HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1931.
THE MACAO DISASTER
HOUSES BLOWN TO
SMITHEREENS
TERRIBLE TOLL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.
SEVENTEEN DEAD: OVER THIRTY INJURED.
As in, indicated below from a detailed report by a Daily Pren special correspondent and from eye-witnesses of the disastor in Maeso, it appear that the toll of death and destruction enused by the explosion of an ammunition depot at Flora Fort, near. the Artillery Barracks, is worse than was expected...
CITY VIOLENTLY SHAKEN.
A large part of the Portuguese Colony was violently shaken and the whole city was awakened from sleep. Hundreds of people rushed into the streets half-clad, alaran signals were hoisted from the Citadel, giving the impression that a revolt had taken place and troops, fire brigades and ambulancey were rushed to the scene.
SENSATIONAL Rumours.
A few minutes after the terrific explosion, a pall of smoke settled over Macao, enveloping the whole peninsula..
Sensational rumours spread like wildfire. Firat reports stated that houses belonging to Dr. Luis Nolasco, Mr. F. X. A. da Silva and Mr. Hee Cheong, had been wrecked.
It was later learned that the majority of these houses, about" a quarter of a mile from the scent of the explosion, had suffered. shattered windows and nothing more serious.
HONG KONG BOY "SCOUTS SAFE.
The Salesian Fathers ask us to state that the Salesian Orphan. age, quite near the scane of the explosion, suffered no damage, and that the 10th Troop Hong Kong Boy Scouts, who left for a holiday in Macao a few days ago, are all safe. This has been confirmed in a telegram-received by us from the Scoutmaster" last night.
to
The explosion occurred in the ammunition depot situated between I the Gardens and "the Artillery Barracks, wrecking the buildings in the vicinity, from which relief parties were endeavouring to rescue the unfortunate inmates, many wounded, and others blown pieces by the force of the explo sion. While our informant remain ed on the scene, be witnessad a pathetic sight with the wounded, including soio badly mutilated cases, being conveyed by ambulance and stretcher to St. Raphael Hos- pital, which is a little distance
away.
There were many casualties in the row of two-storeyed houses, 00- supied by Portuguese and Chinese, on the opposite site of the Gardens Several of these houses were com pletely demolished and many of the inmates perished. A large number of them were believed to be buried in the ruins.
SHIP'S STRUGGLE WITH TYPHOON."
CHIEF ENGINEER WASHED
OVERBOARD,
S.S. BENARTY LIMES INTO HONG KONG HARBOUR,
The full account of the casuali ties attending the recent typhoon which swopt the North Chins coart may aster be given. Bi
Day by day stories of the storm's almost unparalleled forocity con tinue to be received, and it was not until yesterday, four days alter the typhoon had blown itself out, that the Benatty brought news of her terrife fight with the element off Tongyong, and of the Icas of her Chief Engineer. when the gale was at its height
With steel derricks, ladders and hand-raile bent by the sheer farce of the seasoned intered, with t wireless apparatus rendered useless and all but ruined by the water which entered the rain through the ventilator opening in the reof, with the puop deck swept clean of
VICTORIA GAOL ESCAPE.
ہوا
SUCCESSFUL EXPLOIT BY TWO OLD HANDS.
FRUITLESS CHASE BY A PEDESTRIAN.
A niceussful 'oacape from Victoria Gaol in broad daylight, assisted by the rainfall in" the morning, was affected by two long-term convicts; one of them a five-year term prisoner, who got away last October only to be arrested in, Belcher's Street the following day.
It was not until "a report was. made to the police by a podestrian, a fruitless chase of the who antook fugitives, that the prison autho- rities came to know of the escape. A ladder was placed on top of a set of railings to gain the top of the Chancery Lane wall, and there- after they let themselves down into the road.
;גי' .
WGS
Au interesting narrative given by Mr. P. Y Lo, of the Bank among the few people about the of China, who imppened to be
place at the time when a heavy
IMITATED BY
MANY.
PERFECTION
SCOTCH
EQUALLED BY
NONE.
Also in oval bottles and flasks.
