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[181
GRAND ANNEX, GRAND STRAND.
TSINGTAU
IDEAL SEA-BATHING ”
Commencing
MAY 15th.
T NAGAO, General Mar
RACECOURSE DISASTER EVIDENCE OF SPECTATORS
WARNINGS SHOUTED IN THE- STRERTS BEFORE THE RACE MEETING.
By dr. Stevenson: He did not see any signs of the lashings having been cut when he visited the booths,
If you could have got as it were t any fire appliances -No.
there
At the time of the collapse did you see
Mr. Bowley Do you understand any police on duty there No. Chinese Yes..
None in sight ?—No. How did the crowd at the races this year compare with previous years About the same,
What do you take Kot-tni" to mean? Cut low
SMALL FIRES CAUSED BY CIGARETTE | TRAN
ENDS,
The enquiry into the Race Course disaster was continued at the Magistracy yesterday. POINTS UPON WHICH EVIDENCE
IS REQUIRED:
The Coroner Before continuing with the enquiry I would just like to stato a few points on which the jury would like the assistance of the public. These are the pointe on which evidence, will be very important from spectators :-
1-Were any signs of fire (moke or flames), observable before the matcheds collapsed 1
-If no signs were observable before the collapse, then how long after the collapse were such signs observed !
3-How long was the inforval between the time that the first signs were observed and the time when the end of the row of
by the fire? niatehods were enver
4At what point ia the row of sheds were the first signs of fire observed?
--How did the crowd in attendance at
the sheds at the time of the collapse com- pare for numbers with the crowd which
Derhy race?
assembled carlier for the
At what point in the row of sheds was the collapse observed to begin!,
Did the matsheds away to and fro during the collapse 7
8-Did they fall slowly or suddenly? 0--A8 they fell,
was any part of the wooden fence on the Race Course side of the sheds, to which struts were lashed. carried away.
The Coroner remarked that he had never met with the phrase bofore and
the matter might be referred to the interpreter.
Mr. Hall: Whereabouts were you when you heard the Chinese conversation -It may have been No. 10 sheil or No
12.
You went from booth to booth. Did you notie cooking anywhere 7-No
The Coroner: Before you escaped from booth No. 5, did you see any sign of fire 1-No.
The interpreter to the Magistracy, in the witnes-box, said he had not heard the expression ** Kut Tai" fæquently, He had heard it in conversation two yare ago. It meant "cut down" as applied to prices
The Crown Solicitor: Suppose you. were talking to another man and wished to say that you would cut the Lashings low how would you express it? The phrase Kot Tai Mi might mean cut the lashings low.""
Could that expression be used in conec tion with betting, to mean "cat my losses" or anyibing of that sort!--I have in connection with
WARNINGS BEFORE THE RACE MEETING,
nevér heard it gambling
11
A Chinese boy employed in Prince's Buildings said a few days before the race meeting his heard people shouting aloud Queen's Road Central, near the market Don't go to the races; matsbods lapse. The people were of the coolie class in blue clothing. There wore three for four of them passing by. He did not 10 –Was a stampede observed, in any hear any reason given as to why the of the shods previously to the collapsenatsheds would collapse. He heard no
mention of robbers. and if so, in what sheda? Evidence that in particular sheds there was no such atampede before the collapse would be of great value.
Was there any reason whatever why
The Coroner Did you mention this to unvons before the races--I did not.
Did these men say in effectPerhaps some ver these matsheds will fall down "23-No. They did not say that.
What extolly did they say Do not
You saw no police on the neighbour hood of the shed from the time you went to the time you left!--No. „
The Coroner Have you any opinion as to the cause of the collapse - private opinion is the sheds were not strong enough.
Were you there on Monday ? Yes. Did you notice any signs of weakness then 1--They were not so full then as on Tuesday
On the Tuesday did you visit other sheds 7-Yes, I think three.
Were they full ?ken____
You are satisfied that no fire broke out in Nos. 8 or 9. A previous witness told us it did I am certain it did not,
Do you say the fire you saw broke out on the Race Course side of the sheds?- Yes,
You remained on the Race Course until the fire was cut Yes,
Did you see any "snatching going
No.
on
"COLLAPSE VIEWED FROM THE
FRENCH CONVENT.
