1918-03-19 — Page 3

Page

?

THE RACECOURSE DISASTER FURTHER EVIDENCE OF OWNERS

OF STANDS,

The enquiry into the Race Course disaster was continued at the Magistracy yesterday.

Kwan Ming, assistant No. 1 coolic of the Hongkong Bank, said he was in thed No. 12 at the time of the collapse. He was engaged in giving out winnings on the first floor. He heard a cracking sound and saw No. 13 falling on to his shed. He escaped by climbing up through the well of his matshed on to the roof. At the time he heard the cracking, he also heard a sound of commotion as of people running both on the upper floor ahed and in No. 13. of his own His shed fell towards No. 11, with

THE HONGKONG DAILY PAREN TUESDAY, MARCH 19th, 1918.

afternoon. He personally Jill not notice any movement. No cooking was done on either of his floors. He was standing in the middle of the shed at the time of the

collapse, Most of the people were in the front of the stand looking at the Reco Course He heard a commotion in shed No. 13, and very soon his shed collapsed. Some of the people in his shed started running before it fell. He was pinted down by some falling boards, and for one or two minutes was unable to move, Subsequently he crawled out on the Golf Club side of the house, and he saw fre immediately. It appeared to be near No. 9 or 10 shed. Altogether there were 100 odd people in bis shed at the time of the collapse. The shed fell towards the Golf Club house.

By the Crown Solicitor: He did not.

Were there any fire buckets in your shod?There were two tubs of water for washing and drinking

Lo Yak Nan, accountant of a Chinese

Mr Bowley When you are wiring matehods do you take any special precau- Const-We--takus les { precaut when wiring an ordinary house, boca USO the wiring 18 of a temporary nature. restaurant, said he had a share in thed There is no danger of ignition besauss No. 10. There were five partners, and of the dryness of the material, eleven shards. The shed comprised a There is no special risk in wiring

purpose- matsheds for temporary ground four, à Ant and second floor, should say no, The shed was the same as last year and MR P. M. HODGSON. was built in accordance with his instruc tions. He examined it before the race meeting and was satisfied with it no part

Mr. P. M. Hodgson, of the Canton Insur. anoe Society, Ltd., an othcial starter at the racemesting, said shortly before 3 o'clock he was on the sand crossing with Mr.

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LANE CRAWFORD

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of the shed was sublet. No cooking was Gedge and Mr. Vide to the Ave furlong GENTLEMEN'S COMPLETE OUTFITTERS.

„post- He happened to be looking towards done there. Anyone was admitted., Hu the Chinese stands and noticed stand was present at the time of the collapse, No. 14 suddenly Away He would think sideways two or three unge. The

to

slight tendency towards the Golf know whether any cooking was done on that about 300 people were on the stand imply as H to say

Club When he was escaping he jump ed from the roof of the shed on to the Golf Club side. He saw a fire about a minute afterwards between sheds 9 and

the ground floor of his shed.

on the right came

on the ground Boar which was used for at it copie in that stand and in selling ticket. There was one intrance the one to the cast of it all appeared

stands to the shed. This was on the ground floor be moving about. Then those two on the golf-club side. The communication swayed towards the west and roomed to

push down

fon all the stands in the line, between the ground and the first and except the last stand and the one next second floors was hido. He estimated to it only part of which fell The

people in all these other

to fall with the when it fell. The shed was seventy to do moving

when the tail sta Mr. Bowley When the visitors on the eighty por cent full. He heard people down, it did not appear to fall with the provious afternoon said they thought the shouting from the doorway and from others. It might have been pulled over WIBI smoke coming up from be shed moved, did you take any steps in above matched collapse, matshed: 61. When the stands had collapsed he noticed white flags in the Vida, who was standing however, got away. There was crack theraph produced examination, but I did not find anything to run and he ran too. He could not, and he was pinned down behind the

caught so quickly. It WEB unusual,

The Coroner: Did you go downstairs? counter hide. The counter protected at his side, that he was surprised the him from the bamboos and he remained three minutes after that before he saw - did not.

Y By Mr Bowley When he cacaped there in darkness for some minute. Then he actual fames. He ran across to the froni bis shed the 1st teace behind the some people made a hole in the roof and judge's box and put his flag away

He was there sheds was down. There was a note on he got out, landing on the race-course went down to the mutehods to so if he

He then saw lite in sheds Nos.

when the top floor in order that the people.

he hent Became kong and Shanghai Bank, who was in might purebas Liekets from the flim and 1 He could not say what was blve any help force,

the cause of the collapse He thought went to the golf clu

went club house He that his shod was pulled

300 several buckets of water, but the fire th people on all floors. The was present on had too great a hold for them to do any Monday and Tuesday morning, but on good and he then neither day did bo notice any movement

gear out. in the matshed. The ore did not originate The Coroner Are you quite sure the in his shed: it

on the ground Quite sure, I saw the cloud of dust also; the row. It came from the centre of visp of smoke was not a cloud of dust 1---

it was more to the left.

