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THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 17th, 1929.
THE LOSS OF THE S.S. HSIN WAH.
CHIEF OFFICER'S STORY OF THE DISASTER.
COMPLAINTS BY CHINESE SURVIVORS.
23 MEN RESCUED OUT OF 400 ON BOARD.
One of the worst disasters for many years in local waters occurred early yesterday morn- ing off Waglan Lighthouse when the as. Hsin Wah struck a rock and foundered with the loss of nearly 400 lives. A high wind and raging was added to the horrors caused by "panie-stricken passengers, among whom were many women and children, fighting for their lives in the darkness. The vessel apparently kept afloat for more than half an hour, yet it does not appear that any serious attempt was made to check the panic or make the best use of the lifeboats.
Mystery appears to surround the loss of the ill-fated vessel. no "reason for the Hsin Wah being so close to land. She was sighted by the keeper of the Waglan Lighthouse fighting her way into harbour in the teeth of a gale nt' about 3 n.m.
He saw that she was taking a course to eastward that would bring her too close to the northern end of Waglan, but as she made no distress signals and gave no indication of being in difficulties, he came to the conclusion that the navigator wished to obtain full advantage of any reapite from the wind and seas that the land would offer.
Local chipmasters can advance
The vessel struck a rock and sent up distress signals at 3.400. There were four European officers on the ill-fated ship, none of whom appear to have been on watch at the time. Captain Jensen, a Dane, was well-known on the China const. He had been in the service of the owners of the Hsin Wah (the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company) for some considerable time, and joined the China Coast Officers' Guild in January, 1915, The Chic! Engineer, Mr. Patrick Camp- bell, was also a member of the Guild of long standing. The Chief Officer. Mr. P. A. Jacobsen. the, only European survivor, was a Russian, as was the Third Engineer, Mr. Peter Solomon junk.
The Hsin Wah was carrying abou: 400 passengers, including about 30 women and children, all of whom were lost, and a row of 103. There were no saloon, passengers on board. She left Shanghai on January 11th, calling at Swatow, leaving that port on Tuesday. Most of her pas 'sengers were esslies, muriy of whom were disbanded soldiers.
·THE MYSTERY OF THE WRECK.
What is the mystery underlying the loss of Hsin Wah off Waglan early yesterday morning!"
SURVIVORS INTERVIEWED. SOENE AT WATER POLICE
STATION.
.
i
A Daily Press representative interviewed the survivors yester- day afternoon. Nineteen men and a boy aged about 14 years of age, were herded together outside the Water Police Station. Many of them were still wearing lifebelts in order to give warmth. Almost all of them were scantily clad, having
This question is being asked in local shipping circles There are aurvivors who assert that the ship foundered in a very few minutes. Others again and the authorities seemed inclined to attach more credence to their version of the disaster-declare that the vessel struck at approximately 3-40 am. and foundered at about 4.15 a.m. Yet very few of the passengers were discarded their heavier clothing wearing lifebelts and only two life-when the ship struck. They all hore boata were able to be launched. signs of having been battered about It was every man for himself, by the henvy sens. The boy had declared Chung Ming Shang, asinined a black eye which he said survivor, 20 Daily Prey xxpre- sentative: The screams and shout ing were awful and there did not seem to be any attempt to restore order or deal with the panic.".
יי
PANIC-STRICKEN PASSENGERS.
was the result of a wave smashing him against a stanchion. A deck hand had an injured feet. Among this batch of survivors sixteen
Many of us thought it did not matter any more and just went to sleep in the water. I and Chung Ming Shang here, kept awake, how. ever, and clung to the bottom of the boat. We were over six hours in the icy-cold water before we were. picked up by the junk."
THE CHIEF OFFICER'S STORY.
For some time the Chief Officer, Mr. Jacobsen, was in a precarious. condition and unable to be inter viewed. By the courtesy of the doctor at the hospital, however, we were finally able to get his story which he related bit by bit as He gained strength.
"I cannot throw much light upon what happened," declared Mr. Jacobsen. I was asleep in my cabin. There was a violent shock and & screeching sound which I now know to be the sound of tearing metal plates. I found myself on the deck right under my bunk. My cabin seemed to be turning upside down. Then the bulkhead and walls of the cabin were torn open and the sea rushed in. Helpless and able to, do nothing to save myscil, I was swept through a gap in the side of the cabin and was carried clean overboard." It seemed that I was in a horrible nightmare. I could hear screams and cries but it was impossible for me to swim back to the ship. The sea was to rough and the current strong that I had great difficulty in keeping afloat...
Was 50
KWANGTUNG AND
OPIUM.
