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INTIMATIONS
A VICTROLA
brings to Your
ENTERTAINMENT,
INSPIRATION,
Victor
Vidu Val
home
EDUCATION
STYLES AND PRICE TO SUIT ALL 20 Discount allowed for cash with order. monthly accounts. 10%
THE HONGKONG, DAILY
PRESS FRIDAY, MARCH 8PR. 1918.
THE RACECOURSE DISASTER.
OPENING OF THE ENQUIRY.
MOUTRIE'S
PATENT LEATHER
PUMPS
and
94-5
SHOES
We now have a full stock of Shoes for Evening wear various styles in all sizes and fittings.
MACKINTOSH
_____ -- & CO., LTD., ⠀⠀***
Men's Wear Specialists,
16, DES VUX ROAD.
LA
Telephone 29.
MINERVA
CIGAR FACTORY.
ESTABLISHED ING.
MINIST OS, CIGAR~-
in boxes of 25
The great care exercised in the choice of each single leaf makes these Cigars beyond all doubt the most perfect over produced.
$4 per box duty paid.
LANE, CRAWFORD &
AGENTS IN HONGKONG AND SOUTH CHINA.
HARMSTON'S
AND
CO.,
[1301
CIRCUS
ROYAL MENAGERIE.
AGAIN
OUR NEW
NEW ARTISTES 1
TO-NIGHT! PROGRAMME!
NEW ACTS 1 Remember we Promise a Change and we give it.
BUILDING REGULATIONS NOT ENFORCED IN THE CASE OF
MATSHEDS
THE TURF OF THE GOLT COURSE..
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TO BE CALLED,
Thy enquiry into the disaster at the-stopped him from going near the Race course, for which the preliminary lames, He called upon the bystanders arrangements were made on Monday, was to assist him, but no one would listen. opened before the Coroner, Mr J. R. | Dr. Macfarlane said that at the Race Wood, at the Magistracy yesterday, course on February 27th he made an There were a fair humber of Chinese examination of a Chinese female, which present in the Court. The jury-Messrs was identified as the body of Ma Kan. Shi
Do the Public Works take any steps tenfores that condition-I do not
know
There is no penalty attached for a breach of the regulations on this subject -Nothing in the letting conditions
dead-letter) This prohibition is don't know
Can you tell me who does The Director of Public Works.
The Coroner It seems to me that the. reason was to protect the ground,
Mr. I think if the Director of Public Works thought it necessary to protect the ground in this way, he would consider how far a board placed over All the nites of these matsheds a the whole site would affect the safety of, the stands (Addressing Mr. Wood)-In 1912 when it was considered necessary to protect this greater area was the question of the stability of the stands considered st. nu?—I cannot say..
Crown-land Yes
Some of the sites used by the matsheds are of ground where golf is played but nevertheless, that is also Crown land
Yes.
As far as you are aware the Crown land of the Colony is under the control of the Director of Public Works ?--Yes. Subject to the control of H.E the Governor, the Director of Public Works could make any conditions he pleased as
AH Barlow, W. O; Jack and J. by Ma Kung Fung. In his opinion the regards the users of Crown land 1-Yo, I
Wallace were provided with Recomme- dation on the Magistrate's Bench. The Crown Solicitor, Mr. G. H. Wakeman,
cause of death was suffocation. The body was considerably charred.
Who can say The Director of Publie Works
The Crown Solicitor--I would suggest that the Director of Public Works be asked to attend.
The Coroner concurred.
Mr. d'Almada-Were, these conditions advertised at all in the Government
take it so.
The lotting of these sites is a purely Gazette or in the newspapers-I don't voluntary act on the part of the Govern- think so.
They were simply sent to the auc tioncera Yes, I think o
appeared on behalf of the Government the borly of Albert an-Wee The body ment. They are under no obligation to
lot them, are they No.
What was the amount realised by the sale.
