October 15, 1906.]
in the field than the Hongkong team and the manly way in which Captain Hancock went out that day when things were very much against him gave Shanghai an example of what they should do when things were going against them. At the smoking concert there was a very excellent "turn" worth special mention. Mr. Bevant's" ventriloquial" sketch completely deceived many of the audience, until the supposed lay figures solemnly rose and embraced each other. Our Shanghai contem- porary hoped that neither team suffered physically from the late hours, refreshments and clouds of smoke which were inseparable from that entertainment.
SENSATIONAL JEWEL ROBBERY
AT SHANGHAI.
The N.-C. Daily News of Oct. 5th says:- A sensational jewel robbery took place in Yunnan Road yesterday afternoon. At 4 p.m. two foreigners, named Ellerby and G. Rosser, respectively, entered the shop, which is situate near the Race Course, overpowered the only man on the premises, partially drugging him with chloroform, and assaulted him. The men then emptied the whole of the contents of a jewel case, which contained diamonds valued at 820,00-one stoue alone being worth Ts. 7,000-and entered a brougham that was in waiting and drove off to French Town. In spector McDowell had by some means got wind of their intent on the previous night, and was endeavouring to trace the men. In company with Detective Sergeant Bookless and Sergeant Johnsen, in a closed brougham, he just caught sight of the men as they were entering the French Concession. Within half an hour of the robbery Ellerby and Rosser were arrested. They were about to board a special launch at the French Mail jetty with the intention of go. ing to Woosung. The assistance of a French constable was obtained, and the men were taken into custody and lodged at the Police Station in Rue du Consulat, where they are at present detained. Arrangements will be made to effect their transference to the British authorities, and they will be brought up at the Police Court this morning. All the stolen property was found on their persons. This is one of the most daring robberies that have ever been attempted in Shanghai, and the police deserve great com. mendation for the alertness that prevented the men from making away with their booty.
ANOTHER KWANGTUNG MURDER
LOCAL PRISONERS WANTED ON THE CHARGE,
On Oct. 11 Chief Detective Inspector Hanson, on behalf of the Chinese Government applied for the extradition of Fan Ming and another, who are wanted to answer a charge of murder at Namtso in the Sun On district, China.
At the last Criminal Sessions Fan Ming was sen enced to seven years' imprisonment for armed robbery at the village of Chaktsan near Chungshui in the New Territory, and the other man, who was arrested for a trivial assault at Yaumati was committed to gaol in default of payment of a fine of 83.
According to information supplied by the Clinese authorities it appears that a mandarin on horseback, accompanied by a brave and an attendant, were travelling from Namtao, which is the principal town in the Sun On district, to Lungwa, a market town in the same district. When they were some way on their journey a gang of seven men, of whom Fan Ming is alleged to have been the leader, blocked the road. When ordered to surrender the mandarin and his escort refused. A fight ensued in which the brave was shot dead, and the mandarin would probably have shared a similar fate were it not for the massive buckle on the belt of his girdle. A bullet struck it and glanced off, thus saving his life, although he was severely wounded. He was left to tell the tale of the bandits' misdeeds,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
8.8. HANKOW ON FIRE.
MANY PASSENGERS BURNED OR
DROWNED.
WILD STRUGGLE FOR LIFE: BRAVERY OF THE POLICE.
The clanging of the fire bell shortly after three o'clock a.m. on Oct. 14th was the death knell of many passengers who returned to Hongkong from Canton by the ss. Hankow. Little did they think, as they retired to rest that evening, that the morn was to usher in such a dreadful calamity, and that for many of them the dread hour had come.
H.E. the Governor has granted permission to the police to proceed with the case, and the full facts will be related at the Police Court in due course.
The large paddle steamer, of which Captain Branch is commander, steamed up to the Hong- kong, Canton and Macao Steamship Company's wharf about her usual time. She was promptly made fast and the gangways were thrown out, Many passengers went ashore at once, but as is customary with the night boats, the great majority remained on board until morning.
Long after the bustle which always heralds the arrival of a boat had subsided at the "Hankow's wharf, and when most of the passengers were wrapped in slumber, the startling ory of 'fire' was raised. The hip's bell was tolled, and the sleepers awoke to see fierce flames devouring the vessel from stem to stern. Immediately there was a panic, and in the wild stampede for the gangway which followed many passengers were trampled to death, the weak always going under to the strong. It was a heart-rending sight to see small-footed Chinese women, who are usually carried about by amahs, struggling for dear life in the frenzied mob which rushed the gangway. Usually they fell and the crowd closed in, trampling them under foot. As the flames mounted higher and cast a larid glare on the waters and the shore, and as the buruing heat became more unbearable, many passengers took to the water, only to find a watery grave. Numbers were picked up by sampane, while many more owe their lives to the gallantry of the police, both European and Indisu.