10. He saw no signs of fire in the other the inaiter I went round and made ange, run run The people commence bind thestan AHTAemarked at

direction. As far as he know fire only broke out in one place. He did not see

stoves in his shed.

any

By the Crown Bolicitor: When he saw the fire the sheds had collapsed.

A Chinese letter writer of the Hong-

shed 19 at the time of the collapse, also gave evidence, He was on the top floor, simply walking about, with no particular work to do. There were no stores in the shed. He heard a commotion, and son alterwards the shed collapsed. The com- motion was caused by people running, be heard no shorting. It appeared that

down.

the

tar Bewley: There were about upstairs the Mr. Longmire and

below. People had to go through the first floor to get to the top floor. There were no lights in the shed. There was a large tub of water for washing cups, ele.

Choy Yik-si, an insurance broker, said he was assisted in the management of the ground floor of shod No. 14 There were 16 partners in the floor and fiftoon shares he was present at the time of the floor, but there were openings in order apse. A small chatty for heating up that baskets could be lowered from the upper floors The ground floor of his

tes was in us. Charcoal was the fuel

the

to

and

of

Do you think the stands this year were

full as usual?-Yes, I

year

his ebed was pressed by No, 13. There There were between 0 and 60 people shed was raised about a foot above the very crowded.eds collapsing did were not more than 50 or 60 people on resent. The police had raided his bed grass. Incro Forgecountant in a you have the impression that they fell,

bis floor; he could not say how many were on the first floor. Anyone could go into the shed who wished. When he was pinned down by the shed falling there happened to be a hole near at hand large enough for a man to crawl through. This was how he escaped. When outside of the shed he was still some little distance from the ground; he slid down, turning a somersault on the way, and injured his shoulder. He saw a fire in the dirce

that day, but he was not there when that happened. He arrived soon after 10 o'clock. About three o'clock a number of people who were sitting watching the races rashed back towards the Golf Club side. At first he thought there had been a caso of spatching. When he saw the people run he ran too, then the collapse came. He did not hear any shouting before the collapse. He was pinned down for about five minutes. No fre broke out in his shed; he did not as any sign of fire before: he got out. When he got out, however, he saw sheds 11 and 12 burning The mat fence had fallen by the time he had extricated himself. His shed fell the Golf Club. He could not say whelber hashed collapsed of itself or was pushed down

no lamps in the shed. When you BH Lo Wai Yuen, an Chinese restaurant, who was on the top towards the golf club house should it collapsed, also say they fell slightly in that direction. shed was about The matsheils did not fall on the race door of No. 10 when gave evidence When the

track railings to fall

The Coroner: Which i

first, the The Crown Solicitor Have you ever collapse or the running First crack teen the booths as fall as they wore this noise came and people ran rear I do not think they were fuller Continuing, be estimated that there were this year than other years.

They are on to 30 people on the top floor. The always very full in the afternoons. top floor did not fall right to the ground. I think you were in the Golf Club when It came down partly and then was held

the bose Wes laid on Ic up by something Ho escaped through Was there a good supply of water or an opening on to the race-couro-side, à poor supply Very poor. At times it The cracking sound Como from his owa just dribbled:

obled out. Then it stopped and Adribbled on shed.

en again perhaps minute interval. It was absolutely Wong Tse Nai, tin worker, said he wan Partner in shed Nos. 17-18 And 19. imelessner T

Until the Fire water but no lahatty for sab the racecourse ---Nons at idle

ศ.

tion of No, 10 shed as soon as he had towards No. 3 with a tendency towards the shed was of one storey with a base--The

ment. There was a

electri

boiling

He was present at the time of the Tapse Ho Boticed the lapse

extricated himself from the debris. A fow fokis who were in his shed were killed. He heard that everyone on

-bis particular floor was anved. He could not say what was the cause of the collapse.

