.
he managed to return with the life line, the swimmer must have had Яn experience mora easily imagined than described. Once the line was fixed. the rest WOS, although comparatively easy. The third engineer went very exciting, along it first, and got a wetting, as it sagged more than was expected. He held on until it was made taut, and then was tl first to greet the smiling and sympathetic Japs on shore. A boat was lowered, the children handed down. Mrs. Groves followed, and by using the line as a ferry rope, all were got ashore in safety. Most of the crew lost all their clothing and belongings. The wreck did not break up.
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NEW STEAM LAUNDRY FOR KOWLOON.
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SALE OF CROWN LAND.
A public auction was held at the Public Works Department offices on the 8th instant, for the sale of one lot of Crown land at Ho-
mun tai for a term of 75 years with the option of renewal at a Crown rent. to be fixed by His Majesty's surveyor, for one further term of 75 years. The lot in question is known Inland Lot No. 1.157, and is situated near the Kowloon Farm. Its boundary measure- ments are 180ft.. north: 256ft. in.. south; 314ft. 10in.. east; 497ft. 2in.. west. The con. tent in square feet is 73,080; and annual rent 8672.
The special conditions of the purchase were that the purchaser fill in the whole area of the lot to such levels as the Director of Public Works may approve; form a road 50 feet wide on the south-east side of the lot, and also fill in the narrow strip between the proposed road and the existing road to Ma Tan Wei. Permission will be given to sink a well to obtain water for the purposes of the laundry business at a point to be determined by the Director of Public Works. The purchaser will not be allowed to sell or otherwise dispose of any water obtained from the well without permission first having been obtained from Government. The purchaser must compensate any squatters holders at present on
the lot-that is by plan signed by the Director of Public Works and dated 20th July. 1904.
The purchaser must make such provision as may be considered necessary by the Director of Public Works for
or lease-
carrying off the water used for laundry purposes and to efficiently drain the premises and sur- rounding area. Permission will be granted to the purchaser to obtain any earth require i for filling in lot. from Crown land in the vicinity at points approved by the Director of Public Works.
He will also be permitted to remove any stone met with at such points. and must level off the ground to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works.
The upset price was $21,924; and the Steam Laundry Co. bid ding $20 more than this, met with no opposition.
After relating the story of an impudent bicycle theft, the Jap n llerald draws the following moral: Never leave your bicycle outside without a lock on it, or some respon- sible person to look after it. There are thieves in Japan as well as in other countries. and distress caused by the war is adding to their ranks.
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[August 13, 1904.
"BARON GORDON " WRECKED.
LOK BANG
BRINGS CREW TO HONGKONG,
Bangkok on the 7th ins'. She picked up the crew The Lok Sang, Capt. Wheeler, arrived from of the 8.8. Baron Gordon, wrecked on Bombay Shoal. describes his adventures as follows :-
on Friday last. Capt. F. Wheeler
30th ult... we were bound up to Hongkong. We left Bangkok, with a cargo of rice, on the Arriving in Lat. 16.30 N.. Lon. 113.18 E, at about 4 p.m. on the 4th inst., a lifeboat, flying signals of distress, was sighted. I at once slowed down, rescued the men and hauled up the boat. There was no difficulty in doing this, as only a moderate wind and sea were coming from the 8.W. The men we rescued turned out to be the chief officer, third officer, third engineer, and a few Lascars belonging to the 8.8. Baron Gordon which they informed us was B wreck on Bombay Shoal, lying some 48 miles S.W. by W. from our then position, with the remainder of the crew, about 45 in number, on board. They were not short of provisions, but moment I did not like to leave them till help fearing that bad weather might come on at any was sent from Hongkong, so I turned my ship's nose around and headed for the shoal We sighted the Baron Gordon. flying signals of distress just before dark. fine, but as mountainous breakers were carling The weather was
over the edge of the reef nothing much could be done that night. rockets, however, to show that the signals of We fired a couple of
distress had been seen, and we stood by, about two miles off, till morning. During the night, those on watch lighted flares every few minutes to keep the poor fellows' hearts up. At daybreak, when we were able to take in the situation, it was seen to be impossible to get the crew off on the south side of the shoal. The wreck was standing perfectly upright on the reef, about lity feet from the edge, just like a vessel deep, was perfectly calm, but at the edge of the in dook. The water around her. only 18 inches reef the rolling waves roared loudly as they broke into snow-like foam, and covered the water in the vicinity with froth. The only thing to be done, under the circumstances, was to steam around to leeward of the shoal and try our luck there. This we did. and hove-to about a cable's length from the coral. The shoal is a great ledge of coral. 13 miles long, and 34 miles wide, rising precipitously out of the depths of the ocean.. Taking soundings over edge one would find a sheer drop of 100 fathoms. The reef itself is just covered by water. In the centre is a large lagoon, or lake. Well, the poor chaps on the Baron Gordon had to cross this shoal with their boats to get on the lee (north) side of it, so as to set off for the Lok Sang with safety. It was indeed a tough task. The boats were carried over the coral from the wreck to the lagoon. rowed across the lagoon, carried over the coral again, and finally pulled" to our steamer. It I tell you that the shipwrecked crew was a herculean job, as can be imagined when
were
not all aboard till four o'clock that afternoon. Three boats had to make two journeys. I finally hauled up the three boats--that was four boats in all-and headed for "ongkong. All the men of the Baron Gordon, sight Europeans and 44 Lascars, were saved. Altogether my ship was delayed 36 hours. I might mention, by the way, counting the Baron Gordon-they are wrecks no that there are three wrecks on Bombay Shoal, not mention of which is made on the chart.
Capt. Crocker. of the Baron Gordon, describes his disaster thus:--
We left Hongkong for Sourabaya (Java) on the 29th ult., at one o'clock in the afternoon. We were in ballast, but had some 1,200 tons of bunker coal aboard. At the outset fine weather was experienced. On Saturday night (30th alt.), however, the breeze started to freshen. The baro- meter seemed to keep pretty steady through. At ten to three од Sunday morning it suddenly dropped half-a-tenth. Thereabouts, also. the wind shifted from the east to the E.N.E., blowing in fitful gusts. I could see we were in for it-it was s typhoon. encountered fierce squalls accompanied by blind- ing rain. So thick was the weather that one could not see the forecastle-head from the
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