Reference was made to the a/c sale previously handed inta Court, and it was to $13420.50-two or three dollars les announced that the proceeds, mounted
By Mr. Gedge-He did not remember
Mr. F. B. L. Bowley represented the umbored, but he could not say contractor for the building of the mat-whether it was put on one side for burial. sheds, Tse Hok; Mr. H. J. Gedge; re
Inspector Watt said the body of Ma presented the Jockey Club and the reia- tives of the late Mr. Albert Ah Wee; Kan Shi was identified in his presence by Mr. Loo d'Almada appeared for the the first witness. The body had been owners of stands Nos. 7 and 8 and for the faken from the vicinity of the Colonial families of Mr. L. Xavier and Mr. J. Stand Rosario and for the husband of Mrs. This completed the evidence of identi than leat year. Razack Mr. Lo represented twelve cation. Chinese families who had lost relatives in the catastrophe. The Captain Super intendent of Police, Mr. C. Mol. Messer, was also present to watch the proceedings
THE LETTING OF THE SITES. Mr David Wood, Supt. of Accounts, Correspondence and Stores, of the Public Works Department, was then called. H
Are the sites identical with those of last year-Yea
What change has been made in the con- ditions of letting compared with those of 1012-They are identical with those now there has been a change in
Mr. F. O Mason Hurley, of Messrs. Hughes & Hough, Government auctioncera, said on January 7th he received instruc tions from the PW.D. to put up for Race course. He was instructed that the auction the sites for the matsheds on the conditions of letting would be the same as those of last year. The sale was ad- vertised in all the English newspapers and in four Chinese newspapers.
The enquiry, technically speaking, was said he looked after the procedure for in use except that Nos. 7 and 8 have been stated that the list differed slightly from
into the cause of death of Ma Kan Shi
a Chinese wotnan who lost her life in the disaster and whose body was identified by
hor husband.
letting the hooils on the Hace course, No. 6.
and had done so for a number of years.
The Public Works Department obtained
authority from the Government to in The Coroner This Court not having
struct the Government, auctioneers to sell been designed to accommodate jury, by auction the right to erect and occupy solicitore, and representatives of the matabeds on certain defined sites on the Press, at the request of the Crown ace course to the north of the Grand
of Solicitor, I have asked the gentlemen
stand. This authority was obtained this the jury to sit on my right. Before conar on the same terms as last year, and tinuing the inquiry I should like to say no wrote the following letter to Messrs with reference to a letter which appeared ugnes & Hough, in the Press asking for any persons de auctioneers |-- siring to give evidence to communicate with my that there is one particular on which I should like to receive help
the Government
Sirs have to request you to be good enough to make the usual arrange media for putting up to sale at public
If anyone in the Colony has & photograph auction the right to erect and occupy of the matsheds for previous yeare any matsheds at Wongnerchong for the forth- previous year--1 shall be very glad if coming races.
he will produce it at this inquiry. I Intending bidders should be in have a photograph of the year 1914, but formed that the prohibition- against for other years I have not been able to gambling on the Hace-course or its
obtain any.
approaches remains in forec..
یار
The conditions of letting should be similar to those of last year.
EVIDENCE OF IDENTIFICATION Ma Kung Fung, asst compradore of
I enclose 20 copies of sale plans and the British-American Tobacco Company, living at 21, Jervoise Street, the husband shall be glad if the result of the safe of Ma Kan Shi, gave evidence of identi bo zeferred to me in due course-Yours,
D. Woon,
*For the Director of Public Works Un January 21st the PW.D. received the account of sale, produced, from Mesars. Hughes & Hough, the auctioneers With it they received a copy of the son
ditions of letting.