By Un before Two were the heard people

this, colla Coronel Dor his door, Lef the ront of the shed locking on to the Race Course. It took him, he would estimate, about ten minutes to crawl out of the shed. When he first saw the fire it was not a big one,

Lo Hok Chat, shroff of Bradler & Co., said he had a share in Bhod 13. There were 80 cid shares in the concern and 34 shareholders. The shed comprised basement and two other floors. He had had a share in the shed for five or six years. The shed this year was built on the same pattern as during the past three years. No part of the shed was sub-let

By the Urm Solicitor. The method was not insured. There was no electric light. There was one bucket of water

By Mr. Bowley: Anyone could go into

ground floor were killed. The police hall arrested four fukis in the morning. They were arrested for running a wheel or fortune

The Coronet You were not present when the Police made the arrests No,

was told about it

after a three

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Mr. Howley Was the hose you

vou spoke

bosets The first hose used in the Golf people tan, and shortly afterwards he Club building was the Fire Brigade hose. the shed houting Do know what it was poupled on to. On the Torahend we of the Monument. It was worked by the

re engine,

And thought it was the Fire Brigade hose or the Golf Club

run.

fire, fire, Pune Everyone on his shed escaped. He did not see the fire he went to look for his people and firing they

safe he went home. wore

Mr. Houghtold he got out the Jockey Club hose, Do you know where that was couplet on I cannot say. It was not working at the Golf Club,"

Is the shed you saw move first the shed immediately to the tight of the three fags shown in the photograph -- Yes

MR. GRAHAM, Frank Graham, manager of the Hong kong Electric Company, said he had had applications to supply electric current to natsheds. Nos, 9, 10, 11 and 12 on the Matsutaro Aoi, storekeeper, Queen's racecoue lle

He had an application to This way shed No 14. - A

and fittings to Road East, raid he was assistent manager provide

and oth of shed No. 1 owned by Japanese Mr.

Do you think there was any panic when the Police entered-No.

No cooking was done nor was any water years The shed this year was the same 21

were supplied according the

4, 5 and 6 thore were

stand and the one next to it on

come

down to appeared to

Yessi

es the whole block, the SAGE Fis composed of Nos. 14 and

19 fights in No. 10 TORON

No. 1 18 lights, had in

When you spoke of the last stands on

the line not falling you mean Nos. 1

Metsatho was the principal ranger The Company had done be saine gether

in No he perished in the distaster. Witness had last rear In

eisted in this shed for six or soven

12 18 lights.

his company were puti case was a little wider than it had been with his before. The shed comprised a basement in all the places to which current was

personally supplied and two floors. It was used by all nationalities, but most of the people pre

the shed who wished He was present at

pot installed

by!

The

2 and 3 They did not fall and only part of 4-5 and 6 collapsed.

The highest stand of all which is to had not made the right of the Japancee stand came

it

12, with alight tendency to the Golf Someone called danger, and, looking up, would blow out 40 Didden one for

The

draw you attention to

ployed, one being on duty at night and one during the day. He was on the first floor, at the time of the collapss. The people on both sides of his shed and in

sent were Japanese. Anyone could enterpretion of the installations, but his down later1-Lcannot say. It may have had seen most of the work and been dragged down. It certainly did not his own shed began to creato a come

reported that Was all right. A appear to come down with Nos. 14 and tion. Ho started to run away, but he was the time of the collapse standing at the fuse was plit with the meter, so that pinned down. He noticed the upright counter on the lower door. About two if anything went wrong with the wiring

e positive as to which You are quite

moved first Yo, I particularly post of the shed going to one side. The

ne the inte shed fell slowly in the direction of No. hundred people were prescut altogether, the current would be cut-off

the regular he saw the shed moving. He did not see provision Solicitor: Was there any these stands No. I Club house. He could not say what was

happened to be the cause of the panic among the people, any people running before the shad moved. The panic was very quickly followed by He thought the movement was dus to an danger of fire through a wire fusing-going across that way the collapse, He was rendered uncon earthquake When the shed collapsed he do not exactly understand what that You don't think a noise attracted your

never did understand that ex attention Sub-consciously, if at all.

Did

you notice that the crowd in these scious when he fell and must have been jumped out in the Race Course sids He means; I

ched its highest point in the to the

Mr. Graham matsheds Coroner, rescued by concone or another. He went back to try to rescue some of the pressions heard no cries of fire before the shed fell people who were imprisoned in the débray Ln answer tould be in no dan god

sad the abeds

because

ger alternoon Tea The shed was not very full of people and managed to save about ten leven from the wiring intide the goods,

in case anything untoward happened

hind the stand id you saw the fire be the three flags It There were, he estimated, about 200 odd bodies were recovered after the fire, eight which were identified The sheds

came up ons beho

Baga those people on the floor where bo was. He could say nothing about the top floor Most fell quickly he could not say whether The Crown Solicitor Where were the photograph of the people were at the front of they swaged to and fro before collapsing meters placed I cannot say. Our gene Do you think the fire originated in and spread in both directions 1 the shed looking out over the Race He thought his shed was pushed over by ral practice is to place them in near as that spot reinsted in that spot.

