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Witness: No; he was looking at the other car. Mr. Gompertz: Did the cars pass? Witness: Yes, when my car stopped, after it had struck deceased, the other car passed.
Mr. Gompertz: How was deceased lying? Witness: One of his feet was near the net below the car, placed there to catch people. His body was lying across my line.
Mr. Gompertz: Do you know who deceased was?
Witness: No.
By Police Inspector Collett: The car went about half a yard after striking deceased.
car,
A Chinese ticket-collector said: It was a Sunday about two weeks ago. I was on No. 18 at 11.55 a.m. I was collecting money. The car was going from west to east. I saw the conductor stop the car by turning off the electricity. I looked at the conductor, and asked him what was the matter. Then I saw an old man lying on the ground, with blood flowing from his head, and I sent for the police. A part of his legs were on the net at the bottom of the car and the body was on the track. There was a pickaxe by his side.
Mr. Gompertz: Was he sensible? Witness: He moved, but could not talk. Mr. Gompertz: Did you see him fall? Witness: No.
By Inspector Collett: Besides putting off the electricity the last witness pat on the brake. Last witness sounded the gong before car struck deceased. The gong was sounded several times. Madame Emma Greion said: I was on an electric car about 12 o'clock on the 21st inst.
The car was going east. I was about five minutes on the car. The man rang the bell a great deal. It was east of the Sailors' Home. Several men were on the line. One had a pickaxe, and this man did not get off the line. All the others got off. Another tram came up. I did not see him fall down, as I was not looking that way. I saw him a little before in front of the car. The tram then stopped. It went a little way after the brakes were on. but stopped quickly.
Mr. Gompertz: Was the conductor sounding the
gong when you first saw the man on the line:
Witness: Yes.
Mr. Gompertz : Was there another tram passing?
Witness: No; but about five minutes later a car came from the opposite direction.
Mr. Gompertz: Did you see the man before the car stopped!
Witness: Yes, but I did not take particular
notice.
Mr. Gompertz: Did he sound the bell? Witness: Yes, plenty.
Mr. Gompertz: The police came quickly and took the man away in a carriage. I did not look at him.
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Dr. E. A. R. Laing, assistant superintendent of Government Civil Hospital: At 12.40. p.m. on the 21st August a Chinese male was admit- ted into the Government Ci il Hospital suffering from injuries stated to have been received by being knocked down by a tram. He was bleeding from the left ear and two small scalp wounds. He was unconscious, and was treated for a fracture of the base of the skull. He died on the 24th August. I made a post mortem examination same day, and reported that he died from fracture of the base of the skull and hemorrhage on the brain.
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An Indian Constable said: About noon on the 21st I was on duty under the verandah in Wilmer Street. I saw a tram arriving there from Kennedy Town. I turned around, and, when I looked again, saw a man lying down. A Chinaman on the car blew his whistle and I blew mine. I took the number of the car and told it to wait. I took the man to hospital.
Mr. Gompertz: Did you see how it happened? Witness: No: he had a wound on the back of the ear.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
body in hospital. An Indian constable, the last witness, saw the body.
Walter Linden said: I am an inspector of the electric tramways. A car running at a rate of ten miles an hour could be pulled up in ten yards by reversing the controller. To drive the car forward tarn the handle to the right; to apply the brake, to the left. This reverses the motor. There is also a hand brake, acting on the running wheels. It is a powerful brake acting by mechanical means-friction. The alarm gong is worked by the motorman with his foot. It is a lond alarm.
W
By Jury: What is the average speed the cars travel?
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[September 5, 1904.
Lane had fallen down. I walked among the debris and shouted, " is anyone here ?" I got an answer in Chinese, Yes. How many?
Two." About five minutes after my arrival a man crawled out; a few sticks were removed for him. About 7.10 a.m. a party of European firemen, under Mr. Hallifax, arrived; and cleared away the debris. About 8 am. a dead body of a woman named Chan Si was discovered. Mr. Gomperts: Who identifi d it ? Witness: Her son. The body was then taken to the public mortuary,
:
Mr. E. C. Georg: What is your idea about the house ?
Witness: It was a very old house, and several times previously I had noticed cracks in the front wall. It had a ground, first and second
And it takes ten yards to floors.
Witness: Ten miles an hour. Mr. E. C. Georg pull it up?
Witness: Yes. Mr. E. C. Georg:
That seems rather slow. At home a car is stopped in five or six feet. It is an awful distance.
Mr Gompertz: It is rather long. Would the car be going ten miles at Wilmer Street?
Witness: Yes, about ten miles.
Mr. Gompertz said that the evidence the police had been able to get together was concluded, but if the jurors desired it he would adjourn the inquiry. There was one point he would draw attention to. If any of them rode bicycles they would recognise how difficult it was sometimes to prevent accidents.
C
The jury returned a verdict of Accidental death."
Mr. Gompertz: Would you like to make any recommendations?
We are
Mr. E. C. Georg: How can we? not experts.
HOUSE COLLAPSE.