THREE SMALL FIRES FROM CIGARETTE ENDS.
Lam Pak To, a teacher in the Govern ment School, Yaunati, said his brother had a share in shed Nos. 17, 18 and 19 He was present in that stand at the time of the collapse. He first noticed the top of the shed move and immediately shouted "earthquake." Then there was a crack- ing nože and in a second the matshed fell. When he got out he saw a column of black smoke five or six sheds away The fire appeared to be very strong.. People smoked in his matshed, and on the Monday he put out a fire which was beginning from a cigarette end. He put it out with his foot,
The Crown Solicitor How many fires did you put out -Two on the first day and one on the second day.
Mr. Bowley Were there any buckets of water for putting out fire-Yes, two.
The Coroner How long was it after your shed fell that you got out?-About
five minutes.
By that time had all the other sheds collapsed-Yes.
Arthur William Hill, chief bailiff of the Supreme Court, said about at 2.55 p.m. o'clock, on February 20th, he was going to the races. When he roached the Civil Service Club he heard a cracking of wood and he saw the race-course mat- Messrs. Leigh & Orange, suid he was in sheds sway in the centre of the row.
Tiu Fong, a draughtsman employed by shed No. 11 between 3 and 3 o'clock on They swayed first towards the rice-course February 25th. He had no shares in it and then back again to the Golf Club,
on the ground management. He was floor, which was full He left before? Then they ecomed to all collapse in a o'clock and went to No. 12, which war line towards the Mohammedan Cemetery. also full, Then he went to the French He went in through the gate of the race Convent, and when near there he heard a
looked up and saw some smoke coming from the centre of the row. The matsheds Vere down at the time and the smoke seemed to come through the roof. Soon afterwards flames appeared. He assisted people to escape until the fire became too hot.
commation and people running. He course near the Naval Pavilion and called looked and saw that one of the sheds had to the people in the matsheds to come fallen very low whilst the other shods out, at the same time, pulling down some were still standing. The shed which matting and breaking bamboos. He appeared to have sunk down was some where near the centre of the row; be could not say which one it was. The roof had fallen to the first floor level whilst the other sheds remained upright. Very soon afterwards the other matsheds collapsed. The other matsheds on either sido appeared to him to fall in on the top of the collapsed shed. Then he saw dust and shortly afterwarde a olbud of black smoko, d
The Coroner: Can you say how long the fire took to get the whole row of sheda - should say about 20 minutes or half an hour. It spread very rapidly.
We are on yatupne there should attend the races; the nutshoda 1 shed exactly. For en oude of The Crown Solistor. He assisted the
at the have been any sudden general movement⠀⠀⠀ Among the occupants of the sheda??
I should like these paints, if possible, made public, and if any spectator can give evidence with reference to any of them we shall be very glad to have it.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF "KOT TAL”
J. M. P da Silva, a Government pensioner of 10, Belilios Terrace, said on February 25th he went to the Bros Coume about 1.30. He went to booth No. 8 to purchase a ticket, but found the counter crowded. He came out and went to No. 17 to look for a friend and then went from both to booth. In every booth, in the front facing the Course, there were many ladies and children, but the stands were not crowded. . In one booth, he could not say which, ha Baw two Chinese men, on the lower floor, talk ing to one another in Chinese. He caught the last two words of the conversation,
|
collapse.
Did you attend the races ?--Yes, I have to do my duty to my master.
Did you go into the matsheds? I did not. I went to the grand-stand.
Mr. Bowley Was your master riding at the races Yes,
When did you first mention to anyone that you had heard this warning To my master only; to no one else. I men tioned it the evening after the fire. My master asked me why so many people and died in the fire and I told him
What time of day was it you heard the calling out in the street-Between 3 and 4 I was walking towards the Sun Co
Were you by yourself? Yes Merce By the Coroner; The people shouted the words out to some others who were walking on the other side of the road going in the same direction. Were these people all in one party -I cannot say, shouted mike any reply No. 1
Did the people to whom the words were
Did you hear any further conversa tion -NOUS ?
