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THE CAINE ROAD DISASTER

JURY'S DECISION.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 12217.

HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL.

THE PURCHASE OF “LYSHOLT,”

HONGKONG MAGISTRACY

HUNGRY,

Because he was hungry, an elderly A meeting of the Hongkong Logiala-Chinese stole à brass ink-pot from tive Council will be held at 2.30 p.m. fellow countryman's pocket, with the idea of selling it and expending the proceeds for the purpose of providing himself with a square meal

The bearing was concluded at the Hong- kong Magistracy yesterday, by Mr. J. R. Wood, of the enquiry into the circum-to-day. stances surrounding the death of a female victim of the Caine Road disaster of July 16th, when the servants' quarters of Nos. 10 nad 12, Caine Road were demolished, as the result of the retaining wall of St. Joseph's College playground collaps. ing, six deaths resulting therefrom.

Mr. G. H. Wakeman (Crown Solicitor) was present on behalf of the Crown, Mr., F. B. L. Bowley watched the case on behalf of Messrs. Leigh & Orange, Mr. D. V. Steavenson appeared for the authorities of St. Joseph's College, and Mr. Lo represented the occupiers of No. 12, Caine Road.

the

Mr. Leask (of Messrs. Leigh & Orange); was recalled, and, replying to Coroner, said he had visited the scene of the collapse that morning and had examined the foundations of the retain- ing wall. He was satisfied with the foundations and found them unharmed. It was impossible to measure the width of the base.

A tie rod in the wall was put in in con nection with some work on the wall which

be thought, had to be done over again.

He did not think the wall was wider half-way up than it was at the base, but, it was not possible to say until the bottom of the wall had been reached, The 'wall had a concrete foundation, and when it was built he thought there was already a wall standing inside it, for a certain boight. Neither the wall outside, nor inside, he thought, were disturbed when; the foundations for the retaining wall

Ms.

The How Mr. LE Pollock, KC, will sak the following questions:-

(1)-With reference to the Answer given to my first question at the last, meeting of the Council, tam (i) Is it the fact that 337 water closets now discharge over the Prayn East foreshore, and (ii) Cannot some steps bo taken to remedy the nuisance arising from Buch discharge, temporary measures pending, the commence ment of the work on the pro- posed reclamation 1 (iii) When is such proposed reclama- tion likely to be commenced? (2) With reference to the Vote taken at the Inst meeting of the Coun- cil for the purchase of "Lysholt" for Government Quarters (i) Is it not the usual practice to get an officer in the Government Civil Service to bid on behalf of the Government in cases where the Government desires to seguire property? (ii) Was there any special reason for

scorecy on the part of the Goy ernment in the present instance ? (iii) Did not such secrecy result in

the Government having to pay n bigger price for the property than it would otherwise have

done t

The orders of the day, are as follow: Second reading of the Bill intituled An Ordinance to minke provision with respect to military service; and to provide for the establish- ment maintenance and control of a local defence corps. Second reading of the Bill intituled

An Ordinance to amend the Special Police Reserve Ordinance, 1914, and to remove doubts as to the effects of proclamations made under .section 10 of the said Ordinance, Will not be proceeded with at this meeting.

TYPHOON WARNING..

Unfortunately, for the bungry man, the owner of the brass ink-pot saw what was happening in the shop window at which he was looking, and be had the man artested

CHINESE NEWS.

THE SITUATION IN HUNNAN,

The Tuchun of Hunnan has sent tele grams to Canton describing the unsatis factory condition of the Province and pointing out the probable effect the unrest with

have on all the South-West Provinces.

It is understood that Dr. Sun Yat-sou, j Li Lieh-kwan and others have wired to General Luk Wing-ting, and consulted with Chan Ping-kwan, advocating the dispatch of troops to Hunan to assist

Mr. Dyer Ball sentenced the thief to the Tuchun, who has only two divisions six weeks' hard labour.

BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT,

When L Chinese Was found by a detective proceeding along Tang Wali Lane in the small hours, with three lengths of gas tubing in his possession, he could give no satisfactory explanation, and was arrested. When the man was charged before Mr. Dyer Ball Mr. J. Borthwick, Assistant Superintendent of the Hongkong Gas Company, said the tubing was the property of the company.

to oppose the coming Northern troops.

The Tachon of Kwangi has decided to send troops to Hunnan.

It way stated in Canton that ten regi wents were despatched from Kwai : Lin on the 7th inst. They were expected to rench Chong Sha within seven days,

INTIMATIONS

LANE,

CRAWFORD & Co.

(ESTABIAJHED 1860),

(TELEPHONE : 1741).

SHIPCHANDLERY DEPT.

ARCHIBALD EADIE & CO., LTD., GLASGOW,

EADIE'S

The Huston Tuchun Tam Fin-ngo, ANTICORROSIVE PAINT

has sent a representative to Canton to borrow 2,000 new riles with 1,000 cases of cartridges, and 20 machine-guns for the Northern expedition.