ABSOLUTE PROHIBITION FROM MARCH 1ST.
5,800,000 TAELS CONSUMED IN 1918.
(FROM OCZ CHINESE CORRESPONDENT.)
CANTON, January 18th.
In compliance with the ediet of the Nationalist Government, opium smoking in Kwangtung will "be strictly prohibited from March 1st of this year. The Canton Political Council has long been considering plans for the prohibition of the the Departments of Finance and habit. It will be remembered that
structed to give the matter careful Civil Affairs have long been in consideration and to draw up the necessary legislation for the pro hibition of opium smoking. It is have already submitted a set of understood that there Departments plans to the Government and they will be put into force as soon as the Canton Political Council has approved of them.
BIG LOSS TO REVENUE.
According to the Government if it were not for the fact that the provincial revenues are so inter- woven with the sale of opium, the smoking of the drug would have been banned long ago but Kwang- tung, now, as always, derives its "I could hear other swimmers was frankly stated by General Chen revenues largely from opium. This near me and now and then a drown- Ming Shu, Chairman of the Provin ing man swept past. Then the cold cial Council, in his inaugural speech seemed to numb my songes. My at Government Hoese a month ago legs were giving me great agony when he said: "The proper re and I could feel the cramp begin-venues from land taxation amount
Apparently this survivor was clinging "to a piece of wreckage in an unconscious condition when he was picked up.
Once, a woman was swept by onning to attack my arms. I cannot to only $3,000,000 per annum, while the crest of a wave She had two recollect anything more." little children clinging to her. I made & grab at her but missed. I saw her suddenly disappear. One of her little ones came to the "sur- tiny arm wave before it went under face a second later and I saw its to join its mother and sister. Then. the battery of our torch gave out ad once more we were in darkness at the mercy of the elements.
aishing
Fortunately for us, junk had seen the flicker of our torch and bore down toward us. lives. Our lifeboat was nearly ful We shouted to its crew to save our of water to the gunwale and very second we thought it would after what seemed like years and siak The junk came alongside we were taken on board after drift ing about near the scene of the the last man reached the shelter of wreck for over an hour. Just as the junk, our lifeboat sank
IN
THE FIRST INTIMATION FROM WAGLAN.
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The first intimation of the tragedy was received by the authorities house which reported having seen here by wireless from Waglan Light An unidentified vessel drifting down upon the rocks in the darkness. soon as the message was received, No. 1 launch able
Police Launch the only
harbour yesterday was sent to the to withstand the terrific seas runing beyond the spot. Although she made an ex- haustive search, the launch, was Acting upon wirelessed instructions, unable to locate any survivors. she returned to harbour.
Later, the launch made another visit to the spot. Several bodies
those from the opium and wine monopolies-two manifestly im- proper taxes-amount to 825,000,000 annually. Another factor that has to be considered in the prohibition of the smoking of opium is that the neighbouring provinces, Kwangsi, Yunnan and Kweichow, are all big opium producing centres. These pro- opium for a large part of their re vinces are directly dependent upon
that the financial aspect of the venues and it is therefore evident
shal Li Tsai Hain has long ago matter must be considered. Mar-
vinces prohibit opium smoking simul pointed out that unless these pro- taneonsly, action by Kwangtung is not going to be very effective, for the drug can be easily smuggled into Kwangtung.
hibit opium smoking at any cost. But Kwangtung is going to pro
called the attention of the people The Government has repeatedly
Opium smoking, its spokesmen, de- to the bad effects of the habit.
cinre, enfeebles the mind and body,
The crew of the junk were very kidd to us. They shared their were members of the crew and four clothing with us and took us to were seen in the water but owing takes away the vitality and reduces
Shaukiwan."
were, passengers. All were Ningpo
LIKTI..
Asked as to the probable fate of the other passengers and members At first, the men were loth to of the ship'a company, the sur converse about their experiences but vivors said that it was unlikely that demanded to know why they were any of them had been saved, for being detained by the police.
to the rough sea, it was impossible man to incompetence in every- to recover them. At low tide, the thing. During the period of Poli top of the Hsin Wah's mast as tien Tutelage, this habit must be seen above the water. At high tide, suppressed. After March 1st any owever, there remained no trace of one found smoking opium will be
heavily fined:
the vessel.
AN ILL-FATED SHIP.
