312
of the outbreak. When he first saw the fire it was not a large one, but there was much smoke. There was then no panic among the Chinese, but they were rushing off the ship. From the time he blew his whistle till the time he had to shift from the gangway on account of the heat could not be more than six or seven minutes. Most of the people who tried to get ashore, or who jumped into the water had their baggage with them. Had they left this behind they might have escaped, but they would not do this,
Detective In Kau said he was on duty at the Hankow wharf when the vessel arrived. When she was made fast he saw about 50) Chinese passengers go ashore. He had not noticed anything unusual until he heard the alarm of fire. Then he went on board and saw some matting burning in the after hold. Witness began to pull down the stack of matting with the object of quelling the outbreak, but the fire became fiercer and owing to the dense volumes of smoke witness left the ship. Witness did not smell kerosene about, and could not account, for the rapidity with which the fire spread.
R. Thurburn, second engineer of the Hankou. said he was on duty on the morning of the 14th. When the alarm of fire was given witness was in the engine room. He went to put the electric light on, but was unable to as the smoke drove him back and he had some difficulty in again reaching the deck.
Sergeant Adlington bore testimony to being on duty at the Tungwa hospital after the fire, and receiving 101 of the bodies of the victims.
Inspector Warnock said he did not send for any doctors as he thought it was unnecessary. The police rendered first aid but were only successful in one case, that of a Chinese woman who was removed to hospital and ultimately succumbed there. The members of the Police force who did good work iu rescuing people from the water were P. S. Davis (70), P. S. Davitt, P. S. Parr, P. S. Graut, L.P.C. 831, I.P.C., 385 and Indian Excise Officer 37, while the rescue work of a Portagnese gentleman named Alves also called for mention, Witness examined the ship after the fire, but found nothing to suggest incendiarism. In his opinion a coolie or stowaway crept on top of the pile of matting mentioned, and while smoking let a light fall among it. That it had smouldered until the ship was opened up and then the draught fanned it into flame; or it might have been that an opium lamp was upset. Witness found 17 charred bodies on board, six, mostly women and children, almost at the entrance to the gangway, and it would appear that they had been knocked down and trampled on.
Captain Branch, recalled, said an attempt was made to pull down the matting, and from what he saw he should say the fire was well down in it. Even with the quantity of cargo on deck, the space for the passengers was sufficient.
After this his Worship told the jurors there was not much use in multiplying evidence, explained the facts to them and asked them to find their verdict.
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
COMPANIES.
HONGKONG STEAM WATER-BOAT CO., LIMITED.
The report for presentation to shareholders at the sixth annual general meeting to be held at the company's office on Saturday roads.- the sharehollers The Consulting Committee beg to submit to the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30th September,
1906.
ACCOUNTS.
The net profits after paying all working expenses, and adding balance brought forward from last account, interest and scrip fees, there remains a credit balance of $7,894,04, which with the approval of shareholders. it is proposed, to appropriate as follows:-
Write off goodwill
Carry forward to New Account...
Total
BOATS.
5,369.00.
534.04
$5,894.04
These are all in good condition
CONSULTING COMMITTEE,
Francisco T-ze Yat, retire, and being eligible Messrs. Moxon, Skelton, Chan Siu Ki, and offer themselves for re-election.
AUDITORS.
The accounts have been audited by Mr. W. Huttou Potts, who offers himself for re-election.
G. C. MOXON, Chairman. Hongkong. October 27th, 1906.
BALANCE - HEET. September 30th, 1926. LIABILITIES.
To capital account To reserve fund
To unclaimed dividends To accounts payable To profit and loss
By cash in hand
ASSETS.
By Hongkong an i Shanghai Bank By value f boats
By Hongkong Government (depõsit) By goodwill
By furniture
By sundry debtors
By water pipes and piers ..... By fixed deposit
By stock in hand (new hose}
Dr.
[November 3, 1906.
by, still the directors have every reason to be satisfied with the present condition of our affairs, and I would ask the co-operation of all shkro. holders in giving their hearty support to the company and by their assistance help further its stability and prosperity. Before patting the formal resolutions, I should be glad to hear any remarks you may have to make, which I shall be pleased to answer to the best of my ability.
There being no questions, the Chairman proposed that the report and accounts as now presented b accepted and passed. This was seconded by Mr. A. McLeod and carried nnanimously.
The Chairman then proposed, and Mr. Poate secondad, the resolation that a foal dividend of 7 per cent on the paid up capital and a bonus clared, both to be payable at the exchange of 3.- of 15 per cent on contributory premiums be de-
per tael; that £10,000 be placed to the credit of the Sterling Reserve fund; and that the balance be transferred to underwriting the Reserve Account, closing the account for 1905. This was carried unanimously.