I think it Cours. The commotion was caused by other sheds. He saw the fire about 10 possible to the spot where the virea cake The Coroner We have had several their running to the back. None of his minutes after the collapse occurred. No and Coroner: There were certain witnesses who were inside.""

timo

small I fuse would blow

out

you

Nerval between the

ce you pa

00:

fire in sheds Nos 12 and 13.20 The const complaint He sible they would become a soNEs How long would you think the interval

of the

an shed No. 14. There were 15 shares and a collapse. There was an eng Possible, but not probable. What Is a gutsida, hak a minute.

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before the races and found it was very chase tickets had cash sweeps at that they could cause a fire..

share in the shed for five or six yeaтāried on.for the benefit of the Japanese one of the stands said the other, day that make of No 10 shed did not mean to

rights had rested upon beards for two to an earth He recued the people one thing as ainst the switch

this was done in this case

lds the sheds, and cooking was done in the shed, but there The partners lost their lives, was a Chines shatty, with charcoal as wires outside the meters which passed they are practically unanimous that the

By Mr. Bowley There was no

through the walls of Arance to the top floor was obtained by he enquiry was then adjourned for The full current matahests You fire did not come until a minute or so. separate entrance to the top floor. E fuel, for boiling water.

was passing through after they had exapod. They certainly collapso went through the mat allowed an interval between the means of an inside staircase going from By Mr. Bowley He bought the site shed walls? Yes, although would be and the fire. What is your opinion! 1 the first floor. There were no buckets of of the shed at the auction for $1,288. He more correct to

54 that The fill's

I pressure should say it was not anything like wh in the sked. They had no electric went to the racecourse on the Sanday of 100 volts was passing along the wire

there any Hht or lamps.

before the race meeting but: dal lot Would the fact that you had full

through the

and the smoke saw 1 Is I By the Coroner When be returned to examine the shed. He had not heard Mrsure on the wire pass

PASSING source of danger. It is pos walls be a Bource of

there was a interval, but it was consciousness after the accident he saw a Hatsaburo make any

shed

of dan not a minute. A mouts is a long time. Chan Fai U compradore of AD did not notice any movement in the gori in the event of a colleme Hutchison & Co. said he was a partner matshed at any

time previons to the

to the the steds collapsed and broke the With

place where moke

ris Do you think

that seven partners. He examined the shed in the top foor so that people could pur- wires in the same place so that the two saw the

coming down them-

ends of bare

came into contact the sheds Collapsed in such a way that copper

the

three flags would be above the mach the same as last year. He had had salves. They had

of years they were The Crown Solicitor: A vitness from shed for a number He saw the uprights of the sheds rested Renevolent Society. At the time he first during the collapse upon boards, but he was not sure how the shel move he thought it was due came on, went off many boards were there. He believed the saw the

but he was not of this finally went out. Can you explain that near the point where the three flags are That is possible if, during the Inoue, shown fring in the photograph of the

misheda or three years past. There was no cook-opinion no

the race course side of

shed the

1000 Stamps 6.001 2100 Stamps 8. 150300 Fell

the two

Would you be sur

surprised

were 1500 ing or boiling of water in a half doreys be first saw the fire it was three of the bave been pulled out

€100.00 comprised two and a sheds away from.

and told that the amors came tip two or three 1800 shed in the of the

$22.00 74000 The ground floor, which had a separate direction of No. 9 and 10. It was only a mans yours have your Company to the right 1. It may have come a

sheds away from the point your mention 1000

$5000 little entrance, was occupied by others who had been associated with him, in purdiasing hamall fire, but the choice was going versupplied licht for the racciones grade more to the left. It cortainly was do the site. There was no communication f Are was no far away from your shods It was frat supplied in 1914, but more to the right. ****** inside between the floors. Two visitors abed how was it many people were burnt? I do not believe so many shes were up who were both together buying tickets on They were pinned down,

When

the first day of the races remarked that How long did it take the fire to resch

to them the shed appeared to move. This your shed About ten or fifteen minutes was between £30 and 3 o'clock in the after I say the snoké,“

into contact

well that the amor came

the three fige pak at, the point

after the

and collage, but that the smoke first appeared

plini then as during the Iya, two years

Have you ever had notum of anything ening out of order during that Dorsod

The enquiry then adjourned anti! this morning.

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