LA copy of the conditions was pro duced, and No, € stated that the tenant of each booth site should protect the turf on such site by placing over the whole area thereof boards at least half an-inch thick
fication On February 26th he went to et, the races with his wife and daughter. At 2.30 pm ho left them in the Colonial Stand and went to the United Stand. About 3 o'clock be heard a noise and say matshed all the people running. The
be fell down, where he was foll down; and nearly two hundred people fell on mirates him. He got out in about two and went to search for his wife. When de reached the Colonial Stand there was a fire there. He did not find his wife and daughter. He wont to the Race-course the next morning, shortly after 7 o'clock, and found the body of his wife burned, He recognised the body by the garters and portions of the sleeves of the cost He took the body to Canton for burial Subsequently ho identified at the Police Station the bangles produced in Court as belonging to his wife. They were worn by bar at the Ksocs. «
By Mr. Bowley-His wife was 30 years of age The Colonial Steud had
two floors; he left his wife on the bottom
As stated above, Condition No. 6 protected the whole area on which the matsheds were situated. Previously the tenders for certain booths were requir- ed to protect the putting greens only by placing board three rights of an Inch thick over such greens. Condition 7 referred to sanitary measures. Con- dition 8 stated" The tenants of booth sites numbered 6-17 inclusive shall provide a gangway ten feet wide at the Harrowest portion as indicated on the
pian snowing the al
aites. Such gang.
ways sal be formed of planks piaCOM rand placed two Leer close together above the turf and shall be bounded on the western site by atence not less than six leet nigh from the ground, formed of close boarding or matting or some
Buch gang other approved material, way and fence shall be constructed and maintained during the races by the tenants to the satisfaction of the Build ing Authority"
as far as you know were these Con
except, pornaps, that one prohibiting ditions of sale carried out by the lessees gambling (--As^ lar as I know, yeB-4 nave dever heard anything to the con
rary.
By Mr. Godge The sites of the mat sheds were Crown land. The Jockey Club had nothing to do with them. The Club. simply bought the right to erex matsheds on sites Nos 1, 2, and 3 at public audion. As far as his recollection served, the Jockey Club had bought such rights for zoverul years.
various sites were then produced in Court The names of the purchasers of the by the Crown Bolicitor but the witness
his own list, 20
you give names of the purchasers request was made that some of the names might not be divulged. Brea
According to the list produced the purchasers of the sites were:- Nos. 1, 2, & 3-Jockey Club 4,6 & 6-Unity.
-Xavier,
Kemedios. Ritchie.
19.
8
14
12
13
Chan Su Tong Cheong Lee.
Lok Keo
Kwong Kee.
14Yau Leo. 15 Aoi
16 Ah Man. ,, 18 & 19-Ah On,
Ar Bowley Who are the purchasers of Nos, 4, 5 and 6 Unity Blake. Do you know these purchasers, or most of them -No My compradore docs. He deals with the Chinese purchasers.
You accept firm names without ancar- laining who the individuals are Yes, that is the custom.
You have no means of informing us who are the individuals buying sites ander Chinese firm names No
Mr. Leo d'Almada Before the suction is held the conditions are read out t These conditions are in the hands of the intending purchasers two weeks before
the sale
The Coroner-Were they read out? with the exception of Clauses 5 and 6 the
Chinese
and were read in English and conditions were taken as read. Clause
Mr. Leo d'Almada After the purchase and sign it yourself -YesAVAL has been made you fill up a certificata
And the purchaser goes to the P.W.D. and gets a permit1-I take it so from you would be to go to the P.W.D-3 The only instructions he would receive
invited to ask questions regarding the Before the auction anyone presents conditions of sale
The enquiry was then adjourned for
Mr. F. Sutton, Lard Surveyor of the Public Works Department was the first witness called in the afternoon. He said for the ruce meeting this year he had the plan produced given to him, and he pegged out the sites according to that the presence of the purchasers. He had plan He did not peg out the sites
connection whatever with the selling of the sites, you Inspect the No
Mr. Bowley-Did = you -
Has any one to pass the stands after matsheds during or after erection
The Coroner They were inspected by another officer of the Department, 1
By Leo d'Almada -The conditions of letung, he believed, were first drawn up Continuing his evidence Mr. Wood by the Director of Public Works The said the money realised from the sale conditions were approved no for this was collected by the auctioneers, who year, gave their receipt to the puréhnaer. On presentation of that receipt to the Build ange Ordinance Office the purchaser was given a permit to erect a matahed. The present conditions had been in force since 1912. The conditions were drawn up by the P.W.D. and approved by the Director By Mr Bowley-The conditions pro duced in Court were the only ones, the made as regarded the letting Government made as
The Coroner-That question might be understand the erection - don't know
put to r, Wright later.
