418
sanatorium for officers and, men of the fleet on this Station. It is satisfactory to note from the printed returns of big-gun shooting in the British Fleet that, the standard all round has very materially improved, thereby lead- ing to greater efficiency, and it is also satisfactory to note that H.M.8. Dreal- nought has been launched so
soon after baying beans, laid down and that she will probably be faster than any battleship, now in existence. During the past year a sum of $787.30 was given by this Branch for the purpose of purchasing a billiard table for the Seamen's Institute at Wanchai and your Com. mittee understand that the gift has been much appreciated. This Branch also gave a donation of $100 towards extraordinary expenditure incurred in connection with the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Arsenal Street.
In connection with the Trafalgar, Centenary the Preddent put himself in communication with the local Naval Authorities with the result that it was decided by the latter to accept a donation from this Branch of $1,5.0 to be expended in connection with the new permanent recreation quarters for the officers and men of the Fleet which are to be erected at the Happy Valley, The Hongkong Government has in connection with this matter very kindly acceded to the request of your Committee that the Naval Authorities should be permitted, subject to certain conditions, to erect permanent quarters at the Happy Valley in lieu of the existing matshed. A wreath, costing ten guineas, was placed on the Nelson Column on Trafalgar Day and sn appropriate telegram was sent home which was read at the Navy League dinner in London. The following are the present members of Committee who are now in the Colony: The undersigned (President), Mr. M. W. Slade, Mr. D. B. Law, Mr. T. P. Cochrane, Mr. B. Layton, Mr. W. A. Cruickshank, and Mr. A. B. Lowe (Hon. Secretary). The other three members of the Committee, the Hon. Mr. Gershom Stewart, Mr. E. W. Mitchell and Mr. N. J. Stabb (Hon. Treasurer), will be absent from the Colony for some time. The number of members and associates of this Branch is as follows, viz. :— Memberg, 265; Associates, 17. The number of British adult residents in this Colony (exolusive of the service) exceeds 1,200 and it is to he hoped, therefore, that residents will 1 come forward as either members or associates in larger numbers. The subscription is only $5 a year for members and sa a year for associates and there is no entrance fee. On the opposite leaf will be found, a statement of accounts made up to 31st January, 1906, which has been kindly audited by Mr. J. McArthur.-H. E. Pollock, President.
HONOELRY TREASURER'S ACCOUNT
ÉECEIPTS AND payments 1ST DECEMBER, 1934, ro 31st January, 1906.
RECEIPTS.
Dr.
Balance brought forward 30th Nov... Subscriptions:
1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905.
$5. $5. $5. $97. $850.50.
Interest received from Hongkong Bank
Cr.
PAYMENTS.
Donations:
Billiard table presented
$8.
to Seamen's Institute
787.0
Wreath for Nelson's
Columo, Trafalgar
Day (£10 108.)
107.83
100.00
Soldiers and . Sailors' o Home
Postages, local
அம்
Postages account, Journals, 1904
£12 48.... Telegram to London Branch Trafal-
gar Day Stationery, Printing &c Clerical Services & Collecting Shroff Beat of City Hall for meeting Navy League, London, £30 accourt
1905 Subscriptions Balance in Bank, 31st January,
a
1906
OF
C.
962.50
24.11 $1,704.09
0.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
30th November, 1904.-
Fixed deposit with the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Cor- poration -12 months' interest at 4 per cent...
31st December, 1905.-
...
Fixed deposit with the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Cor- poration
*
BUILDING COLLAPSES IN HONGKONG.
INHABITANTS BURIED.
43
[June 11, 1906.
the heap of broken wood - andy stones * c. and mortar - was distinctly heard, nea
fact which induced the members of the brigade 1,560.00 to redouble their energies. Certainly the 62.40 Europeans engaged on the undertaking work- ed with a will, and after about an hour's labour, $1,622,40 | the man was reached. He had been heard to say that if he was extricated he could wilk. However, he was carried out to the street. $o There was a cry for "Sui,” but a cap contain- ing samshu was put to his lips. This was not 1,622.40 | without a reviving effect, but when_water was poured over his head and face to wash the sand $1,622.40 from his eyes and mouth it did not seem so much to his liking. He had a wound on the skull and 5:veral bruises on the limbs, but he did not seem badly injured He was placed on a stretcher and conveyed to the hospital. A pathetic touch was imparted when this man clutched his rescuer, by the arm and addressed him as his good-friend. His escapie fallen from the top storey. Although the was a remarkable one considering that he had people in the house declared that all the inmates had escaped, the search "Bot slackened, despite the fact that the work smid the smothering dust and in the heat of midday was no easy task. Tunnels had to be made, through which the search could be prosecuted, but as these had to be shored up, lest they should collapse and entail the work being done over again, the progress was of necessity slow. About sixty men were engaged in effecting a clearance, but though they laboured on right through the afternoon"no_fresh_dis- covery was made except the body of a cat-which had been suffocated. It was stated that the two injured men did not leave the building with the others as they were under the Influence of opium. No bodies had been recovered by 10 o'clock last night.