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The Coroner How many clueds of What was the name of the alot where black smoke did you see Two you first saw the fro-I should not like Where did they come from? From the to say. It appeared to me to be about middle of the row. I could not say which No. 13, but I cannot say
How far apart were the clouds of Fire Brigade. There was emcke 7-A little over one, shed apart.
very little pressure of water. It was probably not How Boot after the collapse of the first more than 25 to 30 lbs. It was of no shed did the fire occur? A few seconds. tise. The water simply trickled out of
Continuing, witness said he ran by the the nozzlo.....
When he reached the Mr. Bowley: You have been in the Race Course. matsheds those near the Golf Club were Fire Brigade-Yes
early burned up. BANDART
The Coroner: With regard to the Is your experiemo that you often get matshed which you saw fall in first, did a very good pressure on the hydrants it appear that the upper floor collapsed without a fire engine?-Oh, yes; my ex- only or the whole matshed?--It appeared perience is that you can get quite a good to me that the whole shed had collapsed. pressure from a hydrant, suficient to
The enquiry was then adjourned for reach any building in Hongkung. tiffe.
_____ MIL E. L. STAINFIELD.
The Coroner: You have never used this particular hydrant before-No..
City bydranta give good presore? Yes, All you can say therefore is that the they give good pressure, so
Mr. E. L. Stainidd, usher at the Supreme Court,, said he was at the Race course on February 28th He saw the Derby run from the D.AJ.A stand
Mr. Hall: Did the matsbeds fall No. 8). He had a cold, tilto at the slowly or quickly-After the cracking Japanese stands. About 2:45 pm. he was sound they seemed to fall altogether.
se stand (No. 15) to stand No. 13. Just bound the stands going from the Japan
quickly
Lau Wing Sing, draughtsman, of Messra.
as he was entering stand 13 he heard a Leigh & Orango, who was in company ve life from the direction with Tin Fong at the race-course on
cry..
which woro Kot-tai." He wondered upper floor was only half a storey, Hehe noticed smoke coming through the roof No. 8. When the shed collapsed he was
he was outside the whole thing came
of Ritchie stand (No. 1). He then heard February 28th, corroborated in some par Sirdar Khan, chicl clerk in the sheds inling at frst be thought it bad given as to seting the matcheds fall
a rumbling noise and
out ticulars the evidence which Tin ong Harbour Olice said on February 20th was an earthquake. He jumped over the whilst looking towards the rice-COUZS about 3 par lo was in No. 11 shed on fence and went towards the Golf Club from the French Couvent da the Race Course. This shed had two for a few pacca. Turning round he saw Lai Yu We, assistant caroff of IL M. H. doors. tle was on the lower one; the the sheds lalling very slowly and then Nemaree, said he had a share in shed was standing clear of that half floor and of No. 13. He ran back towards the pinned down for about ten minutes. He what the words meant and thought the be firat heard a cracking sound in the Japanese stand and just managed to so did not know how he got out. He sav phrase was gambling slang, but he kent1001. He thought the upper floor, which into it. The fence was down by this time fire two feet away from him. A hawker was full, was coming down. Other people who shod was then falling and people had part of the shed for selling tea and it in his mind. He then went on to No around him heard the same sound and wore coming out He went about three he had a stove which was alight at the Satand, where he stayed until the time ran out He ran out also, and just as Jards inside and turning back to go out time of the collapse. He could not say be was caught between two bears whether it was the charcoal from this of the collapse. He was in the centre of down. As he was leaving the shed ho i went back to the shed purposely to chatty which set, the caed on fire The the booth when he heard someone call did not see the upper floor giving way. himself from the beams he did what he people on the floor of his shed at the tiro
give dorm of fire After he had freed
were between two and three hundred “earthquake" He looked towards the the cracking began. The shed fell slightly say whether any fire broke out
The people did not start to run before could to render assistance He could not door and noticed the top part of the booth towards the Golf Club side. Behind the 9 or 10. The crows in the sheds was only one chatty on the ground floor.