SOLE AGENTS:
GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD.,.
WINE MERCHANTS,
St. George's Building, loa House Street, Dial 20135.
Hong Kong
GRASS SCORCHED BY HEAT. almost every fitting ond, the cabins, shower of rain was falling. Ho MOST PEOPLE KNOW
4
Debris from the explosive mate rial and buildings wore seen to have been thrown to a great dis tance, doors of houses-being blown in and walls damaged." Window panes and shuttera of houses at even greater distances suffered by the force of the explosion. So great was the heat of the explosion that the grass in the Gardens beenme acorched.
Included in the personnel of the Artillery Barracks were a number of African soldiers,, or. “ Landins " from Lorenzo Marques. It was re- ported that nine of these soldiers were among those killed, while in formation from, another source was to the effect that about double that number had been blown "to bits
without any possibility of identify. ing any of them.
SHELLS THROWN "IN ALL DIRECTIONS. Barracks, who lived in the vicinity
BRITISH CADETS' NARROW ESCAPES.
[FROM OUR OWN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
Macao, Thursday night,
The explosion occurred at the Flora Fort and the casualtios namber roventeen dead and over thirty injured. The explosion is attributed by a high official to spontaneous combustion due to the
heat.
A magazine containing black powder, shells and cartridges blew up with a lond report at 3.40 this morning, the report being followed by a flash and a column of black smoke. The 'guardhouse' was blown to smithereens, and a row of houses in the Rus· Da Flora was completely demolished Shells, cartridges and stones were lown in all directions.
FAMILY WIPED OUT.
A family of seven living in a bungalow near the fort werd wiped out: the bungalow is the ex-summer residence of the Governor of Macis, and bears the name of "Flora Palace."
Six British cadets from Hong Kong and Singapore, who are living in the Estrada Victoria, had n растом скарe, emerging from their terrifying experienes with slight injuries.
MR. GELLION'S HOUSE SMASHED.
Mr. F.. G. Gellion, the manager of the Macao Electric Com- pany, was extremely fortunate to escape without injury,, for his house, which is situated in close proximity to the fort, was blown to bits.
DJ
Assistance was quickly forthcoming after the explosion, and activities were concentrated in an effort to prevent two further Magazines nearby being ignited. As a precautionary measure the district was flooded with water from a nearby well..
Thousands of sightseers wor: witnesses of an extraordinary spectacle in the evening, when large quantities of live shells were strown all over the vicinity.
NO POLITICAL REASONS.
The magazine was strongly guarded and it is not believed that the explosion was due to political reasons. All residences' throughout Macao felt the shock of the explosion.
The dead include two African soldiers, two children, four men and nine civiliana.
At one time it was feared that a second explosion would take place, but this is unlikely in view of the precautions taken.
The damage is estimated at over a million dollars.
- EYEWITNESS': GRAPHIC, STORY. When the .. Venezia, which left for Macao yesterday morn- ing, arrived back in Hong Kong at 5.15 pm, there were many local residents and anxious relatives on the wharf to ascertain the trus facts. There had been a rumour, of a revolutionary out- break having taken place, which was associated with the cause of the explosion, while other rumours of great loss of life, and damage to property gave rise to much alarm. The vessel brought a large contingent of Macao residents and local people who had gone on a visit during the week, and they all related a tale of widespread have caused by the explosion in the vicinity of the Vasco da Gama. Gardens, ⠀⠀
A graphic story of the catastrophe was related to a Daily- fra representative by a Masso resident, who with his family were among those visiting Hong Kong for a short rest after the alarming occurrence. This gentleman stated that he was in bed at tén minutes to six in the morning when the city was roused by what appeared to be an earthquake. The shock of the explosion, was felt even at the extreme end near the Barrier Gate, dividing Macao" from Chinese territory,
A PALL OF SMOKE.
On getting out to investigate, he found a pall of black smoke in the vicinity of the Gärdens and there was a general propus- ion of foreigns and Chinese hurrying in that direction. Am
from which the doors had, in many eases, been carried away, in an al- most indescribable state of chaos the Benarty limped into Kowloon Bay for the necessary repairs to be effected in order that she might con- tinue her interrupted voyage.........
