1930-07-04 — Page 7

BIG FIRE AT WEST

POINT.

#

LARGE OIL GODOWN INVOLVED.

MERITORIOUS WORK BY FIRE BRIGADES.

One of the biggest fires in the Colony for some time past broke out last night at West Point, causing heavy damage to an oil factory, which is situated in Des Voeux Road West near the Tai Ping Theatre,

',

1.

The flames raged for over three hours, but although they pro- vided a spectacular scene to a number of spectators who had gathered around to watch the conflagration, they did comparatively Hittle damage to, adjoining buildings.

The are broke out at about 8 p.m., and was not completely" extinguished uncil almost 11 p.m.

Next to the scear of the Ere was a four-storeyed Chinese house, the inhabitants of which left at the commencement of the outbreak. Or this building the Fire Brigades concentrated. their attention, with the result that but for the dainage caused by water it remained intact.

The Fire Brigade appliances from the Central Fire Station arrived shortly before 8 p.m., when it was found that the out- break was of a serious nature.

Further appliances were sent for, and these arrived from Wan- chai and Kennedy Town Fire Stations soon afterwards. Their joint efforts, however, were not as effectual as at other fires, as in this instance the premises involved were used as ag oil godown.' It was a fortunate circumstance that there were but fow people a the premises at the beginning of the outbreak, and it is gratifying to record that all managed to escape from the build- ing without injury.

Only one man, in his hurry to escape, fell and had his knee cut badly.

"

To the west of the building in fames was another oil factory, and this, needless to add, was simply sodden in water, the fire- fighters sparing no pains to prevent the dames coming into con tact with this structure.

#

When the outbreak was at its height. the fames shot through the rows of buildings and could be seen from a great distancë

The nature of the fire naturally resulted in an unusually large volume of amoke, and it is believed that European police officer was "gassed" when he attempted to enter the building while the fre was burning furiously.

··

The police, who were on the scene almost as soon

as the Fire Brigade, controlled the large crowd.

Hotes were connected with various street hydrants in the vicinity of Des Voeux Road West, and in consequence trafic from Des Voeux Road West from the Sailors Home westwards was closed, Pedestrians and vehicles going towards Kennedy. Town had to travel vid the Queen's Road route.

Members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade attended in large aumbers, and rendered first aid to the European police officer "who wis gassed."

Witnesses of the fire-fighters at work are unimous in their praise of the excellent manner in which they approached the burn- ing building. The heat was intense and the smoke added, to their dificulties.

The Fire Brigade was under the supervision of Mr. Brooks, Superintendent of the Fire Brigade.

For two hours the boses and the flames battled for supremacy, but ultimately the firemen triumphed.

Although up to a late hour last night the building was still smouldering, there was no great danger of the fire breaking out again.

The premises, it is understood, were utilised as a gödown by .. several Chinese firms.

There is reason to believe that the building was insured,. together with its contents, though these details were not available on' going to press.

"

The first appliance returned to its station at about 10.30 p.m., but most of the other appliances stood by till a very late hour.

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1930.

JULY 4 AT CANTON. ANOTHER THREAT

CANTON AMERICANS'

CELEBRATION.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

CANTON, July 3

The American nationals in Canton are making big preparations for the celebration of their Independence Day, Fourth of July, to-morrow,

The celebration will take place in the American Consulate at Shameen under the direction of Mr. Douglas Jenkins, the American Consul- General.

Fire-crackers will be set off as usual and guns will be fired from the American gunboat at anchor in White Goose Bay, off Shameen.

An elaborate programme is being arranged for the occasion.

A number of the high officials of the local regime, including General Chen Ming Shu, Major Lin Wan Koi, General Au Yang Kui, and Mr. Leung Tsic Wai, are expected to attend the function.

CANTONESE AEROPLANE

SHOT DOWN.

[RO OUR OWN CORRESPONDEST, }·

CANTON, July 3. Another Chinese aeroplane, the "Pearl River," is reported to have been brought down by the antiair craft gans of the Ironsides" and the Kwangsi troops in Southern

Husan.

The 'plane was doing reconnoiter. ing work when sighted by the insur- gents, who immediately turned their guns on it with effect. Its body was struck, and the damage inflicted was

so severe that it had to make forced descent.

The 'plane landed on a vacant lot, and the pilot, who was unhurt, had to seek shelter in a village nearby.

求毒

"WHEN KNIGHTS

WERE BOLD.'

AN OLD FAVOURITE

AT THE STAR.

The old and well-tried stage favourite When Knights Were Bold" was presented at the Star Theatre, Kowloon, last night by the Salisbury players. The proved .excellence of the company was again evidenced by the very good "house" which showed its appre- ciation in "no uncertain. continuous laughter and applause being the order of the day-or rather night...

manner,

Most of us have seen the play at one time or another, and it is not becessary, therefore, to de- scribe the plot, if plot there is. The company made the most of the very hamourous material at their disposal, and it is difficult to parti cularize as regards the individual players, as every one in the cast was shown to the very best advan tage.