CHAN PING-KWAN'S VISIT TO KWANGSI.

Defendant alleged that the tubing was given him to carry by another man, aud that when the defective came up this man.... General Luk Wing-ting and Tam Ho- ran away,

ming (the Kwangsi Tuchun) telegraphed Chan Ping-kwan asking him to go to: Kwangsi to confer on important question, and it is understood that Chan left Canton on the 13th on a gunboat with

The Magistrate thought there was some doubt in the case, and the defendant was discharged.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER? When, a Chinese was charged before Mr. Wood with trespassing in the lines of the 74th Punjabis, Inspector Gordon said he knew nothing about the man beyond the fact that he would be the witness in another case, when another Chinese would be charged with stealing a. timepiece from the Kowloon Mosque. The following telegram has been receiv However, the man charged with the theft were made. The foundations were takened by the American Coneul-General, of the clock alleged that it was given to down to clay and boulders. He would Hongkong, from the Manila Observe him to pawn by the very man who was not have formed the opinion, as did Mr. tory:** Little. that a stream, or under-surface

4.80 p.m. August 15th.

found in the Punjabis' lines. The two water, weakened the lower wall and thus

Typhoon in about 127 degrees, Longmen had in their possession & number of enused the collapse of the top wall; there

E and 10 degrees Lat. N.. direction pawn tickets, for European boots, hand was nothing to show that this had hap--

bags, etc. They also had other property pened: His opinion was still that the

in their possession. By Mr. Bowley-Retaining walls were collapse was caused by water.coaking not. ually built of square stones; they through the uncovered portion of the were roughly sque. It was not usual playground, where cracks.

to build retaining walls of nice, square, symmetrical stones. It was too expen

there were

unknown.

By Mr. Stevenson-He personally sive; but sometimes the P.W.D. did this inspected the work of laying the founda.because they had their own dice quarries. tions of the retaining wall on several] (Laughter.) occasions, but everyone in the firm had a hand in it.

Mr. Wright was also recalled: He said he had inspected the foundations of the retaining wall that morning, and he was satisfied that they were sound when they were put in. He, was still of the opinion that the wall was a well-constructed wall. In his opinion the collapse was not caused by under-surface water,

The man who was found in the Punjabis lines was fined, or, in default, a month's hard labour, and the man who was charged with stealing the clock was sentenced to three micaths' hard labour.

WOMEN AND OPIUM. When a Chinese woman was charged with being in possession of 30 taels of noium, Inspector Wildin said ther the ring was concealed in a specially pre pared waistcoat, which contained rows of pheket, and each pocket concealed a tac tin. The waistcoat was suspended from the neck.

Defendant endeavoured to get away with the excuse that she was given the drug by another person, but Mr. Wood sentenced her to three months with hard labour.

Another woman, who, when coming ashore with the first defendant, was found to have sixteen tuels of opium concented in her girdle, was sentenced to four months' hard labour.

A third woman, who was found in possession of taels of opium, at Hunghop, was sentenced to six monthe hard labour.

By Mr. Bowley. The plan (produced), made by Mr. Little did not accurately represent the wall as be had seen it that day. The plan showed the foundations to be 4 feet 6 ins, but as far he was able to measure it that morning he made it 5 feet 6 inches. That was not the found In the course of his summing up, Mr. tion level, it was 4 feet 6 inches above the J. R. Wood explained that the fact that foundation level. The foundations of the that enquiry had been curtailed by hold retaining wall were now exposed in ing it for one dead person only, whereas distorted condition, they had moved forais people were killed, did not mean that ward with the back wall, as the result of there was any lack of feeling for the the back wall blso being pushed forward, bereaved persons. Also, he would like to He certainly did not agree with Mr. mention the great work done by members Little that the foundations of the wall of the Hongkong police force in rescuing were taken down to only browa and black the living and recovering the dead from earth; they were on the solid.” The the debris. The facts of the case had been new retaining wall, the one which had brought out in great detail; and, apart collapsed, had been built up against the from finding the cause of death, the jury face of the old wall, and, as a civil also had to frid whether any professional engineer, he considered that to be good negligence could be attributed either to construction. It would, to a certain Mr. Little or to Mr. Leask. He thought extent, take the weight off the new wall it had been made clear that the collapse In his opinion, the whole of the filling was brought about by the water percolat- was quite unnecessary for draining puring through the cracks in the uncovered unnumbered hous, at Mu Fu Teai portion of the playground. Mr. Little Village, has reported to the police must carry the responsibility of the fact that about midnight on the 11th that he carried on the work of extension inst some person fereed open the door without satisfying himself as to the of her dwelling and five men entered. stability of the wall, and Mr. Leask Two were armed with daggers, and two must take the responsibility for the con

carried lighted bamboo poles. While two atruction of the wall. If they found that men ransacked the humble dwelling, the the negligence of either contributed to the other men stood guard over the woman collapse, the jury would have to find and threatened to stab her to death if gross negligence, which would amount to endeavoured to raise an alarm The a charge of criminal negligence for got away with clothing and

jewellery to the value of $44.60.

poses.

