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THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, MONDAY, AUGUST 22nd, 1927.
THE TYPHOON
SATURDAY'S TWELVE-HOUR STORM.
COLONY SPENDS THE DAY "BATTENED DOWN."
THREE FATALITIES IN KOWLOON AND WIDESPREAD DAMAGE.
SCENES AT THE PENINSULAR HOTEL.
Saturday's typhoon did a good deal less damage than was expected. It was a big, blustering blow but without the interae malevolence of the centre of such storma The most dangereus part of the disturbance appears to have struck the const a little to the South of Macao. In the Colony the wind attained a maximum velcity of 15 miles an hour during one of the squalls. It was at its worst at between three and four o'clock in the afternced. '
There were three fatalitiés, two in a Kowloon house that collapsed suddenly burying its accupants in the debris. Several were taken to hospital and two were dead.
A man was electro- cuted at Yaumati by a broken high power wire, and after this the electric power station shut off current and during the night the city was in complete darkness.
The assheds where the army mules had been quartered were badly damaged. They gave a certain amount of trouble in their terror at the storm, one being killed and several hurt.
The military aeroplancs suffered minor damage and the samO applies to the big camp at Shamshuipo. In the Peninsular Hotel the glass roof, was shattered and the rain poured into the building. The soldiers, though they had to drink their beer in the dark, enjoyed the novel experience of a tropical storm.
Kowloon Taxi Company's garage was picked up and smashed by the gate, most of the vehicles being involved in the general ruin....
-Out in the harbour the Rawalpindi broke from ber moorings, but for seamanship prevented a collision with the Kowloon Wharves that might have had grave consequences. Apart from the P. & O.. liner and one C.N.C. vessel that went ashore, the shipping had been able to make every necessary preparation for the storm and rode it out safely. The native craft were safe and snug in the typhoon shelters and the tug on duty had no call made on her services.
The tram, the Peak tram and the Kowloon ferry services were suspended the greater part of the day, and the whole Colony can be described as battened down from the early hours till about 7 p.m. when the worst was over.
"'
!
The lowest barometer reading was 29.01 at 2 p.m. and the rain- fall up to Sunday at 10 am, was 7.15 inches.
MISSES HONG KONG. · WHERE THE TYPHOON WENT
At 5.30 p.m. on Saturday the Royal Observatory issued a 'statement which showed that the typhoon was a few miles. south" south-west of Gap Rock, moving west north-west. This indicated that it had struck the 'coast, south of Macao.
The new roof being built at the Hong Kong Cricket Clab has been slightly damaged. Tiling has been taken off in some places, but it will not delay work to any extent, or be very expensive to repair the harm done.
Lower Levels."
The Lower Level trams did not run after nine o'clock in the morn ing, resuming yesterday morning.
Fire Brigade Busy, The Fire Brigade were kept busy all Saturday but many false alarms were given.
At 11.31 there was a call to Square Street, for a collapse, but it turned out to be a chimney Ere.
Later in the day they had to at tend to a tramway overhead electric wire which had got astray opposite the Hong Kong Hotel,
An electric main gave some trou ble near Stone Pier, Connaugh, Road Central.
Electric wires were said to be the cause of a fire at Bund Street, but when the Brigade arrived it was found that it was a gua pipq, on fire.
The Brigade also had to attend to various buildings where scaffold ing or verandahs had given way. or were in danger of doing so, especially in the Central district, but shoring was found to be sut ficient.
There were DO serious reports made.
ROADS FLOODED,
Crowds of spectators, especially Kowloon folk unable to get across the harbour, watched the sea sweep ing the Praya during the day, from the safe shelter of doorways. A lot of small wreckage, boxwood and planks was swept up, etc.
Hotels and restaurants were, full during the afternoon.
Few made the hazardous passage to the Peak or even on lower levels by motor cars, the only means of transit available.
Lower Road at the bottom of Zotland Street. was flooded, Ice House Street, Battery Path and all the paths included, leading from the hülsides were strewn with small boughs.
The lower and upper section of Glenealy, joining Caine Road, was over a foot under water, and near the Soldiers Club, the water was about four feet deep, and a matter at two or three feet even yesterday morning. But water everywhere had completely disappeared by Fester- day tiffin time.
Fokfulam Road was blocked res- terday at one point throngh & land
lip.
- THE COURTS.
