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course of preparation and will shortly be issued to members.
Sir Francis Piggott resigned the President. ship in November and Mr. J. Barton was elected in his place.
Mr. F. Howell took over the duties of Hon. Secretary and Treasurer during the absence in the summer of Mr. Gibbe.
The Committee with the exception of Massrs. A. E. Griffin and E. Osborne offer themselves for re-election.
A FATAL COLLISION.
INQUIRY AT THE MAGISTRACY
An inquiry was on April 10th conduct ed by Mr. F. A. Hazeland, (sitting as Coroner) assisted by Lient. Beckwith R.N., Assistant Harbour Master, into the circumstances touch. ing the death of three children who lost their lives as the result of a collision between the steamer Sui An and several sampana on March 28th. Captain Clarke watched the proceedings on behalf of the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company. The jury was composed of Messrs. J. Clelland. A. Shaw, and G. J. B. Saver.
Dr. Heanley, medical officer in charge of the mortuary, spoke to examining on Apri 4th, the body of Wong Tin Fak, a six years' old child, and stated that death might have been due to drowning. Two other children were examined by him on subsequent days. These also appeared to have been drowned.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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ƑApril 15,-1907.
from the port bow to the wharf. Her stern, superseeding the old Diguerreotype process. swang round to the west as she was going | Mr. Silva devoted himself to the experiment astern, and the hawser was then shifted to and was the first in Hongkong that produced another bollard further slong. While doing so photographs by the new prcoess. the ship's stern swung towards Pottinger Street Wharf. Witness did not see any sampan smashed, but he saw a woman hanging on the Sui An and the shouted to her not to let go.
His Worship said the Nautical Assessor had advised him that the maneuvre of the captain was right and proper.
Sanitary Inspector Gidley stated that, attracted by the ories of the people, he ran to the wharf and saw the propellor of the Sui An crashing against two sampans, which were under the stern. The people were thrown into the water. dad the kampaus Dot been there the Sui An would have crashed into the wharf.
After bearing other evidence the jury re- turned a verdiot of death from misadveuturs.
CORRESPONDENCE.
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(TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRE:8,"}
PROPOSED STATUE TO THE GOVERNOR.
Hongkong, 8th April. SIE, I think that the proposed illuminated address to be presented to H E. the Governor on the eve of his departure from the colony is hardly sufficient to express the sentiment of esterm and respect in which he is held by the Captain Grainger, master of the s.s. Sui An, entire Community here. It would only be a small said he had had three years' experience in return for all that he has done for the improve. the river trade. Referring to the incident ment of the colony, particularly the impetus he of the morning of March 28th, he stated that has given to the construction of the Kowloon- he was taking the ship from the wharf Canton Railway, if a statue were erected in his and when as, he thought, he had got out bonour in some public place where our rising a safe distance, he started to let her stern swing generation will be reminded of the keen to the west. When almost in position for interest be took in all matters connected with going away, the mate who was aft, called out the welfare of our little island. I am sure if a to stop the engines which he did. Immediately subsoription of say 50 cents be called from the strong wind and tide carried the steamer every member of every motion of the down to the stone jetty (Fap Wha Hemunity enough funds will be raised for this heard there had been a colision with pan and he hauled up the Sui An with his ropes until he heard that every body was safe. 'I'ben be went on to Macao. He never noticed any Bam- pan or heard that one had been smashed before the collision to which he referred. l'he reason why he did not back out farther was because of the Haichang at the wharf.
In reply to Lieut: Bookwith, witness stated that he took the steamer ont stern first to the end
of the wharf with the intention of letting her swing round.
Walter Bennell, chief officer of the Sui An, stated that on the morning in question he was standing on the aft deck as the Sui An was backing out from the i ouglas Wharf. When the engines were stopped the wind and tide ovrried the ship's stern to the west toward Bank Wharf. s she was swinging round witness noticed a sampan coming from the insid· end of Douglas Wharf towards the stern of the ship. The sampau tried to pass between the ship's steru and the wh✩rf. Seeing there was a danger of the sampan being crushed he blew the whistle for the Captain to stop the engine. There was a collision and a number of people were thrown into the water. He ha beard since that there had been another collision but he uerer kaw that sampan. It must have been a sma!! sampan if it was hidden under their counter He did not regard it as possible. The collision may have occurred while he ran up to the captain to tell him of the danger to the other sampan. The wind was blowing fresh and be was afraid the captain might not have heard the whistle.
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His Worship said he was adried by biu Nautical Assesser that it was poss.ble for a sampan to be hidden under the conater.
A native seaman spoke to meiny two sampans pass between the Sui An, and the wharf and saw them smashed. Asked why to did not my so to Sergt. Watt he replied that he was not questioned about that.
Sergt. Watt said that he did ask the witness if he saw more than one co lision and he answered that he had not.