Special mention must, however, be made of our local amateur, Dick Barty, who, at a few days' notice took the part of the Dean and acquitted himself in the best pro- fessional style."

CORRESPONDENCE. HONG KONG WATER will be shown again to-night, when

KOWLOON SMELLS.

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE “ HONG KONG DAILY PREIS."']

SIR-Residents in the Colony off ten to twenty years' standing will recall with horror the steach emanating from the foreshore of the Bowrington Canal before it was filled up, and the 30,000 residents of Kowloon City to-day are subject ed to a similar assault on their ncaes whenever the tide is low.

I have travelled in four of the. five continents and on six of tho seven seas, but it is only in on

Kong that I came across such an unpleasant experience.

SUPPLY.

"When Knights. Were Bald "

there should be another bumper house."

To-morrow night the company will give their anal performance The total storage in the island" So this is Love" which enjoyed reservoirs on the moming of Mon- long runs in London and else day, June 30, amounted to 1,156.40 | where. I million gallons showing a 'decrease of 20.40 million gallons during the past week, the amount collected from streams being 28.94 million gallons.

The week's consumption amount- ed to 7663 million gallons which includes 21.20 million galloza from the Shing Mun Supply.

Kowloon Water Supply.

HANDBAG SNATCHING.

FOREIGN LADY THE VICTIM.

2

A daring saatching of a handbag from 'n föreign lady occurred in Cameron Road yesterday.

According to a report made to The total storage in the main- the police, Mrs. J. Bilva, reeiding land reservoirs on the morning of at No. 234, Cameron Road, top June 30, amounted to 195.79 mil-floor, was walking along Cameron

week.

TO KWANGTUNG.

"' IRONSIDES" TO ATTACK

FROM TWO POINTS..

CANTON THE FINAL OBJECTIVE,

S.C.A. PROSECUTION FAILS.

STORY OF GIRL WHO WAS DECOYED.

MAGISTRATE STOPS CASE."

A

the

prosecution taken by Kwangtung is expected to be Secretariat of Chinese Affairs xes- plunged in fighting once again in terday against a Chinese woman for the not distant future, the Kwangsi forcing a girl under 21 years of troops and Ironsides having age into immoral practices, failed decided to launch another attack on the grounds that the girl con- upon the province from two direc- cerned had already gone wrong prior to the alleged immoral prae- tices connected with the case.

The defendant was brought be fore Mr. A. W. G. B. Grantham. Mr. R. A. D. Forrest prosecuted, and Mr. Hin Shing Lo was for the defence."

tions.

The "Ironsides," who are mov. ing to Southern Kiangsi from Hunan, are expected to strike down from Kiangsi and attack Kwang. tang by the north, while their allies, the Kwangsi troops, are re- turning to Kwangsi, from which Outlining the case for the pro- province they will attack Kwang-secution, Mr. Forrest said that the tung from the west. Thus the girl was brought to his notice when fighting will be transferred to Kwangtung again from Hupan.

a district watchman investigated a "row

in a street in Yaumati. The girl in question was engaged in an altercation. with two men. stated that she had run away from

The "Ironsides" and the Kwang si forces have not given up hope of conquering Kwangtung, in spits of their repeated futile attempts.defendant In fact their main object is to re capture Canton.

Since their defeat by the three Cantonese divisions under Generals Chiang Kong Nai, Tsoi Ting Kai and Li Yang King Leiyang in Southern Hunan, the "Ironsides " have been retreating eastward to Kiungsi, while the Kwangsi troops have fled to Chiyang and Yung- chow near the north-eastern border of Kwangsi. The Cantonese and Hunanese troops are now in hot pursuit:

"Ironsides" Ready to Advance.

The "Ironsides," whose advance forces have arrived at Lionhua and Yungning in Kiangai, are ready to advance rið Kanchow and Nan kang at the southern border of Riangsi to attack Namhung at the northern border of Kwangtung.

The Kwangsi troops are expect ed to arrive in Kwangai before long. They will-advance along the Kwei River to attack Wuchow, and then move along the West River to attack Kwangtung Meanwhile a section will most probably invade Kwangtong in another direction by the Little North River.

She

The girl, the defendant, and the two men who were engaged in the altercation in Yaumati were all taken to Mr. Forrest's offices for examination. The girl then gave her history.

Decoyed From the Country. She claimed that she had been

decoyed from the country by woman who promised to find her

work. On her arrival here she was

told that work was difficult to get, and as there was no other way of carning a living, she had better be come a prostitute.

Continuing, Mr. Forrest said that the girl was not in a position to say that the woman in the dock had actually bought her from the woman who brought her down from the country. At any rate, she practised as a prostitute in a brothel in West Point.