Mr. R. E. Lindsell, the First Magistrate, was unable to sit at the Central Magistracy on Saturday At Causeway Bay many of the morning, and the Second Magia older houses have had plaster and trate, Major C. Willson, took the roofing off the old Chinese houses, cases. A number of opium prose- which were nearly ready to be pull-utions had to be adjourned because Yesterday morning's weathered down, having had this process the necessary certificates from the partly anticipated, so that overdue Government Analyst had not arrive report, however, states: The
repairs "will have to be taken in typhoon appears to have extered
hond,
The sitting of the Bankruptcy the coast about 100 miles to the East of Pakhol. It will now all
Court was alan adjourned.
up.
ANOTHER TYPHOON.
LATEST WEATHER REPORTS.
weather reports of yesterday state that another typhoon op- pears to have formed to the south-west of Guam,
There is also a feeble anti- cyclone central over north-east
Japan.
The weather forecast showed that south-east winds, fresh, mcderating, overcast, occasional rain, might be expected.
The latest weather report from the Royal Observatory, issued at 5.33 p.m. yesterday stated :..
The anticyclone remains over north-east Japan, and the typhoon exists as a deep depres sion to the north of Haiphong.
The position and direction of motion of the Guam typhoon re- malas uncertaiz.
Verandahs have disappeared out side a few Chinese houses along the Praya.
Quarry Bay Bathing Sheds, The bathing sheds which were re- cently erected at Quarry Bay on
ed..
IN THE HAPPY VALLEY.
As usual the Happy Valley came in for its full share of excitement
OVER AT KOWLOON. wards and forwards," said a ser-
TREMBLED."
จ
geant. We could feel the vibra- tion of the building through our THE PENINSULAR HOTEL fect on the four." he addeù. "Chaps on the fourth door said they felt trembling when the wind was at its height. One of the beds was swaying regularly, although there was not a breath of wind in the room."
Thirty minutes before the crack of the gun signals gave ward- ing of the typhoon's arrival, the wind had already begun ita work of and the whole ground floor held The sergeants' moss was Hooded, destruction on the Peninsular. At about four inches of water during about 10 o'clock the Indian traffic went down for their dianer and tea the afternoon. A number of men constable's "sentry " box opposite in bathing costumes.
"We were the Peninsula Hotel was bowled thoroughly enjoying it," said one. I ever by the full force of the wind and India, but i don's think I hav. lave been in Egypt, Meapot, Africa that tore down Nathan Road ever seen anything quite so bad as moment before, the constable had that typhoon. There wasn't a candie stepped outside," said a soldier who in the place we had to drink our watched the box from the barrack beer in the dark. They got one or
"when he turned two hurricane lamps later." window; and round the box was lying flat on the road
Within a few minutes the soldiers in the barracks saw a motor bus thrown violently on its side as it was in the act of turning from Nathan Road into Salisbury Road, The driver jumped out imeacdiately and ran for safety, but when a group of soldiers reached to the bus to give assistance, they found that the only person in the overturned body was the conductor. He was count ing up his cash.
Military Mules Stampede. As soon as the gun signal went all the soldiers quartered in the Peninsular-about 1,700 were order. ed inside the building. About eighty mules stabled in three matsheds adjacent to the hotel were immed. iately turned out and driven down into Chatham Road, since it was considered probable that the frail buildings would collapse. During the afternoon one of them was com- pletely destroyed and the other two were badly battered.
Within half an hour the animals came galloping back in terror to the stables, and finding the doors locked, they whinnied loudly for Admission. During their headlong dash many fell heavily and slid for yards, but none was severely hurt, Sir charges were later taken into the Peninsula and kept there for the night. Two mules belonging to the Royal Artillery fell into the harbour and were drowned
"When
One or two animals received bad cuts from flying iron, but most were in good trim yesterday. the young ladies tome to give sugar find 'em allerge. I had a young to my mules, they'll be surprised to said the ser- geant in charge. lady round last night."
H
Even the most miserable con ditions are not enough to damp a soldier's spirits. There was "busi and even a kit 10-
ness as usual,
7
spection during the day.
The impossibility of obtaining pro- visions forced the Peninsula men to fail back upon their iroa rations, all the ordinary food they could get was half a slice of bread and
cup of tea each
DOOD
Two Fatalities.
At about 4 o'clock in the after- 199, Nam Sung Street, a stone house, collapsed with a roar that was heard all over the neigh- bourhood even above the storm. Of the six inhabitants, two were buried beneath masses of stone' and killed immediately; four others were injured and sent to the hospital suffering from fractures. The Kaw- loon Fire Brigade answered the call with two engines, which were not at first uble to make any progress towards the scene of the disaster. They arrived in time to extricate the injured persons. Aeroplane Wing Tips and Rudders;
Twisted.
aerodrome was struck by the full During the afternoon the Kai-Tak
velocity of the wind. Matsheds were blown down and stripped of their roofs, and although the aeroplanes were carefully watched and pro- tected, several of them were dam aged. Of about twenty machines in the sheds, six were put out of action temporarily. The aluminium wing tips were twisted in some cases and in others the rudder was bent.
