1937-10-25 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 25, 199

H.K. SHIP FIRE DISASTER Williamson Steamer Ablaze South Of Colony OFFICERS AND CREW KAISARI HIND'S

JUMP OVERBOARD

NANNING RESCUES

MANY: 20 LIVES

FEARED

LOST

Twenty-three Chinese members of the crew are feared to have lost their lives when the William- son steamer Kaitangata (1,202 tons), carrying a considerable quantity of gasoline and kerosene, probably in drums, caught on fire half way between Hong Kong and Hoihow, 150 miles south-west of the Colony, in the early hours of this morning.

The flames apparently consumed the entire vessel within a few minutes, as all the officers and crew jumped overboard, and the steamer is now a total loss.

Eighteen from the vessel, including five British officers, were picked up by boats of the B. and S. steamer Nanning.

INCENDIARY BOMBS ON SHEKLUNG

Canton, To-day.

During the raid on Shek Lung by Japanese aircraft on Saturday, several incendiary bombs were dropped, resulting in the destruc- tion by fire of over 20-residences and 10 small shipping-yards

Over 30 civilians were killed- Our Own Correspondent.

JAPAN'S NEW MONGOLIAN PUPPET

Peiping, To-day.

A mass-meeting organised by the Kweihua Peace Preservation Com-

SUBMARINE BOMBING STORY

London,

Adramatic wireless mess from a P. and 0. hner yesterday that a seaplane had been observed bombing submarines, was disprov ed by an Admiralty statement

The liner, the Kaiser-1-Hind, stated that the alleged bomb tack took place midway between Alicante and Cape Tenes.

Later the Admiralty in London stated that though a British plu had dropped two bombs, they w merely smoke bombs to discover the direction of the wind-Reuter

Some mystery was added to the affair, however, by a later statement by the Admiralty, contradicting the first announcement.

The Admiralty now declare that the flyingboat observed by the Kaiser-i-Hind was a British air craft which was practising bombing. a floating target Reuter,

They are the skipper, Captain M. Macphee, mission yesterday passed a resolu- FRENCH SHIP

The Chief Officer, Mr. H. M. Rogers, The Chief Engineer, Mr. T. Easdale, The Second Engineer, Mr. H. Mather, The Wireless Operator, Mr. A. S. Gill, and Thirteen Chinese.

No trace has yet been found of! the remaining 23 of the Chinese' crew, and it is feared they have perished.

DESTROYER LEAVES First intimation of the disaster was received by the Government wireless station in Hong Kong at 2 o'clock this morning, when a dramatic radio message reported that the Nanning was standing by the blazing Kaitangata in latitude 20.41 north, 112.10 east.

The naval authorities ordered HMS. Tracian to the scene, the destroyer leaving at 5 o'clock with doctors and medical supplies. o board. She is expected to reach

the spot at 11 o'clock.

NANNING RADIO First news of the rescue of the foreign officiers and members of the Chinese crew was received in Hong Kong in a radio from the Nanning at 4.35.

FOREIGNERS

KIDNAPPED

AT CHENGTING

Peiping. To-day. Bishop Schraven, a Netherland subject, and eight other foreigners of Netherland, French, Czecho-Slova- kian and Polish nationality, were kidnapped from the French Catho lic Mission at Chengtingfu, on the Peiping-Hankow Railway, on Octo- ber 9, according to belated reports reaching Peiping.

No details of the kidnapping are known Reuter

At 6 am, the Nanning wireless FRENCH POLITICAL

ed that the Kaitangata was totally ablaze and that cargo had been jettisoned.

Beuter reports from Manila that the Kaitangata's SOS. was picked up there at 3 o'clock this morning, stating that all the crew had jump- ed overboard and requesting im- mediate assistance.

AMALGAMATION

REJECTED

-Paris, To-day

In an open letter published in "Populaire," the Social-Democratic Party refuses the invitation of the

GERMAN PROPERTY Communist Party to discuss the pro-

IN HONGKEW

Shanghai, To-day.

posed amalgamation of the two par-1 ties at a conference on Tuesday this week

Stating that the present was im- Dr. Trautmann, the German Am mature, the letter adds that the So- bassador, arrived here from Nancial-Democratic Party wishes to do king to-day for the purpose of ar nothing that might harm the in- ranging with the Japanese author-terests of the Popular Front. ities for the removal of German Trans-Ocean.

property from Hongkew and Yang

tsepoo. He will also try to arrange The P. and 0. 8.8. "Carthage removal of the Tongchi Univer-left Kobe on Saturday and is due here on Wednesday at about noon. to a new site.

tion in favour of severance of re- lations between Suiyuan Province and Nanking, according to an un- official Japanese report-

The report adds that the meeting decided to discard the Chinese n2- tional flag and adopt the Mongolian colours instead Renter.

The P. and O. ss. "Banchi" left Singapore on Saturday and is due here on Thursday at about 8 am.

BOMBED

Port Vendres, To-day. An unidentified plane yester day bombed and hit the French steamer Oued Melish, coming from Morocco with a cargo of grain

Two French warships arribed on the scene in time to save the crew of the steamer, which was abandoned Reuter.

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