Quite a sensation was created in Hongkong on June 1st when it was learned that three houses had collapsed in Queen's Road. Knowing how densely populated Chinese tenements are, it was feared that a disaster involving the loss of about 100 lives had taken place, but by rare good fortune the occurrence did not not partake of so calamitous a nature, and, though serious in itself, was happily snattended with anything beyond injury to one or two persons.
The property, where the collapse occurred; consists of three houses, numbered 226, 228 and 230, Queen's Road West. It is situated at the corner of Eastern Street, and like most of the other buildings there slopes upwards from the front. At the corner was a wine shop, with opium divan above and a dwelling house over that. The next part was a tea shop which com- prised the two upper floors, while adjacent to that was a bakery. The staff of the tea shop numbered about 50, and including the other houses there must have been not far short of 120 persous, on the premises. When this is remem. bered, it will be realised that the absence of fatalities W88 almost miraculous There is no need to describe in greater detail the character of the building. They werk of the usual type of Chinese tenements, with solid looking verandahs in front, and perhaps not so old as many in the same street. Yet there must have been a premonition that all was not well. Part of the same block was buttressed with bamboos, and it is certainly noteworthy that it was in the portion not so treated that the collapse took place.
So far as can be gathered the people in all these establishments were pursuing their usual voos. tion yesterday morning, when about 10 o'clock a peculiar sound was heard coming from the roof. As it gained in volume it became more ominous and the majority of the people fled without further warning. It was well that they did so. for a few seconds after the first સ cracking sound the roof fell in with a loud 717.48 crash. The accumulated debris caused the second floor to give way with another prolonged crash, which was repeated as the next floor also gave way. When several of those who had escaped recovered from the consternation into which they were thrown, the police were at once apprised of what had happened. Inspector Collett from West Point was quickly on the scene, followed soon afterwards by Mr. T. L. Perkins, of the Public Works Department and a staff of assistants. As the upper floors of the three houses had fallen in, leaving the building open from the first storey, steps were taken to prevent the wall in Eastern Street from failing¦ outwards. This was accordingly shored up. In about half an hour's time the members of the Fire Brigade were in attendance and immediately 995.15 they started on the work of rescuing the two 86.57 or three people whom it was known were covered by the debris. Groans from the 132.77 verandah of the tea house attracted the searchers to that place. There they found a 16.80 | Chinaman slightly injured under a mass of 55.30 woodwork. He was quickly liberated and 90.00 conveyed to the hospital. In the meantime 10.00 the men at the rear found other two persons in the top cookhouse, which, curiously enough, 291.75 had remained intact. Naturally they were much 25.95 | frightened, but the tire escape was brought round and by its means they were removed to $1,704.09 | place of safety. At the rear of the wine shop, the voice of somebody buried under
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J
When the collapse occurred, it was fortunate that the outside walls, though deprived of their support, remained standing. The entire pre- mises were wrecked, because all the debris had landed on the verandahs. The wine shop was left with part of its stock raised along the walls, but about 300 gallons of samsha flooded the premises. The fumes from this were overpowering and retarded the men at work. The other shop was simply blooked up with broken woodwork, but an energetic policeman. succeeded in procuring the till and handing it over to the owner. The same description applies to the third shop.
Another difficulty with which the men had to contend with was the escaping gas, but after some trouble it was shut off. By three o'clook the wine shop had been cleared, and then the men started on the second shop, in which lay a great accumulation of stone and mortar and splintered woodwork.
Naturally the occurrence created great excitement among the Chinese, who assembled in thousands on all sides of the wrecked build- ings to watch the operations.
There was perfect order throughout; the police had no difficulty with the orowds. The ambulance carriages were in attendance. The Hon. Mr. W. Cuatham and his staff did what was neces- sary in the circumstances, while the fire brigade worked like Trojans.
Inquiries resulted in ascertaining that the houses which belonged to one party were insured against fire bat not against destruction of this nature. It is estimated -- that sukhie- danenges amount to about $70,000.
Although a big staff of workers prosecuted their labours right through Frida, night and Saturday, and succeeded in clearing the debris from the interior of the three shops in Queen's Road West where the collapse occurred on Friday morning, no additional bodies, were discovered. As already reported, the people who had been in residence there on Friday morning declared that everybody had escaped, yet the four who were rescued were discovered after that statement, so that those supervising the work were determined to leave nothing to chance. The work of clearance was hastenad, and by to-day the debris has practically been removed from all three shops..
Some excitement was created on June 3rd when it was reported that the houses adjacent to those which collapsed in Queen's Road West were also giving way. The polios turned out and discovered that the party wall between 238 and 240 was bulging ont. To
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