The Hsin Wah was one of the
Cannot the police understand. could support himself for long. in not even the strongest swimmer that we want to get in touch with the tempestuous seas. According to spokesman. We are not criminals. the seamen in the party, the Cap-best of the China Merchants Steam
Our agents?" demanded their
time of the accident, and went dowa with the other officers.
tain was asleep in his cabin at the
Graphic stories of fights between groups of panic-stricken passengers to secure possession of gratings, spars, and other loose deck gear were told to our representative by other survivors A woman, who had grabbed a lifebelt for herself and her two young children was struck down and overpowered by Another was loud in denunciation half-a-dozen men and the lifebelt of the Second Mate, who was in was torn from her grasp. The next charge of the bridge of the Hain apparatus and was therefore unable Canton vid Swatów, and Hong Kong!
instant a heavy sea broke over the vessel and the whole, party were swept over the side.
We want money for clothes. cigar. ettes, and above all. to send tele- grams to our families telling them thas we are safe! Have the police!" no sympathy for us?"
Wat at the time of the disaster.
The Bo'sun's Story:
No Wireless Apparatus,
It was stated by the bo'san
Fance.
There was utter confusion. The first lifeboat to get clear from the ship had room for thirty people. Nearly three times that number at- tempted to fight their way into the boat. The boatswain, Tein Chu Sung, with another member of the crew attempted to restore some serablance of order in lowering this boot. Observing that his efforts in this respect were of no avail, he "She listed badly and water desisted. Owing to interference, ho pouring into the engine room put bad to cut the boat's falls. Fortu- out her fires, and almost immed-hospital and listened to further
seds.
nately, the beat reached the water without capsizing. A number of men were able to swarm down the falls Others were torn away from, the ropes just as they were about to leave the ship and, struggling with their assailants, fell into the raging
Apparently strong swimmers were no. better off than non-swimmers. The few men who were equipped with patent life-belts, even, were lost almost as soon as they jumped overboard. The heavy sens simply battered them to death against the ship's side.
Frenzied Scenes.
20,000,000.
GEN. CHEN MING SHU'S NEW YEAR BANQUET."
According to information from official sources, the amount of pre- pared opium consumed during the year 1929 was 5,800,000 taels. The Navigation Company's vessels and hood of 810,000,000. This would cost of this was in the neighbour- was built for the company in 1921 by Messrs, Napier and Miller, Ltd., cents per annura per capita has been mean that on the average about 30 of Glasgow. Her length was 270 spent on opium, the population of (t. breadth 40 ft. draught 21.6 Kwangtung being estimated at that the ship carried no wireless and she had a displacement of 1,040 tons. She left Shanghai for to cireniate distress calls for assist with a fairly large cargo for this
At about noon another junk ar-
Port. "I will never again sail underrived in the harbour with the Chief steerage and a number of them were TO COLLEAGUES AND FOREIGN
All her passengers were travelling a Chinese officer." said the bo'san Officer of the Esin Wah, Mr.. P. J. disbanded soldiers from the north. angrily.
Mr. Kuo Ching Hui Jacobsen, on board. Mr. Jacobsen
QUESTS. made three trips. What seafaring a semi-conscious condition. way an Amoy man and had only
It was rumoured early yesterday was found floating in the water in morning that the ill-fated vessel (VROM OUR CHINESE CORRESPONDENT.]. experience could he posses? He junk also found two more Chinese overdue. Inquiries made at the This was the Hydrangea which had been made the other trips and tad never I appears. that this boat, full of was only an apprentice when he clinging to an overturned lifeboat, offices of the Chiu On S.S. Com before been entrusted with navigation of a ship. This was his lowered.
the people, capsized as it was being the Hydrangea was safe and sound pany, however, elicited the fact that first trip as a second mate."?
These three survivors were removed to the Government cd leaving owing to the excessively in barbour at Swatow having delay. Civil Hospital suffering from the rough weather outside. effects of severe exposure. Our re-
It will no doubt be recalled that Presentative visited them in the the Hain Wah was captured by pirates in April of last year, when lately the chip was plunged into harrowing tales of the disaster. darkness. Passengers streamed up
currency to the value of 820,000 was One of the Chinese, Wong Ping looted from the ship in addition to from the steerage shricking and Chuen, anid that he was swimming silk cargo valued at $12,000. Five screaming," Men ran about frantic in the water when the overturned passengers were kidnapped on that and demented, trampling on women boit, to which many people were occasion. The ship had left Shang. clinging, was swept down almast on hai with 300 deck passengers and top of him. He joined the crowd 200 tons of valuable cargo on board. clinging to its keel and an effort On the following Saturday after was made to right it. This attempt noon she was seized by some of the 'proved successful and about two
passengers who were pirates in dis "Women and children stood no dozen men were able to climb into
guise. The ship was steered by her chance. Throughout, we saw no it Working feverishly with their captors to Bias Bay, where she thing at all of the European hands, they tried to bail out the anchored. officers. A few of us stuck to water which covered the thwarts of gether, tied lifebelts around our the boat but a terrific sea overturn- bodies, and out down a lifeboat ed it again. from the davits. It was impossible to get into the boat in the normal way owing to the crush around, the rail, so that as many as could get near the side jumped into the water ward the boat which the scas were and swam as best we could to sweeping away from the ship.
and children. Many people who had sufficient presence of mind to put on lifebelts had them torn from them by madmen," said "another member of the crew.