No,
By the Crown Solicitor There was falling slightly. Thea he felt the stracnocked over by the crowd and not by the heard no cries of fire before the collapse used the chatty used wood as fuel-I aleda was a matabed fence this was bigger before tiffin thun after talin He Mr. Remedios stated that the man who ture move. He ran to the door, but when falling sheds. He saw the whole row of When he turned back and saw the smoke say that it was not firewood. he was about three feet from it be could sheds collapse from one end to the other coming from shed 13 he saw flames also. Did you see the chatty being used
pre feet from it proced no further on account of the at the same time he say smoke towards the sheds swayed as they fell It was the first day, but not on the second
Nos. 13, 14 and 15. He ran back to the about half an hour
From the outbreak of shed and apisted the people to get free the whole of the matsheds He saw no PROBABILITY OF TWO OUTBREAKS
fire to the time when the fire enveloped day. He had bon engaged in that work for unbearable. He therefore left the place he was in the Japanes shed, on the top two or three minutes when the fire became signs of the shods being tempered with:
On the first day of the race mesting, and went to the site 2, 3 and 4 to see if floor, leaning over the railing, talking to Police Reserve, said he was in thed No. R Nazarin, a Malay, constable' 098 he could render any assistance there. He
Spetted
crowd. He felt a shock and fell down Weights pressed on his right foot and bis lefh leg and he imagined that had been as earthquake shock. suspense was so great he simply waited
to bo swallowed into the earth
there
The
The Crown Solicitor -Have you beard any report that the lashings were cut 2. Afterwards When the fire was burning
a little
OF FIRE
I heard someone say that the collapse war Fother sheds before people started to time was No 13 Yeng at that fire in the basement of No. 10 or 11.
did not see any fire break out in Nos 9 side Boosteds move tule. They see 10 at the time of the collapse, on the 10. He thought they took fire to vibrate in the middle, but he did not middle floor. He heard the people on the The Coroner - Was there any punie in from Nos. 13, 14 or 15 He remained in take much notice of it. He made no top foor shout collapse and looking your booth before it began to move! No NO8, 2, 3 and 4 until the fire came too remark to BRYɔne about it, thinking it up he saw all of them rushing to the close there also cool might be just a natural occurrence in staircase. Before any of them could get The Coroner How long after the sheds of this sorts towards the Jockey Club. He jumped near the staircase he saw the shed inclina collapse do you think the out!-- A lay stoops the fire broke out the Japanes clict to give the alarm of locutusck to the booth he saw a small Bowley When you went back to clear before the collapse When be Did you bear any noise of panic in fire, was that shed on are 1-No.
The only shed you saw
was about two yards away from him, Could you say there was any are just too far for him to put his hand to further on slong the row?—I could not.
It was a very small fire. At the sama he wo
that he saw this fire he say smoke The wooden path going behind the sheds wan blocked by the shed when they fell coming from either No. 7 o 8. He did
The Coroner: When you
y not look towards the other end of the Raw the line
gence in your own?—No job
que to someone cutting the lashings
Who was that, do you know i Somepa without a jacket who was coming from the booths.
Did you hear any report that some people had been caught and were in the custody of the police 1-1 heard that.
You know now that it is not true]-Yes,
but I think there must have been some thing in the story of the lastings being cut.
It was your impression of ous time that that was the cause of accident Yes
How long do you think elapsed between the beginning of the fire and the time the whole row was alight 1 About twenty minutes
By Mr. Towley-Why was it necessary to push the fence downt-The shed blocked up the passage and it was the quickest way out to push the fence down.
Could you say it any part of the
time
smoke coming out of the roof of shed No The Corner: The smoke which you 13 had the roof at that time fallen No. say you may have been det
Where do you think the fire started may have been, but it looked more like I think it: have started from the top stooke
And
rested on the fence I could not say on the Golf Club Gide the Yen to the Coroner. Did the fire you saw
in 7 and 8 start in 7 or 8 do you think
Are you & Police Reserve-Yet, Chief Inspector, No. 8 Co When you went back to the Japanese or did it come from No. 101 There must You were not on duty at the races shed was No. 13 still standing! They have been another Ero in No. 7 of 8. It were all falling. When they started to fall burned more Sorcely there after a few they all fell together
No
Did you try to put the fire out when where or three sheds Itous me. I could you saw it It was too far away It
not have got at it
falling fire-1 could not say that any The enquiry was then adjourned until
You cannot say that No. 13 started minutes than in No. 10 one shed fell firate
Thursday morning.