·· Gave a Falis Age. Giving evidence, the girl stated that she was 20 years of age. On her arrival here from the country, she stayed six nights in a boarding house, and it was during that stay that she was visited by men. She WOS transferred to defendant's It is expected that the Kwangsi¦ custody, and later applied for a troops will be able to recapture licence to practice in a brothel. Kwangsi, their native province; She stated that in applying for the without much difficulty, as nearly licence she gave a false age, and all Kwangtung forces in Kwongsi explained that she had been taught have been withdrawn to Hupan. by defendant to do that..

There are only a number of pro- Nanking, Kwangri "troops in the Province, formerly under the late Governor Lui Woon Im, and now under Li Tak Ying and Kung Sau Yi, two of the trusted subordinates of the deceased. Governor, as well as those under Chu Wai Chun, the Pacification Commissioner of Kwangsi and Commander of the First Kwangai Division

BLIND MUI TSAI CANED.

PATHETIC STORY AT CENTRAL MAGISTRÁCY.

Under cross-examination by Mr. Lo, witness said she had never re- lated her history to anyone, not even, to the defendant.

The girl admitted, in answer to further questions, that she had spent several nights with men prior to the defendant getting custody of her.

At this point Mr. Grantham. in. dicated that he was not prepared to take the case further as he was satisfied that the girl was of known immoral character prior to the alleged offence for which defendant wan charged. He according ac- quitted the defendant.

WOMAN MISSING FOR EIGHT YEARS.

RESUMPTION OF DEATH ACCEPTED.

Convicted on a charge of ill-treat- ing blind muitai girl by, as saulting her, a Chinese woman, also bind, was fined 895, or twelve

Mr. Hin Shing Lo, instructed by days' imprisonment, when she apr. F. X. d'Almada, Sen.. made peared before Mr. Grantham at

an application yesterday before the the Central Magistracy yesterday. Chief Justice (Sir Joseph Kemp). The woman's husband was also at the Supreme Court to presume charged with the same offence, but the death of Chinese woman was discharged by the Magistrate, named Chu Yee. who decided that the evidence was not sufficiently strong for him to register a conviction.

After medical evidence had been given that the girl's body revealed a number of bruises caused by caning, witnesses were called to in-

.

Counsel said that the woman was a midwife and lived at 118, Queen's Road East. She had an adopted son and two adopted daughters.

On December 3, 1921, she leit Hong Kong for Canton, and since that date no news had been received from her, although every effort was made to trace ber whereabouts.

lion gallons showing a decrease of Boad at about 2.46 p.m. yesterday. form the Court of the treatment To my mind,, this nuisance can 3.16 million gallons during the past While passing the scavenging lane meted out to the girl.

at the back of Watson's premises, a It was stated that on June 28, be abliterated if the drain to the

Submitting that the law would left of and visible from the Kow- The week's consumption, not in. Chinese came up from behind and the mui-tsai, who lived in a cubicle loon City police-atation be extended cluding Hong Kong supplies and pushed her to the ground. The at 116 Queen's Road East, with the presume a person to be dead if no 2.28 million gallons delivered to man saatched a brown leather two denfendants, was heard to be news had been received of auch a another cne hundred yards or so. However, it is the duty of the water boats at Lai Chi Kok, Indies handbag from Mrs. Silva's crying and imploring the second person as in the present case, hand. The bag contained one $50 defendant not to punish her fur- Counsel asked his Lordship to make Honourable Director of Public amounted to 1275 million gallons. Works to look into this matter, The yield from the Shing Mun Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank ther. It was also stated that the an order to that effect for the pur- since it is brought up in public River and streams during the week note, one St. Theresa barge, and girl was always confined in the nose of obtaining letters of ad-

Another point is that the Public was 54.17 million gallons.

a Star Ferry monthly ticket... cubicle and that she often somministration to her estate on behalf of the adopted son, who was still The thief then ran away in the plained of being hungry, Works Department has left roads

direction of Nathan Road and from

The first defendant admitted hav. a minor, and who had appointed the running into Kai Tack Bund and elsewhere unfinished; the Yee Tack

there to Moody Road."

ing caned the girl on several oc Rev. H. R. Well, O.E.E,, to be Road is a case in point,

casions, but added that her huship curator and guardian.. Estate. band had never ill-treated the girl. left by the missing woman was said: On the occasions when the mui-lso to amount to about $8,000.0 was being punished by the first day fendant, the second defendant would always intervene and asked her cot to be too hard on the girl

I submit that an unfinished road is a dumping ground for refuse, dond zaimals, and sometimes human bodies, and is also a breeding-place for Anopheles.

Continued at foot of next column).

Of what use is the projected public health propaganda when a Government Department, by its omission, ignores the very funds mentals of public health-Yours, etc.,

"WELL WISHER,” Hong Kong, July: 3.

Mra Silva followed the thief, but lost sight of him.

Miss Nolleen Roylance, of No. 4, Cameron Road, who went to the assistance of Mrs. Bilva, found the the purse, with the contents intact, lying in the scavenging lane.”

His Lordship granted the applica tion, directing that, the costs of the proceedings be paid out of the estats.

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Stamp Collectors

Will find an interesting

article

in the "Daily

Press Every Thursday,