An enquiry, conducted by Mr. Gompertz with the same jury, was then held into the circum- stances of the death of a woman, suffocated under debris at the Ping On Lane collapse during the recent typhoon. Mr. Deacon. solicitor, watched the case on behalf of the owner of the house.
Dr. Hunter, medical officer in charge of post mortems, said: On the 25th inst. I examined the dead body of a Chinese female aged about 39. A ticket was attached to the body bearing the names of Chau Si, removed from No. I, Ping On Lane." We had a post mortem on that body, and found the cause of death from suffocation.
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Mr. Gompertz: Were there any marks of external injury?
Witness: No. nor other injuries.
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A Chinese scaffold-builder, of No. 112, Hollywood Road, said: On that night I went to sleep at No. 1. Ping On Lane. slept until between 5 and 6 o'clock next morning, when the house collapsed. I was pressed down, but I crawled out and cried out Save life." sergeant happened to be there, and he brought me to the station. Three people were sleeping on my floor; myself. Chow Kow. Tam King Tam King was not pressed down, but the other man rolled down to the ground, and Was slightly hurt near the eye.
Mr. Gompertz: What made the house col- lapse?
Witness: I do not know.
Mr Gompertz Was it exposed to the wind? Witness: Yes; but it was not a high house. Mr. Gompertz: What made it fall? Witness: I do not know. I am only a workman.
Another scaffold builder said: At daybreak on the morning of the 25th inst. I was asleep in the godown. No. 1, Ping On Lane. I was asleep on the first floor when the house suddenly collapsed. I was not hurt. I do not know deceased. It was blowing a typhoon at the time. Another scaffold builder said: On the morning of the 25th inst. I was asleep at No. 1, Ping On Lane. I had gone there the pre- vious evening. The house collapsed in the morning. I was not hurt.
A Chinaman said: I am a foreman in charge of earth coolies. On the tram line, Sunday 21st instant, at the entrance to Wilmer Street, about Mr. Gompertz: What made it collapse ? 11.50 a.m., one of my workmen was knocked Witness: I do not know, I was asleep. down by a car. He was working. I saw a tram Mr. Gompertz: Was there any wind? car coming, but did not see deceased knocked Witness: Yes, much wind, and rain. down. saw him afterwards. He was lying P.-Sergt Garrod gave evidence: About across the line. I did not see any wounds. I 6.35 a.m. on the 25th inst. I was on duty at did not hear any ringing of gongs; I heard the the bottom of Ladder Street. I heard police whistles blown afterwards. He was an a rumbling noise in the direction of Hollywood old man carrying a pickaxe. I did not see the Road. I went there and found No. 1, Ping On
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By Mr. Gompertz: I do not know how long the house had been built. The wind was blowing strong from the S.W., but the house was protected.
European P.C. 130 said: About 6.55 a.m. on the 25th inst. I received a message and went to No. 1, Ping On Lane. After digging the rubbish for about a quarter of an hour I found the body of a Chinese woman, under the bricks and mortar, having the appearance of having been suffocated. She was dead; her son identified the body.
Police Inspector Smith said the son could net now be found. He gave the name of Lo Cho, No. 56, Hollywood Road, second floor.
Mr. Gompertz to P. C. 130: Did you know this house?
Witness: Yes; it was a rather old house built in an awkward place on the hill.
Mr. Gompertz: Did you see any want of care about the house?
Witness: No.
James Hutchings, building inspector, P.W.D., produced some photographs of the place, taken after the collapse, showing the shoring. He said: I visited the place with Mr. T. L. Perkins on the morning of the 25th inst. The shor- ing was done by the Public Works on the 25th. 26th, 27th inst. It was necessary to prevent collapse. The front of the house next is dangerous. I saw the building before the collapse. It was bad. There are many in Hongkong like it. It looked unoccupied. I do not know when it was built. It was old, built of a blue soft,brick, of which many houses in Hongkong used to be built. The blue brick is not worse than the ordinary red brick, but best Cantor red bricks are better. Amoy bricks are very good. Blue bricks are burnt. The colour is a matter of material.
Mr. Gompertz: Would you have condemned this building?
Witness: I might have done so.
Mr. Gompertz: Would you condemn any houses at Hongkong?
Witness: Yes, about one half. All the older ones. Nearly all the houses 20 years old or older I think should be condemned. We have had eight or nine cases lately; all external walls, in a typhoon.
Mr. Gompertz: How many cases have you in your district?
Witness: Nine cases during the last typhoon, Mr. Gompertz: What is your experience in Hongkong?
Witness: One year and eight months as building inspector.
Mr. Gompertz: Would these houses be dangerous in an English town?
Witness: There is not such stress of wind there.
Mr. Gompertz: But if they were in a European town would they be condemned?
Witness: They would not be allowed to be built there.
Mr. Gompertz: But if they were there would they be condemned?
Witness: I should think so.
Mr. Gompertz: What are your duties as an inspector.
Witness: To inspect buildings in course of construction, old ones, alteration and repair.
Mr. Gompertz: When would you consider a house dangerous?
Witness: When it is in danger of collapse. Mr. E. C. Georg: Did you see that this house bad cracks ?
Witness: Yes, a number of cracks, but not more so than a number of houses,
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