CANTON, January 18th. General Chen Ming Shu, Chair- Marshal Li Tai Hsin will give a man of the Provincial Council, and
ing at Government House to their New Year banquet to-morrow even- official colleagues, the members of the Consular Body at Shameen and a great number of foreign residents and visitors to Canton, including Dr. and Mrs. J. W. H. Ferguson, Commissioner of th Customs of Canton, Mr. and Mrs. L Heary, the Canton Postmaster, Major and Mrs. G. W. Oliveerona, Chief of the Kwarigtung Board of Conservancy, Captain and Mrs. Michael, Com- mander of the South China Patroj, Mr. Stig-Niclaon, a Danish mer chant who has come to Canton from Tokyo on business, H.E. Henrik de Kauffman, the Danish Minister to China, M. Avenel, Assistant Secre- tary-General of the League of Nations, Commander Clarke, Com mander Patel, Captain Clements, Lieut. Laurin, Lieut.-Colonel S. Makino, Commander Eijiro Matsu- urn, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Do Wolcott, Dr. James Henry, Provest No. 3 lifeboat finally got away
of Lingnan University, Captain from the stricken ship with about
Lauvereau Lamotte, L. de Bailens, Grange, Rear-Admiral Stotz, Capt. ten survivors. Three times that number clambered into the craft
A.D.C., Father Bousquet, Dr. from the water but, tossed and
A second and more effective acare Schneider, a well known German Wave was provided by the sudden ap- physician here, and a score or more swept into the sea again and were under the water and I doubt if we caused the boat to strike him. Elis pearance of the Chinese gunboat of others. drowned. The boatswain, Afteen should ever have reached the boat forehead was cut opon and he let Chung-Shan-which beaded for the Government House is being beauti- members of the crew, and four had not one of us carried a pocket go of me and sank immediately, ship. Again the pirates beat fully decorated for the occasion. male passengers huddled together torch. Fortunately, the water did Again the boat righted but, alas, hasty, retreate
The banquet will be Chinese and. terror-stricken for warmth. Tossed not injure the battery at that time. there were only twelve people left
In the meantime, Captain Jensen the famous dishes for which Canton and threatened with capsizing again We clambered into the lifeboat feel- to get into her."
had rowed back to the ship. He has long been noted will all be and again by the wild seas, they ing almost exhausted by the cold Misfortune seems to have dogged as able to signal to the gunboat served. In the absence of Marshal passed a Must Anxious time and the effort of the swim. We this pitiable few.
which laaded a party to go in Li Tari Esin, General Chen Ming. until they were rescued from their could hear cries in the darkness and
pursuit of the pirates. After a Shy will act as the toastmaster, "perilous plight by a fishing junk, we shone the torch over the black- tinned Wong, and we were all party returned without having dis which M. Avenol, H.E. Henrik de con search of two hours, the landing and will welcome his guests, alter No. 2306H.W., which brought them ness of the waters to guide any spilled into the sea. to Kowloon where they were taken poor souls who were fighting for life perished with cold, tired, and every-pirates. The marooned passengers Dr. Chao Hsin Chu will speak in We felt covered the whereabouts of the Kauffmann, Rear-Admiral Stotz, and care of by the Harbour Police, " to the boat.
thing seemed hopeless,
and Chief Officer were rescued.” the order paned,
NO. 3 LIFEBOAT COT AWAY.
"'
||
Swim To Lifeboat.
..
An unknown launch appearing on the scene caused the pirates to be. rome alarmed. They hurried ashore in one of the ship's bonts, taking A Fight For Life. :
Captain Jensen, Chief Officer Lices, "I had just fought my way,
three of the crew and five of the breathless and tired, to the mur passengers with them as hostages. face," said Wong, when some As the launch did not approach the water and nearly dragged me under on board, taking only the Chief body grabbed my legs under the ship, however, the pirates returned again. I kicked myself clear but Officer with the.. was seized round the neck by an
buffetted by the waves. many were The wind almost pushed us other man. Just then 1
"She was upset again,"
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