Daily Press reporter was told
within a week. yesterday that the damage was re- pairable in, 24 hours, and that hard work will put them all right again
We saved what we could," said cou didn't an officer yesterday. think it was really serious, although one was liable to be hit by fiying wreckage." When the typhoon struck the camp the force of 120 me was evacuated, by the per- mission of Sub-Inspector Phillips, to Kowloon Police Station.
The wind continued to increase dur- ing the morning, and at about noon it was thought to have reached its climax. But the worst was to come. Soon after fioon a boy named Eric Fleming (12) was snatched from the path alongside the railway line and hurled against the fron fencing more than twenty yards away. He
The accident that caused the was picked up unconscious and
most regret among the men was taken into the Y.M.C.A. by a re- sident who was also badly cut by--the destruction of the N.A.A.F.I being flung against the same rail-canteen. Nearly every man suffered ings. The boy had received
damage to his personal property, but what was that to the loss of severe cut on the head, but after medical treatment he was allowed good old " Naffy" This morning the whole camp looked ruined and to go home.
forlora, Water was everywhere, roofs lay in fragments all about the ground, kit "bags were piled high in their storage room, all soaked through. The heaviest loss is con- sidered to be of personal property. One officer is said to have lost over $100 worth, including new uniforms. Most of the men considered the typhoon "not bad." They had been expecting something even more fear- somë than a typhoon,
Zoads Flooded: Trees Down. By this time all the trees in the path of the typhoon' had been almost stripped of their leaves, and
ele As the force of the wind increased in the typhoon of which they ap-ments provided an interesting and it was impossible to see more than pear to have caught the full force. thrilling spectacle. The new & few yards, and the funnels of the Repulse Bay and other bathing nullah in Village Road and the liners in the harbour that had been beaches with mataked erections have one recently enlarged which joins it visible all morning were now also been damaged.
near the Race Course Stand were blotted out. Roads were fooded to soon overflowing, for they could not a depth of many inches with brown cope with the raging torrent from water. During the afternoon Canton At the Peak Hospital there was n the hillside; and very soon half the Road held more than two and a little alarm felt at one period of Happy Valley was inundated with half feet of water. the blow when there was the sound sand-coloured sea. The wind, of something falling. It was found whistling and shrieking from all to be plaster. The Fire Brigade directions ploughed the water into were summoned, in case anything real serious had occurred to the founda ticns, but alarm was unnecessary and there was not the least danger of a collapse.
nr. elaborate scale by the Chinese during the typhoon and, witness Athletic Club and the Chinese Bathed in broad daylight at the several trunks lay upon the ground. ing Club were very badly damaged height of the gale,
the
Peak Hospital."
Kowloon Taxi Company's Garage Scattered.
umbrella, the road almost up to the godown 17 They were not allowed out
At Shamshuipo Camp. barracks at Shamshuipo Camp, for Little damage was done to the
the wind seldom exceeded 10 or 50 miles an hour, even when the typhoon raged at its height. Here A signal and a telegraph pole also the "Naffy" was temporarily waves and sheets of rain skimmed, the surface more swiftly that had been receiving the force put out of action, but to the great and changefully than sunlight and of the hurricane collapsed at about delight of the men it was quickly shadow across a feld of corn. 3.30. & few minutes later the roof reopened. As soon as the gun of the Hong Kong and Kowloon signal was heard at about 10 o'clock Floating Debris, Damage to Peak Houses,
Taxi Company's building was lifted the typhoon bars were put up and In the middle of the Valley in its entirety several feet into the all the men ordered inside the build- While the typhoon was at its The local forecast is: South-height, shortly after 3. p.m.. the
various objects, branches of trees, air and scattered in fragments along coolie hata and an east winds, moderate, cloudy,
6 o'clock. The damage was residence of Mr. and Mrs. Noll and tossed about not unlike a school gates. The next 150-mile-an-hour po worse than what a March gale occasional fala.
Mr. Dougias, No. 185, the Peak, par- of porpoises. When the nullah over- blast knocked the whole building to in England could accomplish. A tially collapsed. There had been a Bowed into the Valley, race-course the ground with clear warning that this was possible, costics braved the wind and rain in burying about 30 motor cars and from the roofà, and a few window. heavy-crash, few tin chimneys had been snatched and the occupants were actually full force to salve the poles and one man. leaving as the structure began to
As soon as the roof went were broken.. give way. They got out as hurriedly stumps of the railings which were the eight other men who were in being rapidly dispersed across the the building at the time ran for as possible and fortunately no one Valley and one could not help safety, but one remained behind to was hurt.
