CO129-419 - Individuals - 1914 — Page 485

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HONGKONG TELEGRAPH SUPPLEMENT

It would appear from the story of the Chief Engineer that the pirates were armed with Mauser pistols, and that whilst they were employed in trying to break down the grille the Europeans and the guard fired deadly shots into them. It is conjectured that the firing of the ship was not so much to take life as it was to give the pirates an opportunity of being covered from the markemanebip of those on the bridge as they tried to escape, the smoke from the burning vessel obscuring all that took place at the stern until the vessel was turned round. At the time all was darkness, the pirates first move in being to destroy to a disastrous extent the electric installation.

About mid-day those on board the Shui On and the Shun Lee, after being kept out in the Harbour under armed guard all the morning, were allowed to land. They seemed quite relieved to find themselves on shore again. Hundreds of Chinese flocked round the landing passengers and each and every one was subjected to a running fire of questions, Others, who had relatives and friends on the Tai On, were making auxious inquiries all the morning, and the scene round the Harbour Office and the wharves was an animated one.

The facts of the affair as ascertained by the police were communicated

the Press

to

by Mr. T. H. King, Deputy Superintendent of Police. He stated that the Tai Од left Hongkong at 7 o'clock at night with 300 or 400 Chinese on board. At about 10 o'clock when off Ki O Island near where the 8 8. Shing Tai was recently pirated, the captain heard noises on board and firing of revolver shots. He jumped up and found that a gang of pirates was attempting to rush the ship On account of the gaard, consist- ing of our Portuguese and Indian", the pirates could not get posse5- sion of the bridge. The officers put up a fight and a regular melee ensued on the ship for the space of about half an hour.

in the struggle, and as far as the The Chief Engineer was wounded police know the mate is still missing. The pirates took pos the whole of the lower part of the session of the engine house and

lights and damaged the steering steamer and they put out the

ed in their endeavours to get gear. Seeing that they were fail possession of the bridge, the gang set fire to the ship, whereupon the

captain let off rockets and burnt blue lights. By this meane he attracted the attention of passing ships and

ap- parently the first boat to come along was the 8.8. Hoisang. When it was realised that the vessel was on fire, everybody jumped over. board, officers, passengera and pirates, and the captain was in the water for at least half an hour. Eventually the ship was barnt down to the very water's edge ahore at Ki 0, where she still and she drifted aground on the remains.

Later the ss. Kwong Wai, a Wuchow boat, came along and picked up the captain and three others from the water, and put them on

board the Hoisang, which vessel brought them to Hongkong. The steamers Shun Lee and Shiu On also came along and stood by from midnight until about 4 30 in the morning. These boats participated to the rescue work and between them they managed to pick up some 168 persons, whom they brought to Hongkong. As these two boats came into harbour they flew signala and the police boarded the boats, and took the rescued People off. These were composed of passengers and possibly some pirates; seven or eight of them were wounded. Several pirates were also shot by the officers on of the rescued people are being board the Tai On. The whole detained by the police for further investigations.

The Tai On is a steel screw placement. She was sent out to steamer of 706 tons gross dis- Hongkong in pieces from Home and put together by a local firm

in 1891 to the order of the Yık Oa SS. Company, Ltd. Her length is 172 feet 3 inches, breadth 35 feet 1 inch, and depth 10 feet 1 inch. She flew the British flag.

The vessel was built for the the Hongkong-Canton service express purpose of competing on

line until some three years ago, she continued her run on that when she changed ownership and was put on the Hongkong-Kong- moon ran, on which she has ever since been employed.

A praiseworthy, if unsuccess ful, effort was made on Tuesday to fetch the wreck of the Tai On to Hongkong. Torpedo bosta 035 and 037 left for Ki O with armed guards. Commander Basil Taylor also left in the Stanley. The Hon Mr. U. McI. Messer was in one of the torpedo boats and and Sergeants Ingham and Ap- with him were Inspector Terret pleton, together with European and Indian constables. On the Stanley, as guard, were Lance- Sergeant Grimmitt and two Indian policemen, The torpedo boats were unable to find any traces of pirates. Som junks, which were near the wreck, clear- ed off promptly on the approach ley made a fine effort to fetch the of the torpedo boat3. The Stan- burning wreck to Hongkong, but was forced to abandon the at- tempt.

A Telegraph representative who was aboard the Stanley writes:-

There was nothing exciting in the trip up until we had passed Castle Peak and were nearing Ki 0. Then the question was, lying? where exactly was the Tai Oa

It was necessary to find out more particularly, so enquiry another fishing boat. They did was made at first one and then

grey smoke in the distance caught thing. But presently a light not savvy did not savvy any

the eye; and almost immediately after came something else to in- dicate nearness to the disaster. This was the body of a woman ward. Of course a body drowned which floated past, face down- twelve hours before should not

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HONGKONG TELEGRAPH SUPPLE MENT

have been floating; but when this one was picked up by the Il boat a possible explanation came from the Tai On) was (if she forthcoming.