A Graphic Story. Yesterday afternoon & represents tive of the Daily Press, seated in the cabin of the Chiel Offear of the Benarty, listened to ono of the most thrilling tales of the sea that has ever been told. The story, as related by Mr. G. Cringle, the Chief Officer, was as follows:
Dairen to Singapore with a cargo The ship was on a voyage from
of soya beans,
Warning of the approaching typhoon had been received, but it curve in a northerly direction, and was expected that the storm would thus miss the immediate vicinity of
Sergt. D. Didal, attached to the with his family, is reported to have been killed, together with his child ren, while his wife was wounded.
Another person stated to have heen killed was Mr. Henrique Silva, Police Officer in charge of the substation opposite the scene of the explosion. His wife, accorded, and at about 4.30 on Monday ing to the report, was wounded.
HEAVY CASUALITY LIST.
From the information' gleaned from the Venezia passengers, the estimate of the killed and wounded is placed at about one hundred, which would include the inmates of the houses adjoining the Gardens,"
the ship.
ever, it did not behave as expect As is the habit of typhoons, how
morning, when the Benarty was off Tengyong, some distanco north of Swntow, she was struck by the full force of the gale
-
Almost the first thing to carry away-was the wireless aerial; it seemed nothing could stand against the fury of the wind. The canvas on the bridge were torn from their 'lashings like paper, and the tarpau- lin cover of ono of the forward hatches quickly followed.
the steel plates
An endeavour was made to ascer tain the probable cause of the ex- plosion, but there seemed to be a
One by one all the light fittings general feeling among those who The peop was stripped of almost of the deck were sucpt overboard. visited the scene that the explosion every projection above the level of was caused by internal combustion the deck; even in the depot. One informant stated that it had been extremely warm covering the steam pipes leading in Macro for some days and it was
to the winches were wrenched from not unlikely that the heat should the deck and washed away. be the cause, even allowing for tho fnet that the explosion occurred in the morning.
SZE YAP STEAMSHIP COMPANY'S APPEAL..
FULL COURT RESERVES JUDGMENT,
Lifeboat Lost.
A huge sen, roaring down upon the ship from the port side, wash- ed right across the boat dock and snatched the starboard lifebont from its davits; the boat, pausing in its hoctic career only long enough to break the ventilator from the roof of the wireless cabin, dis- appeared over the side, and as each succesive sea swept over the ship gallcat of water poured through the hole in the roof of the cabin,
and the radio apparatus was soon swamped and, ubica,
Judgment was reserved by the Full Court of three Judges yester- day in the Sze Yap Steamship the well decks to the forecastle and The steel ladders leading from Company's appeal against a judg- ment of Mr. Justice Wood, grantorp were bent and twisted in all ing an injunction lo requisitionists, directions, and soms of the doors shareholders in the Company, re to the crews quarters in the fore straining defendants from continu- castle were torn away and washed
overboard. ing to act as directors,
Mr. Jenkin concluded his reply to points raised by Counsel for respondents. He contended that there could be no warrant for the rejection of evidence given for the
A large stcol derrick arm experi- need the full fer, of one mour.- to a semi-circle. Beha tainous sea, and was bent almost For seven hours the watch below
defence. The evidence was to the was warooned in the forecastle,
effect that a motion had been put ward woll deck was tantamount to since to venture cut upon the for. to the meeting, duly, voted upon, suicide, no that there was no com- and carried. Plaintiffs, on the other hand, had claimed that noth-munication between the bridge and ing was ever put to the meeting. forecastle.
Engineer Washed Overboard,
|
said that, at five minutes to nine o'clock he loft big house in Shelley Streat to go to business. Ho was walking down Old Bailey, and on nearing Chancory Lane he saw a rope thrown over the wall. At the
same time, to the accompaniment
of broken bits of glass, the two men slid down the rope ong ́after, the other.
