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was about point on my starboard bow, not more than a mile. I expected to sight it right shead as I always do on this course. I should not say that there was an unusual set on that night. My ship has been ashore on the same place as the "Powan," when I was mate. There was a thick fog at that time. This has made me very careful when making Capeiman Pass.
The second engineer of the "Powan," Mr. Robson, stated that on leaving the wharf the engines were pub at slow, then half speed and subsequently falĺ speed.
About what time was that?-About fifteen minutes after leaving the wharf.
How long after you put it at half speed did she strike ?--About two minutes.
Will you describe what took place in the engine room P-I felt a bamp, then a second one and later a third one.
The first bump was not a hard one ?-Not very hard, sir.
What did you do then?-Went at full speed ahead.
Was the chief engineer in the room at the time ?—Yes.
You started the pumps P-No, sir. Weren't the pumps started at all P-No, sir. The chief engineer was in the engine room, did he start the pumps ?-He may have.
Then what happened ?- The plates began to buckle.
About how long after the grounding did you notice the water up to the fire ?About two minutes.
After the urgent signal on the telegraph did you get any further signals ?—Yes.
What was it P-To stand by. Had your staff, the firemen and so forth, gone up before you ?- I think so.
Lieut. Butterworth-Had the pumps been started would they not have been sufficient to cope with the water P-No sir, nothing like it.
Did you get any verbal orders from the deck P-No.
Nothing about the engines ?-No. Captain Black-You had orders to go half speed before the ship strack, by the telegraph ?
Yes, by the telegraph.
Captain Black-I am not aware of giving the order.
The President You are not quite certain about the engines being at half speed before the ship struck ?-I could not be certain.
Captain Black said he could not understand the answers of witness..
You had no order to stop the ship by the telegraph? No.
"
And then to go at full speed P-No. Captain Black said he had gone out in a launch on Sunday afternoon to visit the scene of the wreck, and proceeded to explain the exact position on the chart where the "Powan struck. He added also that from previous experience after a heavy rain the ebb tide was abnormally strong in those parts. He drew the Court's attention to the fact, as he had stated before, that the pilot was at the wheel instead of at his post.
The Court was cleared and, after an interval of about twenty minutes, the finding was read by the Harbour Master as follows:-
We find that the British steamer "Powan," of which Henry Irvin Black, master mariner, was master, left the wharf of the Hongkong Canton and Macao Steamboat Company, at nice p.m. on June 8, on a voyage to Canton, with a small cargo of 160 bales of paper and a few other sundry packages, and 171 Chinese passengers. The engines were kept at half speed until the Fairway Buoys were passed, when the course was set for Capsimun, N. W. by W. W, the invariable course adopted, and the engines put to full speed, which should give her a speed of about 10.5 knots. Shortly after this the master left the bridge, and
on his return, a few minutes later, he found it was raining and that the land was obscured from view. During the passage between the Fairway buoys and Capsi- mum it was twice necessary to alter the cource to port to avoid junks. This, however, was compensated for by keeping her headed a quarter of a point to the north of her course for some minutes after each alteration. At about 9.40 m. at which hour it was to be expected that ship would be nearing Capsimum, land was ted under the port bow, and by the master
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[July 6, 1908,
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way through, Many houses on both sides of the shores were flooded. We arrived at Samsui at about 2 a.m. on the 20th instant and were in- formed that the river had risen 35 feet and the whole town was under the water, that business was paralized and the Customs European stai were living in house boats. The Commissioner's house which stands on a much higher level than any of the houses in the town was also flooded and preparation had been made to quit the house. A steam launch had been engaged and moored alongside of his house in emergency. Eight large embankments in Samsul and Sainam had given way and miles of cultivated land in. those places are flooded with 20 to 25 feet of water. The Fatsban train could only get up to the Five-aged Bridge and beyond that the railway is under 20 feet of water. After we left Samsuí the current was so strong that we were unable to steam more than five miles sa hour. The cities and towns between Samsai and Fachow presented most pitiable sights. All the houses in the suburbs of those places were flooded and not s few were entirely under water and many had collapsed. Shia-Hing the largest city up the West River and was formerly the capital of Kwong Tang Province. Its population is over 100,000. Barring the walled city its entire suburb is 35 feet below the river level, and is protected by a strong earth embankment. It was in great danger on that day as a rise of 12 to 18 inches more would overflow the river-wall and result in considerable loss of lives and pro- porties, About 30 years ago the river broke through the embankment and flooded the place which resulted in the death of thousands of people and the destruction of the entire suburb. From Samaui to Wuchow the river was full of wrecks, remnants of houses, timber furniture etc. On arrival at Wuchow we were informed that the river had arisen 68 feet in less than 48 hours. The sudden rise of the river has caused considerable damage to floating properties in the Fa River. Many boats and several pontoons have sunk and not a few lives lost. All the streets in the suburbs of the city were flooded. I was informed that the people in the Kwong Si Province suffered more than those in the Kwong Tang Province. It is said that a portion of Kwei Lin City has been swept away and several villages along the shores of the Fu River have been wiped out and thousands of lives lost. Wooden houses, coffins, and dead bodies were seen floating down the Fa River for two days.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