Mr. Leo d'Almada--With deference, think the Director of Public Works should be here to answer thero questions.
The Coroner I will see later.
By Mr. Lo The sites were first put up for public auction in 1001 when the applications became too numerous. At
Mr. Bowley-Is it your duty to see that the sherls are erected properly -It has nothing to do with me,
are erected on the eight lines, according I mean is it your duty to see that ther
20 your pegging No
Mr. d'Almada Apart from pegging the matter at allNothing at all.
You received no instructions for any out the sites you had nothing to do with
The chief photographer of the firm of thing more? No
floor. No entrance money bad to be paid to go into the Colonial Stand, and no tickets were necessary, There was a cl Beep on the bottom floor. There was no ens relating to the materia for the that time there were 20 sites and far more Messrs. Mee Cheung then produced the
one at the stand to prevent people going in in great numbers. There was no gate; simply an open door-way. When he left his wife in the stand it was not crowded He did not have to pay to go into the United Stand. There was a caan sweep there, also, and any number of people could go in as they wished There was
of the sites for the matsheds. All quem
matsheds were left to the Director of
Public Works
But you are here as the representative of the Public Works?--Only so far as the Letting of the site is concerned.
He said on February 28th, before the Previously permits were given without fifth race, he was near the winning post. than that number of applicants for the photographs he had taken of the disaster. charge but it was thought that, publicHe was preparing to take a photograph a sound like crackers He saw the stands auction would be a fairer way of decid. When he heard the booth collapsing with ing who mould have the sites
coming down, and, soon after the collapse, What was the reason for the change in fire started. He sent his son, to and hir peuple, and he comunenced to take photo. Condition No. 6 of the letting conditions graphs in front of the Portuguese bath. Prior to 1012 the conditions only pro- This was between 2.45 and 3 o'clock
From the time be heard the noise until There is no conditions to prevent vided for the protection of putting NEXT MATINEE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 9TH. only one focs on the United Stand, and the loses having cooking arrangements greens, but I believe the situation of
Hoxton-Spacial Tram Cars will ran before and after the Night Performances to
within two minutes' walk of the Circus Tant
DOORS OFEN 3 PAL
Commerce 4
When Children will be admitted all Half-Price to all parts of the Circus. PRICES AS USUAL
Soldiers and Saltors in uniform, Half-Price to the 51 and $1.50 este. BOOKING AT BOBINSON PIANO CO, DAILY.
HARMSTON,
Proprietor.
CMRHUCLAS
Band Master.
RALTON & W BYMONK
1659
it was crowded. He got out on the lace- course side of the stand. He heard noise as of people running and yelling. Ho Art saw the fire when he was making
is way to the Colonial Stand
The conditions contain no provision for precautions against fire-Nothing In the letting conditions.
these conditions
under or in the matsheds 1--Nothing in the sites was then slightly altered and the whole of the area was required to be protected. I do not know the reason
Previous to 1912 Was considered
No prohibition against smoking to Nothing about overcrowding 1-No, no thing here
The prohibition against gambling that meng, I supposer in the matabeda?
By Mr. LoWhen he was going to the Colonial Stand to try to save his wife; some soldiera-or some people in uniform Ye
tting gently
green- very small; to the year it was thought necessary to protect the whole site. What was the razón 11 don't know
W
the time he took the first photograph there was a lagise of one or two minutes felt the heat very much and went again only After taking four photographs he near the winning post. ~ He had in photographs which did not show the existence of fire He did not see distinct
where the fire started, but in his opinion it started in the centre. He saw white smoke ten seconds after he saw the collapse From the time he Brat saw the stands giving way until the time collapsed it wha about five seconda