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HONGKONG TELEGRAPII SUPPLEMENT
How long would that be from the time they commenced ?— About twenty minutes,
After they had been firing for twenty minutes the fire slackened ?-The fire slackened up.
And then after the firing ceased ? They had stopped the electric light.
They stopped the dynamo while they were firing ?-While they were firing,
And about five minutes after the firing ceased they set fire to the ship? Yes. The chief engineer had a blue light out on the bridge after he had lit the lamp in my room.
Then you brought the am- munition out and laid it on the bridge? Yes, some of it.
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How did you first become aware of the fire?-Seeing the flames coming through a skylight just before the funnel.
They that time the firing
had all caused ?—Yes.
There was still noise going on? -Yes, shouting.
The flames spread ?- Well, the flames did not come right away, you could see the glare in three places.
They seemed to have lit her in more than one place?—Yes.
Then the fire spread ?-I un- looked the grilles to let the mate and Chief engineer get their life belts.
Did they get them?
Chief engineer got his.
The
Did the mate ?-No. Why not?-I don't know, there was one in his room.
covers
Witness said they threw the wooden
of the boats overboard to give people some- thing to cling to.
They got them off with an axe which they used to cut the lashings.
Why were you throwing them overboard?—It was swarming with people in the water.
They had commenced to jump overboard? They started some time before.
Did you see any junks or sam- pana about? No; none at all.
Had you received any reply to your signals of distress?
-None whatever. While I was signalling I saw the stern lights of a steamer,
Was the ship on fire then ?- No.
Was there firing from aft?- Yes; every chance I got I sent up rockets.
How far off was the steamer then?-About a couple of miles on the port hand.
Then she must have been on the mud ?-No air.
If she was on your port hand she was close in shore ?-No, sir. You think it was a ship bound for Macao?-It must have been.
Witness continued that he tried to get one of the rafts over the side but the flames were too strong.
The flames drove you forward? -We remained forward for a minute and then went below.
Over the fore part of the bridge?— Yea.
By that time was your cabin on fire? Yes. At that time I I found more crew forward. They were on the forecastle.
Any passengers?—Oh passengers and crew.
ᎩᎾᏌ ;
beaten
The flames were 90 forward I suppose.-I dropped the starboard anchor and she swung head to wind.
You could not remain there very much longer? It gave us half an hour quite when she came round to the wind.
There was quite a breeze then, wasn't there?-Moderate.
Finally you all had to jump ?- Yes sir, I suppose after the anchor was down about half hear.
There were three ships prepared to pick you up; had any of them arrived ?-We were so confused, we were talking about the Lin- tan passing.
That was after you left the bridge? No, a long time before.
You did not see the Lintan; who did?-The chief engineer and the mate;
I may have seen her myself but I can't remember, She did not come to you, to you your knowledge, and communicate with you ?-No, sir.
Finally you had to jump for it and you were picked up?-By a
boat of the Wo Kwai, a Chinese boat.
Before you jumped did you see any boats?-Yes, before we went on the lower deck.
How many; do you remember? -Three.
About have far off would you aay the nearest one was ?--About half to three quarters of a mile.
on
You did not remain on board the Wo Kwai ?—I went on board the Wo Kwai and asked the master to put me board a Hongkong steamer.
Which one was that ?-The Hoi-sang,
What was the last you saw of the mate?-Before we got on the guard he was frightened of the rockets goi: off and he said "I'm off" and jumped.
He had no life belt ?-No. What had he got?-A boat's oar. He was fully dressed?—Yes. And that was the last you saw of him ?--Yea.
How long after he jumped did you go; was be the first to go?— Yeo.
Who was the last to go "-I
was.
How long after did you go?— About two or three minutes after; the engineer went first and I followed. We went down from the guard.
Was that where Evans went from ?-No; he went from the fo'csle bead,
He jumped clear; he did not strike anything?—No, sir.
Could you say whether he kicked his shoes off be- fore he went ?
could
not say. I don't know if he had them on.
When you jumped how far were the flames from you?-They were coming up the forecastle scuttle.
She was alight right up to the bows? Yes the deck was open- ing and blisters were raised on the paint.
Did any of the pirates get between the two grilles?—No, air.
Ic answer to Capt Evans witness said that the grilles were locked by means of a pair of hand- cuffs cut in two, because they
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
could easily be snapped to The key bung in his room.