The adjoining houses, No. 160, admiring the dogged way in which try to get a car out. He was pinned which stands a higher ground and in spite of the difficulty of keeping into his seat by a beam that crush their feet, they endeavoured to keep ed the whole front of the car. is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. W. Jackson also suffered a good deal their heads properly equipped with Almost immediately he was extricat
their large and unwieldy coolie ed by the fire brigade and sent The servants quarters of damage.
badly injured to hospital. were blown down and the verandah hats.
Suspension of the Trams, smashed in. The roof also suffered:
SOME GENERAL IMPRES. SIONS.
DAMAGE NOT CONSIDERABLE.
Considering the duration of the blow, and the fact that at one period of the afternoon it was very severe, surprisingly little damage was done by the wind and sea.
Nothing like the damage was done all Saturday as happened in a few minutes in 1923 when Hong Kong got the heart of a typhoon.
The damage was mainly a matter of, trees and matsheds blown down,
a few partial collapses of houses,
roofs partly dismantled, some wires down, and several cases of flood.
ing
Kowloon suffered much more than Hong Kong, as is detailed else- where. Thero a garage went down near the Kowloon Ferry, there, was
n house collapse in Shamshuipo, and
་
Peninsular Hotel Unroofed.
The typhoon had now reached its maximum velocity. The glass roof
man Was
No Trains or Electric Light. After about 2 o'clock not a single seen in the streets at Kowloon, All the vehicles, and even the trains, had ceased to run early in the morning. The 3 p.m. train to Canton was suspended; and the morning train from Canton arrived,
10
here at 8 o'clock instead of 12. The 3.20 train from Canton arrived at very considerably. Mr. Jackson In the road way branches of was cut on the wrist by splinters troes of all sizes were to be found,
When dusk fell there was no of glass, but fortunately her injury and in consequence the tram-cara on the seventh-floor ballroom of the electric light in Kowloon, for it had is not serious.
were suspended after 3 m. for Peninsula was blown off and thrown been cut off at the main soon after The roof of Mr. Hallow's house the rest of the day. A pathetic in pieces to the road, where it the collapse of the garage in Salis was also partly removed by the night was the dejected appear crashed into fragments with a bury Road It was considered that wind but no one was hurt. Other ance of several fine palm trees sound like bombs. The roofless wires in damage buildings might houses in the Peak district suffered with their branches hanging limply aperture began to admit torrents of endanger life. The lights of Mount minor damage, but considering the down, force of the blow up there the dis At intervals one heard the shatter. Water, so about 50 men of the Beats Victoria rose the same as ever over Guards were sent up with buckets the harbour, a reassurance to ner- trict came off very well.
ing of a window pane and, of to bail the water out. Despite their vous people.... course, the rain did not entirely efforts, a considerable quantity of confine itself to the exterior of the water penetrated the building and
Red Hill."
electrocuted.
CHINESE ELECTROCUTED. Kai Tack and the Camps also suffered severely. Further residents Hill, Plantation Road last part of demand
A house in the vicinity of Red houses and buckets were in great soaked some of the bedding. Down and streets were, without electric its roof, and another house in the
Walking in Public Square Street," The stand in the baseball ground below the tall windows of the scr Yauasti, near Nathan Road, on lighting at night.
Hong Kong side there is same neighbourhood was flooded was blown town and yesterday was the fall force of the wind and rain Saturday evening, & Chinese was
geants bar had given way allowing throughout the ground foora.com little more than a mass of debris, not a great deal to report.
It appears that the typhoon had mon incident on Saturday with many while a telegraph pole and several into the room. Other windows were protected by thoring them up with things as matsheds have gone. That houses, especially on the lower | treca, near Craigengower Club house forms turned on end.
broken down a live electric wire, belonging to the China Light and Power Company's connections, and that the man either caught hold of it sccidentally or trod on it....
A general survey shows that such
on the Murray Parade Ground lies in a tangled heap, the baseball matshed stand has gone at the Valley, and others in Shaukiwan have also been-destroyed.
lovel.
The Peak Tram. The Peak Tram ceased to function during the morning, but resumed running at 6.50 p.m.
also showed that they had received a bad buffetting from the typhoon.
One of the private stands at the Race Course was also badly damaged.
"We Had to Drink Our Beer in the Dark.!! "We sat there all the afternoon' watching the windowa swaying back-
(Continued on page":10,).
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