He had never heard of a retaining wall in the Colony being built of square stone; be had never seen a better wall in the Colony than the one which had come down

He did not agree with Mr. Little, after the examination of the wall he had made that morning, that the work had been “scumped." Mesons who were pulling down what was left of the wall wore having a very difficult job.

Mr. A. W. Bird was also recalled. He architects were professional men said that he had visited the scene of the The jury retired to consider their ver collapse that morning and had inspected dict, and, after an absence of about a the foundations of the upper retaining quarter of an hour they returned the fol wall Tuny were on black earth and lowing verdict-We are agreed that the boulders, which was quite a sound founds death of the deceased was caused by tion, with sufficient excavation. It was asphyxiation, due to the collapse of a impossible to say now what the extent wall, and that that collapse was brought of the excavation was He did not think about by abnormal rainfall. Wo attach the wall was wider half-way up than at no blame either to the builders of the the base. In his opinion the wall was a wall, or the architect who was supervis good, average' wall, and the water must ing the work at the time of the collapse have come down through the playground - On behalf of St. Joseph's College, Mr surface.

Steavenson expressed sympathy with the bereaved families.

(Continued at foot of next column.)

ARMED ROBBERY,

married woman, living at

TROPICAL WHITE.

FRENCH GREY.

VENETIAN RED.

twenty men as a body-guard. Hoi LARGE STOCKS OF

expected to return in a week;

THE UNITY OF THE SOUTH-WEST PROVINCES.

Shum Chun-huen has wind to General Luk Wing-ting asking him to go to Canton to settle important questions relating to the unity of the South-West Provinces.

One of the Parliamentary members, Chaung Pah-lieb, who brought down with him the Parliamentary seal, arrived at Canton on the 15th inst. The seal has. beon handed to the Parliamentary Chair- man who came to Canton previously. There will be a Special Parliamentary meeting opened within 10 days.

THE FLOODS IN WUCHOW:

The Boods are slowly extending in Wà- show but fortunately no damage to house property has yet to be recorded.

STORM DAMAGE AT CHEUNG CHOW.

The

The storm of Monday did considerable dining at Cheung Chow Island. police report states that about six large fishing junks and from 30 to 40 sampane were smashed to pieces, damage to the extent of several thousand dollars being caused to the fishing people's boats. The missionaries' matshed church, and also several other matshed erections on the island were blown down. Up to the pre- sent, no loss of life has been recorded,

HONGKONG POLICE RESERVE

COMMANDS.

The D.S.P: (R.), having returned to the

Colony, resumes Command. Until further orders, the undersigned

will issue all Orders and continue in immediate charge of the adminis tration of the Reserve Force, The undersigned will attend at the D.S.P. (R.)'s office an each week days (excepting Saturday) from 9.30 am, to 10,30 am and 4p.m.15 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 mm. All communications are to be addressed to, and all interviews bag in the first place with, Mri Hough,

(Sgd) T. F. Hoson,

A.S.P. (B).

15th August 1917.

COAL DIFFICULTIES IN GERMANY.

The Kölnische, Volkszeitung publishes a statement by the Imperial Commissioner explaining the causes of Germany's coal difhon Ities.

The Commissioner said that, owing to the lack of trained railwaynen, the daily supply of coal in Upper Silesia had fallen to about half, that of Westphalia from: 21,000 torts to 8,000. Then winter car along with prolonged consumption of etal. When the water service, started again the personnel available for Upper Silesia was found insufficient, while the situation in Westphalia was complicated by food difficulties and labour movements SMOKING NEAR LOADED SHELLS, gravated by the campaign against Rou-

The situation had been further ag

At a Northern Police Court, recently patch of enormous coal supplies, and i

mania, which had necessitated the dus by two employes as a national shell-filling the intensified U-boat warfare, which had factory recently visited by the King and obliged Germany to deliver coal topifed trals who had previously been supplied maximum period of six months. One was left Germany without Queen were sent to prison for the by England. Not a single ton of coal found, smoking pipe and the other ins an equivalenthout Germany to a store in which there were thousands tary events at the front had prevented cigarette in the danger zone, and near The Commissioner also said that mili

of loaded shells. The Chairman said the miners from retoming home who other they had ever had before them, and to Bench considered these the worst cases wise would have been available.

mark their sense of the offence they in flicted the maximum term. They were determined to stop this smoking in the factory.

receiv

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