Sanitary Inspector Frith spoke to hearing the bar in blow three blasts and start going - astern. At the same time she had a kawase
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Enclosing my card.-Yours faithfully.
VOX POPULI.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.")
AN ABLE OFFICIAL.
Hongkong, 8th April 1907. 818,-In the person of the late Mr J. M. A. Siles the Colony has lost not only one of its oldest residents but a man of rare gifts and Boine information as many accomplishments. regards his life and work would interest a great many readers of your widely read paper. For this reason I am writing this as a supplement to the paragraph which appeared in your issue of this morning, touching upon his demise.
The late Mr. João Maria Silva reosired his education at Calcutta where he distinguished himself creditably in his studies expecially ia Chemistry, a branch of study to which the deconsed
showed a great isoliastion from childhood. Indeed, although a man of many hobbies, he did not veglect vis favourite parsnit until only some years ago when failing health compelled bim to abandon it.
l'revious to his appointment as a clerk in the Colonial Treasury, Mr. Silva was connected with the firm of Messrs. W. W. Dale & Co. in Canton and the Oriental Bank Corporation is Hongkong. He was first clock in the Audit Office and was at one time also årst olerk in the Registrar General's. Simultaneous with the post he held in the Audit Office, be was in 1873 appointed Electrician and Inspector of the Government Telegraphs. So well was Mr. Bilva versed in everything appertaining to his offos that he earned the sabriqust of the “Walking Dictionary" bestowed upon him by is former Captain Superintendent of Police,
Mr W. M. Deano.
In 1893, after a term of 37 y am of servion,
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In 1867, by the appearance of a certain Professor Bushell in Hongkong, Mr. Silva's attention was directed to the study of Animal Magnetism and so diligent were his researoken in this direction that he succeeded in several testa he made here and in Macao.
When the telephone was given to the world in 1877, Mr. Silva at once derated himself to the now discovery and constructed
the unaided,
China, first telephone in He WES invited by the, then, Governor to make an exhibition at Government House in the presence of the Admiral and all the Govern« ment officials. In the following year, he perfected his work and invited many friends, as well representatives of the press, to his residence where he made a second exhibition af his telephone In the "Daily Press" and the Chios Mail of the 16th February 1878 will be found an account of this.
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It was in 1599 that Marooni's Wireless Telegraphy created a great sensation through- out the world and Mr. Silva was again aroused and interested in this great discovery of the age. Like everything that he set himself to do, his indefatigable efforts and studies were orown- ed with success and he was, therefore, able to give at the Club Lasitauo à lecture as well as a practical demonstration of wireless telegraphy with instrumen's that were made and fixed by himself.
Apart from his pursuit of Chemistry, his greatest hobby was the collection of precious stones and coins. His collection of old Chinese coins is, perhaps, the best in Hongkong.
He was a member of the Electrical Engineers, Institute of London and also of the Sociedade Geographica de Lisbon. From the King of ho received the order of the Portugal
Chevalier de Christ. His book published in 1901, a work entitled Repositorio de Nocões de Botanica Applícadă," is an interesting and instructive production. One cannot read it without being struck by the pains which its author must have taken in salleating the necessary facts and the great store of knowledge he pasessed in order to produce a work of the kind.
Socially, the late Mr. J. M. A. Riles was a He could talk on any great conversationalis'. subject and could hold bis hearern' astontion whole evening-be seemed to know something of everything. He was a member of the Clab Lusitano since the Club first started in 1868, being himself an original shareholder and having served several times in the Committee. Indeed the Community to which he belonged an well as the Colony has-lost in the late Mr. J. M. A. ilva one whose plac, it is impossible to Bli. Yours truly,
8. E. A.
E.G.. NATHAN JUNCTION."
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY P.128.
*1*- Recently & correspondent in the Daily Prea suggested that in appreciation H. E. Sir Matthew Nathan's work in the Colemy, a status should be erected by public subscrip- tion, but a more appropriata idea. It moema to me, would be in perpetuate his name in the nomenclature of the stations in the British motion of the Kowloon Canton Balfway,— Yours truly,
OLD RESIDENT.
TAXING SHANGHAI BERP. -
A Chiness company, countenanced by the verament, has drawn 's cordon round Shang and is imposing a likin tax of $1.80 per on all cattle imported for “beel for foreig
he was pensioned by the Government. There saring." Cattle not so paid for are belag í
is no doubt that
„ás later than b
one of the shimet | and confronted. A previous company al of Governmenttting off on quo whose ability, kind was defeated, and the ii unicipal Coušcil in any task alli it necessary to let vats. It is a Body regarding this *
►g nestionable in now in communication with the Consular nistout stioupă fo To turn until sil the risks hi soldworth) kg it off at the end
ulated to fall diront
procure of amet likia in a manner dissovered, ' upon the foreign-comm