Mr. Little proposed that Messrs. Meyerink, De Gray. Poate, McLeod and Seaman be re- elected directors of the company, and that the remuneration of the directors be Taels Four be found expedient to add to the number, when Thousand Five Hundred per annum, unless it
the remuneration shall be increased pro rata bat not to exceed Taela Six Thousand per annum, as proposed and passed at the general meeting held on October 24th, 1905. He said he had much pleasure in proposing this resolutions and he wished to express his opinion that this remuneration was a very moderate one for the work done, especially considering the labour entailed in the reconstruction of the company 150,000.00 | thren years ago, to which they owed the very 2,500.00 | satisfactory dividend announced that day. It ought to be gratifying to shareholders and directors alike to find that the result foretold three years ago had been fulfilled. and that where they had been getting 8 per cnt on the original capital they now got 15 per cint on the *
reduced capital. This result was very creditable to 7.61
the directors; and their remuneration, consider- 5,491.50 110,818.00ing the work be had referred to, was s› moderate 500,00 that he was sure the resolution would be 7,360,00 | carried with acclamation.
130.00
X
220,JA
3.095.69 5,894.04
$161,760.83
(
4,446.41
2,596,31
30.000.00 360.00
$161,709,83
$
7,500,00 1,840,00 9.876.37
19.216.33 2.250.00
PROFIT AND LOSS, ArcaUNT. To appropriation as per last report. To final dividend of 5 per cent
50 cents per share.... To write off goodwill To write off boats
To loss of No. 7 sailing boat (hook valnet To balance to be appropriated as follows: To write off goodwill
To carry forward to new account
By serip fees....
The jury found that the passengers on board the Hankow at the time of the catastrophe met their death by misadventure, and added a rider Ur. that it was a very dangerous proceeding to carry By balance brought forward inflammable cargo on the upper deck.
They By interest also thought that the police officers and other persons who were instrumental in saving life should be highly commended, and that the conduct of the two Chinese boatmen who lost their boats in endeavoring to save others, was deserving of the highest praise.
Judgment for P700.95 was rendered a Manila plaintiff on Oot, 25th in the case of Lucinda C. Ansbro the International Banking Corpo ration. Plaintiff declared in beginning the suit that she had deposited P700 in defendant bank in two installments, 370 as the first installment and P330 as the second installment. But that she discovered that although the second deposit had been written in at P330 it had been extend. ed in figures as P230. When her attention was called to the discrepancy the manager of the bank declared that he could not find that the
P100 difference had ever been deposited. Suit was accordingly instituted by her. The court held that the depositor's memory of the deposit was better than that of the bank's officials and restitution for the full amount deposited, including 95 centavos interest, was ordered.
By balance of working account
5,300.00
534.04
5.894.04
$27,269,37
S
2.073.24 5.75 5.976.13
$27,360,37
Mr. Butler asked if this would be any increase on what had been paid before.
The Chairman said it would not, as the accounts showed.
Mr. J. M. Young seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously.
Mr. H. J. Such proposed, and Mr. G. Batler secouded, the resolution that Messrs. G. R. Wingrove and H. G. W. Hayter b: re-elected auditors of the company.
This resolution · also was carried unanimously.
SHANGHAI DOCK AND ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
The Shanghai Mercury says:--
The proposals of the thirty-eight shareholders of the Shanghai Dook and Emgineering Co., Limited, who have oilled an extraordinary 19.395.25 general meeting of the company'in reference to the advertisemeat offering certain property of the company for sale have now been issued to the shareholders. They are that a Company distinct from the Dock Commpany be formed tổ acquire the property in question, which com. prises the Old Dock and land situated between the Cosmopolitan Dock and the International Dock on the Pootnng side, at a cost of Tls. 1,380,000; that payment for the property acquir.
shareholders in this company
The third ordinary general meeting of theed be made by giving to each shareholder in the Shanghai on October 23rd.
NORTH CHINA INSURANCE
CO, LD.
was held at
8
The Chairman (Mr. W Meyerink) said : The declaration of a` final dividend of 71 per cent making in all 15 per cent for the year, contributory bonus return of 15 per cent, and your consent to the Directors' proposal to place £10,000 out of the profits of the year to the Sterling Reserve fund, bringing this fund up to £110,000. form a state of affairs which must be extremely satisfactory to all shareholders taking an active interest in the company's welfare. You are all aware that trade in the Far East has been anything but satisfactory during the last 12 months, and everyone's business has been affected there-
Dock Company one fully-paid up share of Tis. 25 for each share held in the Shanghai Dock and Engineering Company or cash in proportion. If this offer is agreed to it is recommended that a provisional directorate be formed consisting of Messrs. A. M. Marshall, C. ́R. \ Burkill,
1 S. A. Hardoon, L. Bridou, H. de Gray, and W. H. Barbam, and that these provisional direstörs proceed to the flotation of the New Company on the basis of seven per cent. debanture issue of Tls. 1,220,000 securel by the title deeds of the land acquired; a share issue of a. 400,000 in Ti. 25 shares, making with the shares issued in lieu of cash for the property, attotal share issue of Tls. 1,78),000. The total opital of the pro- posed company would thus be Tis. 3,000,000,