She had been a pretty country woman, small- foed, age about thirty, and she hau been hit with much force over the head before she entered the Later in the day the braises showed up terribly. If she was from the Tai On she must have got in the way of some des perate pirate.

water.

The smoke ahead was from the Tai Oo, as we discovered just after two, when the Stanley was Anything more bearing her. pitiable could not well be imagin- ed. She was the meres frame- work of a vessel, the steel of the upper portions of her hideously crumpled and twisted and fallen. The shell of the vessel was there -rather, the caricature of the ebell, and from this skeleton of a steamer smoke and flames still arose. Forward she seemed nearly to have burnt herself out; aft she was blazing fiercely. A little way off lay torpedo boats 035 and 037, and near the vessel was the steam launch Lee Fat of Hongkong, which had a rope attached to the Tai On.

A

on the burning vessel, water wäe played on a bollard aft, and a wire rope fastened round it bollard forward was cleared of smoking rubbish and another rope attached. The torped boats came up and watched intently, as it seemed. Came a shouted enquiry as to how we stood; thanks, we would be all right now. We were moving; three to four knots an hour. For a little the torpedo boats hung around, watching the Stanley chug-chugging towards British waters. Then, a wave of the hand, and they bounded for- ward. Sixteen kaots-and the Stanley four at most!

Commander Taylor left for torpedo boat 037, on which was Mr. Messer, and a few minutes later he was aboard the Lee Fat. There was no hesitation shown. Almost immediately the Stanley was crawling atern first towards the burning vessel. We were to tow her! The approach was delicate work, for the propeller was churning up as much mud as water, and the lead was always

There going.

was just water enough, and presently the Stanley had the Tai On in tow. She crept out into deeper water, the burning vessel, her rudder jammed and aseless, forcing her alwaye to port, and then Commander Tay lor changed his plane. The Stanley must get alongside and be made fast to her there. Tow- ing would then be easier.

Every man aboard lent a hand in this work, a hose was turned

Now the wreck was seen close at hand. Indescribable smells rose from it, but chiefest of all was the smell of burning bones, which cannot be mistaken if one

has once known it. Chiefly it came from forwad. Presently, Lance Sergeant Grimmitt, greatly daring,

ventured along the wrecked steel work. It trembled and shook in places, but it held. It was possible to explore forward, and the hose was kept going teadily there in order that darger should be reduced. A Sikh police man also lent a hand, and relics began to be found. A mauser pistol firet, then a couple of Winchesters, and two colt revol- vers, another Winchester, two Browning pistols, two Savage re- volvere, and A shot gua, which was probably that of Captain Weatherall. Remember that these arms, all up-to-date, resulted from a search which was not, and could not be, thorough, and it will be seen that the pirates must have been well armed.

Bones were seen,-bones that fell into powder at

a touch. There were the bones of perhaps eight or ten or a dozen people forward, so far as could be seen. But there were almost certainly others and in one spot was the smell of burning flesh-the most terrible of all smells when ous knows that the fish is that of human beings. These poor crea- tures had been ought like rate in a trap. The mind reeled from the thought of what they had

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suffered before death mercifully came to them.

Amongst other things tound were twenty-cent, ten-cent and dollar coins melted and assuming the most fantastic shapes. Two watches were picked up forward ; one had stopped at 12-55 and the other at 12-25. There were some Philippine coins too, so that there were probably a Filipino or two on board.

It was 4.20 when the Stanley finally set off with the Tai Oă, and about five o'clock the Kwong Les come alongside. She had been sent by the owners from Hong-

assist. kong to

Her skipper wanted to go ahead and help, but, as the Tai On's rudder wa jammed, towing ahead was not satisfactory, as had been proved already. He was asked to go alongside the Tai On, and, with a launch on each side, Hong- kong would have been reached last night; but the skipper did not appear to relish the job. Anyhow, after hovering around for a time the Kwong Lee cleared off and the Stanley was left to battle alone with its burden. Now the Stanley was not built for this kind of work, yet it did its part for a long time as though it had been a tug built for the purpose. By 6-30 Castle Peak was looming up in the distance and ten minutes later fire broke out in the after hold Water was poured into it, but it was clear the the fire was a long way from being subdued. There was kerosine oil forward in the hold, and altogether the Stanley was facing an unpleasant task.

By seven o'clock Castle Paik was still in sight, but evidently no nearer. The tide was running strongly against us, and in half an hour the Stanley hal mide hardly an inch. Ten minutes later it was decided to absulon the Tai On. A brava effort had been made to fetch the burning hulk to Hongkong, and if it hid failed that was not from want of resolution or foresight. Happily her port anchor could be dropped, this was done. The and windlass worked after a fashion