Referring again to the On Lee witness said he did not see her after leaving the harbour. She always got to Wangmoon about fifteen minutes abead of him.
Albert L Prince, chief engineer of the Hoi-sang, who has been transferred to the Sui Tai, said that he was on deck after leaving Wangmoon on the night in
question.
Did you see any rockets going up?-Yee, from the Tai On, just when we arrived.
When you arrived where?- Where the Tai On was
Was she on fire then ?-Yes, forward and aft.
When you first saw her ?--Yea. Did you hear any firing going on ? -No, sir.
You went up close to her?-- We went as close as we could.
How far ?—It is difficult to say. It was dark; we went closer in than the other two boats.
Where the other boats there before you ?-Yes, the Shun Lee and Shui Oa.
Could you see whether the Tai Qa was at anchor ?-No, she appeared to be moving, if any. thing.
Were your boate lowered?- Yea.
you
Did assist in getting the boats out? Yes.
Was there any difficulty in getting crews to man the boats? I understand the captain to say that there was some difficulty with the pilot.
Was there any difficulty in getting crews to man the boats and get them out?-Not that I heard of.
Did you hear of any difficulty between the master and pilot about gring close to the Tai On?
-No.
Were there any junks and sampans about?-Io the distance there were some.
Were they near enough to pick up people in the water? -Some of them might have been able to.
Were any of the lights of the native craft between you and the Tai On ?—Yes. You could have
seen the lights flicker.
They couldn't have been bits of burning wreckage?-I should not have thought so.
Inspector Gordon said that Capt. Wetherell threw lights overboard to flat in the water, and witness might have mistaken these for sampan lights. There were als fish Btakes in the vicinity and they als carried lights.
Mr. J. McCartney, chief en- gineer on the Tai On, was next called. He was sitting in front of the foremost grille when the trouble commenced. The first warning he had was a rush from starboard side and yelling and shooting. As he rose from his chair a man rushed to the centre of the bridge and fired at him. The mate was on the starboard side. Witness was hit in the right hip. When witness was shot he fell and his assailant tumbled over the top of him in the dark. As he got up the man held him by the wrist. They both retreated to near the wheel house and the pirate threatened witness with a revolver at his head. While this was going on other men endeavoured to climb on to the bridge.
The captain then came out put his sporting gan past the witness face to the chest of the man who was holding him.
And killed him?-Killed bim; he fell.
Were you badly hurt? Bid at the time. I told the captain not to shoot again as I was the chief engineer.
Are you better now?-Yes I am a bit stiff.
The Captain took him into his cabin where he lay on the floor. He was unable to stand and he kept loading guns and revolvers all the time.
How long did you remain in the cabin ?—I could not say, but when the lights went out I took the oartridges out and placed them on the rocket box. I had to feel for the various sizes.
Then you went on leading ?- Yee.
Did you see any ship pass the
Tai On?—Yes.
When ?-After we started the blue light.
Was there still firing?-The pirates were firing.
And the master and mate were firing?-Yes and when there was a lull in the fire the master fired rockets.
You say a ship passed up; about how far was she from you - have not much idea. She could not be very far away because you have to pass up the channel.
What did you actually see of the ship? I aw the passengers and crew of the ship loauing over the rails looking at us,
You saw all her lights?—Yes. And on which side of you did she pass-The starboard side. The captain and I were on the starboard side and the mite was on the port side.
Firing was still going on at the time?-Firing was going on below at the time.
But the ship had not caught fire?-Just immediately after the ship passed we were caught on fire.
Could you tell what ship it was?-The captain asked which ship it was.
You recognised her ?—Yes. You recognised her as what?- I knew her at once.
Recognised her to be what ship? -The Lintan,
Did she hail you in any way? -She took no notice.
Did not stop but went straight on ?-Yes.
Do you think the Lintan was sufficiently close to hear the shots? -Yes and the rockets were bursting right above her.
Did you see anything of the Oa Lee?-We saw her all the way up. How far away ?-About 15 minutes, from Wangmoon.
Was she in sight when you began to fire rockets?—Yes.
Where did she pass you ?-By Wangmoon light before we got to Capsaimun Pase.
Do you think the On Lee was near enough to have heard the firing ?-Not to have heard the firing; but she might have seen the rockets,