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At five minutes past three the firemen were informed of the outbreak, and very shortly afterwards the brigade, under Captain Lyoos, were on the scene. When the first of the firemen arrived the fire was burning in the after hold, but in a few minutes had extended the length of the ship. Many rumours are current as to its origin, but the police place most credence in the one which stated that the fusion of an electric wire set some matting in the hold slight. The stuff was very inflam mable; immediately there was a big blaze, and before anything could be done to quell the outbreak the limes had secured a good hold of the dry woodwork of the upper portion of the ship. The fire engine was speedily set in motion, and it was not long before many volumes of water were pouring on the fire, but it was at its height and difficult to combat, and practically burned itself out notwithstanding the firemen's exertions.
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Simultaneous with the alarm which called the Bre brigade, rockets were fired from the doomed ship calling for assistance from other vessels in port. The commander of H.M.S. Flort sent a detachment of men to assist in fighting the fire, while Naval Yard police came to the assistance of the shore workers. All efforts of the volunteers, however, were fruitless. The fire had gained a good hold in inflammable material and neither workers nor water could stay its progress until the fuel was consumed. The Hankow is reported to have had 800 passengers on board when she left Canton, so that, allowing for those who went ashore
250
to windward of the burning vessėl, caught fire and was destroyed.
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The screams of the terrified passengers could be heard a great distance away, and went to the hearts of many an eye-witness. The officers of the ship did all in their power to rescue them and stay the panic, but their efforts in the latter direction appeared to be imposible. However, they stuck to the ship and carried ou the good work until it was impossible to stand by any longer. Then they escaped. There were a few lady passengers on board, and these also were rescued, and so far as can be ascertained at present there was not a single Europesu life lost. The Prays in the vicinity was crowded, sad although a strong cordon of police was in attendance to keep the people back they had a very difficult task." All round the crowd pressed in and greatly hampered the work of the fire fighters. Shortly after the outbreak His Excellency the Governor visited the scene, accompanied by his A.D.C.
If any of the police are to be singled out for heroic deeds, for they all did their duty gallantly, the names of Sergeant Davitt and Bergeant Graat must head the list. Like salamanders they faced the scorching heat, and diving into the water alongside the vessel bore many an exhausted native safely to land. Sergeant Davitt continued to rescue drowning men and women until he was utterly exhausted, and had to be pulled out of the water himself. Another brave deed was d ne by an Indian constable whose name at present is unknown. A Chinese woman, while orossing the gangway fell into the water and clutched at one of the pier tiles for sapport. These were practically red hot, and with a yell of agony she loosened her hold and was sinking when the Indian throw off his clothes and jumped in to her assistance. He swam with her under the pier and landed her safely. Many more of the Indian police did excellent work with the turban, which has often before proved an effective life-saver. Standing alongside the wharf and the Praya wall, thoy throw their head-gear to many a struggling native and pulled him out of the water.
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When day dawned yesterday, the fearful havoc wrought by the fire was observable. The blackened hull sad ironwork, the paddle boxes, the funnel and the machinery were all that were left of the ill-fed Hankow. She had been completely gutted, and very little that is valuable can be plucked from the ruins. It is stated that there was on board the vessel silk to the value of $80 1,000, and of this very little was saved. The money safe was also broken open, and $2,000 in silver and notes have been destroyed. The notes were burned, and the silver has been melted into one huge blook. The cargo was being turned over yesterday afternoon and transferred to a lighter of Messrs, Basterfleld and Swire.
Undoubtedly the most repulsive work of all was the search among the ruins for the remains of the dead, which were charred and blackened, and emitted a nauseous odour. It was a ghastly work, au one which sickened many a strong mau. Even the horrible tasks which the police had to perform after the recent typhoon could not be compared with the task which ther engaged their attention, that of removing sa roasted remains of human beings. Inspo, an Warnock with Sanitary Inspectora Lamole and 8. M. Gidley assisting, attended to the removal of the dead. As they were recovered they were removed to tf the obiadytown Hospital for the purposan i identification. although in their chanced condition it is impossible that they can rafecoguised. The total death roll last evening was 75. Of these 49 womeu, four men and thirteen children were recovered from board at the time of the outbreak, and although the harbour, while the charred and unrecognie- a number escaped it is feared that the deathableemains of 16 adults and two children were roll is much larger than the number of bodies fohe Hankow, which is owned by the
d on the steamer. already collected. Many jumped overboard, and, as was the case after the typhoon, their China Navigation Company, is an iron bodies will only be recovered in the succeeding paddle steamer of 3,073 gross tonnage. days when the sea gives up its dead.
she Was built in 1874 by A. J.
of was the heat that junks ad Inglis
Glasgow. has a length of and 38.5 feet, beam 42.3 feet and draft of sampans in the vicinity had to move out ther 15.2 the 8.8. Powan, which was moored on the
feat. The recent typhoon tem. side of the wharf had to cast off and mat, for porarily crippled two or three of their fine mid stream. Fortunately the wind w
from boats, and following on that disaster has to be the sast, otherwise the Powan might have recorded the present calamity which besides escaped the fire, as burning sparks waying causing heavy loss of property, has left a vacant about in all directions. One junk, ich was chair in many a sorrowing home.
on arrival here, there must have been many on
So intense