The men wore nothing on the upper part of their bodies, but ench had khaki, shorts, Mr. Lo at first nssumed that they were masons. engaged on some work, but he was convinced that they were convicta on noticing a red arrow on their trousers. The fugitives, ou reach- ing the ground, immediately began to run
Prison Garb Discarded,
mind to chase the men, but he was hampered by a heavy mackintosh was searing at the which he prove to be fast runners. While he tims, and furthermore the fugitives was engaged in the "pursuit, the men took off thar khaki trousera
seen that they had dark blue and cast them aside. It was then trousers inside, which must have bees a well thought out plan not to rako suspicion in the street.
Mr. Lo had already made up his
One man was lost sight of in Staunton Street, this being the shorter of the two. Mr. Lo then kept behind the other, but he ran in the direction of Hollywood Road and disappeared among the crowd. Mr. Lo then went to the Central Police Station' and reported the in- cidenti
On the visit of a police officer to the prison it was confirmed that two prisoners were missing. They wore Lo Yuk Cheung, who escaped last October with another man, but was arrested the next day. He was convicted in 1995 for a term of five years The other man was Mak Kwai, who was serving a term of night years for armed robbery.
The khaki trousers discarded by the fugitives were picked up later by the police. A reward of $100 has been offered for the apprehen- sion of each convict, and in early. arrest is likely on the prompt re- port made to the authorities.
the weather had somewhat abated i sion that he had gone below. When
the Captain sent for the Chief Eu
inter, presumably to discuss the situation with him, and it was then found that he had evidently been lost overboard. He was an exceed. ingly popular affecr, and his loss will be most keenly felt by his col- leagues.
The typhoon had raged for eight hours, during which it had caused. suficient damage to the ship to ne- cemitate the breaking of her jour- ney at Hong Kong for the execu tion of repairs, but twenty-four hours afterwards the sea was per- fectly calm again..
Worst Ever Experienced.. The officers of the Benarty are unanimously of the opinion that the experience was the worst that had ever befallen them. I have read about, the terrific force of typhoons," said Mr. Cringle, "but I didn't think it were anything like experienced, and I hope it will be that. It was the first I have ever
the Inst." Which correctly sums up the attitude of all on board the Benarty.
Counsel read extracts from the defence evidence in which it was stated that the chairman put it to it wernt that the chief engineer, It as when the typhoon was at the meeting that only the two ror: I. Grimwood, was lost. The solutions should be considered and actual circumstance of his death this was agreed to without dissent. After this had been done the chair.
are not known, but it is almost cortain that he was caught by a man asked if there was any other huge sea and taken over the side. business, and none being forthcom
The repairs to the ship are bei ing he closed the meeting. Coun
Whon last seen he was talking ing executed at Kowloon Dook. sol submitted that the evidence with the Chief Officer, at the after Only those vital to the working of should be sooopted.
ond of the starboard alloyway, the ship are being undertaken in Mr. Jenkin urged on their Lord-han a gigantic set was shiped Hong Kong, since it is desired that ships a point which he said he had forward and there was a rush of the Bennrty's voyage shall be de rands, in his opening, and which water through the alleyway. It is lived na little as possible. A more believed that Mr. Grimwood step. was distinctive. It was that, badped into the doorway of a cabin opprehensive retting will be car
majority been in favour of pass for shelter, and was washed over ing the oight resolutions at the board soon after meeting, they could have forced their wil on the meeting somehow.
Hi Joss was not discovered until
and
ried out when the ship reaches Eng
he will in all probability resumo her yoyage within a day of, 19. In fact, however, there could, not the worst of the typhoon had pass Yesterdar dozens of shipwrights, have been a majority because, when cd. It seems bo was not missed oppineers and riveters wore work.
the damage to which is not irre. noong because the engine racm staff on her dad complete over thought he was, on deck and tho
hag of the wireless installation
(Continued on utzi Column)
the chairman.closed the first meet
Butano and stretober, parties were hurrying to the agere, the ting, 75 per cent of those present deck staff were under the impres brigade and troops being also there when alarm signals were hoisted soon after the explosion.
left, and the second mcoting was only attended by about 25 per cent.
farable—was in progress..
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