alone, on the starboard bow. The master not being quite certain of his positi n appealed to the pilot, a member of the orew, who had been oa the run in the ship for nineteen years, 88 to whether the land on the starboard side Was Mawan Island, in his opinion. The pilot, unfortunately, was not at his station -at a window of the wheel it ouse over the master's head-but, in the temporary absence of the helmsman had taken the wheel, from which position he was unable to see the land on the starboard side, and thinking the master referred to the land on the port bow, which he could see, and which he thonght resembled Mawan, promptly replied in the affirmative, at the same time putting the helm hard aport, the master immediately afterwards giving orders to that effect. The pilots evidence here is not very satisfactory, as he was not able to give any reason for his confident recognition of the land, The master was still under the impression that the land he had seen on the starboard bow was Mawan Island, and, after turning to starboard two or three points, righted his helm, and stood up, as he imagined, in mid channel, to go through Capsimun. Almost at the same instant the ship took the ground, and the engines were eased to half speed. The ship appeared to piss over the rook, and to be afloat, so the engines were put to full speed ahead again, with a view to getting her out of the vicinity of danger, while the wells were being sounded. There is some slight conflict of evidence as to the actual signals given to and received by the engineers, but this is accounted for by the fact that the telegraph was obviously damaged by the shock of impact, and unreliable. When it was found that the ship was making water in considerable quantities, it was decided to beach the ship, for which purpose the helm Was put hard a starboard and the ship headed for the nearest beach. She, ho- wever, sank before reaching it. We find that all possible steps were taken after grounding to save the ship and passengers. We are of the opinion that the master was guilty of a grave error in judgment in keep ing the engines at full speed when he was in any way uncertain of his position in thick weather. He also appears to have placed too much reliance upon the expression of opinion by the Malay pilot, who was not, as it turned out, in a position of any value. Seeing that so much importance was attached to the pilot, it would seem a most improper proceeding to take the helmsman from the wheel, necessitat. ing the absence from his post of the pilot, but this was done by the second mate with out the knowledge of the master. We there fore direct that the master be severely repri- manded and the second mate reprimanded.
CANTON.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
THE FLOOD.
June 27th.
I left for Waobow by the 8.8. Nanning" at 8 p.m. on the 19th instant. At about noon we entered the West River and steamed up close along the bank of the river owing to the strong tide that was against us and also because we had to stop to drop and take passengers at several ports of call in that vicinity. Shortly after we were in the West River, we heard the beating of gongs all along the shores and saw people waiving their hands and making signs to us but were unable to make out what they meant until we passed so close to a group of farmers who pelted mad and stones, at us and at the same time they yelled out to us to slow down and keep away from the shore. Seeing that the embankment of the fields were only about a foot above the river we at once realized their situation and knew that they were afraid of the waves caused by the stern wheeler would wash over the embankments and flood the fields We immediately steamed out to the
middle of the stream,
On proceeding further up we saw that in many places the river had already overflowed the embankments There was great excitement along the shores, here and there groups of poor farmers were seen hard at work digging and piling earth on the defective parts of the river walls where the water was already making its
The food had destroyed almost the entire first orop of rice in Kwong Si. A famine is certain before long. The deposit made by the flood would make the soil of the fields very rioh for the next crop of rice, but this is only a blessing in disguise as in the meantime the people will have to suffer and experience great hardship. In Canton, the damage done to property is not considerable but trade was practically suspended for a few days as it was dangerous not to say impossible to move about in the flooded districts. In many houses on the Honsm, water invaded the homes, as much as three feet depth being found in some of them. That portion of the Canton suburbs looked more like a portion of Venice as boats were plying where chairs and pedectrains were met with only a few days ago. Many casualties have occurred on the river owing to the swift current and a great many sampans capsized with the loss of many lives. The waters are subsiding in parts now and the
current is over.
OPIUM.
June 80th.
Now and then we beir of Ediots issued by ' the Cuinese Government containing most drastic legislation to stamp out the opium habit. By these one might think that opium smoking would be stamped out in a very short time, As a matter of fact even in some of the larger Treaty Ports very little or no notice has been taken of the opium laws. Most foreigners in the Treaty Ports hear or know very little of what is going on in the Chinese quarter of those towns. They obtain their news through two channels, the compradores and brokers, and these are seldom reliable.
With the Chinese press, all the reports and correspondents are very poorly paid and con- gequently very little trouble is taken to get facts. Fifty per cent of the news published is
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