CO129-316 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [1-4] — Page 390

ach. & appear the honorariin to the Acting Gown Solicita.

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ht add that the Public Health Aida/is Ordi

under conson

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Allista 714

C.Pd. 20

No./24.

Hongkong.

sir,

at once

374

380

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1.

Government House,

Hongkong, 13th. March, 1903.

I have the honour to inform you that I

have recently received the results of enquiries which Sir

William J. Gascoigne caused to be made into the collapses of

six houses which fell in this Colony in July and August last,

causing death and injury to several of the immates.

2.

Two of the houses in question, Nos. 30 and

32, Kowloon City Road, fell on the 18th. July. These houses

were new, having been erected in March, 1902, by Messrs. Leigh

and Orange. Ten persons were killed by the collapse, and five

injured. The jury found that the deaths were due to the col-

lapse of the wall of No. 30, that having regard to the area

of the wall its thickness was insufficient, and that the

deaths were not the result of criminal negligence. The materials

were proved to be fairly good, and the collapse was no doubt

due partly to the violence of a typhoon which occurred on the

18th. July and partly to the abnormal rainfall which preceded

and accompanied it. Between the 8th. May and 12th. August

inclusive no less than 80 inches of rain fell, there being

only 18 days in that interval during which no rain fell and

even on those days there was practically no sunshine.

On the 29th. July occurred the collapse

3.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,

800 ...

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of

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