Directory_and_Chronicle_1909 — Page 1198

HONGKONG

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considerably more. In November, 1903, Sir Henry Blake left the Colony on appointment to the governorship of Ceylon, and the Hon. Mr. F. H. May, C.M.G., was appointed Administrator pending the arrival of Sir Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G., who reached the Colony on the 29th July, 1904, and at once assumed charge of the administration. In his inaugural address His Excellency declared that the construction of the Kowloon to Canton Railway would be one of the foremost objects to be attained, and in the following year the Colony had the satisfaction of learning that the work of construction had commenced on the British section of the line, which, starting from Kowloon Point, will have a straight run to Shat-in and Taipu, and then turn inland to Shakuhu and Samchun on the frontier. This section of the line is being constructed at the Colony's cost, a loan having been raised for the purpose. It has been estimated that the British section of the line will be completed in 1910. Chinese section has now been commenced with British capital and under British supervision and there is a possibility of it being completed very shortly after the British section is finished. The year 1906 will be remembered in the history of the Colony by two calamitous events. On September 18th, a typhoon struck the Colony with terrific force and with such disastrous results as to give it rank as the worst typhoon that the Colony has ever experienced. The Observatory was able to give but very short notice of its approach. The typhoon lasted only two hours, but it was roughly estimated that in that short space of time 10,000 persons lost their lives in the vicinity of the Colony, while the damage done to shipping and property ashore ran into many millions of dollars. A list, admittedly incomplete, compiled by the Harbour Authorities, showed sunk or damaged 67 large vessels, 652 junks, 54 lighters, and 70 launches. No account is taken in this list of the hundreds of sampans which were sunk or battered to pieces against the sea walls. The Rt. Rev. J. C. Hoare, D.D., the Bishop of Victoria, was among those who lost their lives by this calamity. The second of the disasters referred to above occurred early on Sunday morning, October 14th, when the river steamer Hankow, while lying at her wharf, was completely gutted by a fire which developed with such extraordinary rapidity that over 100 Chinese passengers lost their lives in trying to escape. The majority of them were drowned; but many, who were probably first suffocated or trampled to death in the rush for the gangway, were victims of the flames. The Colony was visited by another typhoon of greater force on the night of July 27-28, 1908, but the Observatory gave timely warning of the approach, and shipping consequently did not suffer so badly as in the 196 typhoon, but much more extensive damage was done to property ashore. The most serious shipping casualty was the foundering of the Yingking with a loss of some 300 lives.

Sir Matthew Nathan left the Colony in April, 1907, on promotion to the Governor- ship of Natal. Few Governors of the Colony have succeeded in making themselves so popular, and at the same time won so much confidence and respect as an administrator. His successor, Brigadier-General Sir Frederick Lugard. K.C.M.G, arrived on July 28th, 1907, the Hon. Mr. F. H. May having again administered the Government in the interval.

The following is a list of those who have administered the Government from the date on which the Island was erected into a Colony- 1843 Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart., G.c.B. 1844 Sir John Francis Davis, Bart., K.C.B. 1848 Samuel George Bonham, C.B. 1851 Major-General W. Jervois (Lt.-Governor) 1851 Sir S. George Bonham, Bart., K.C.B. 1852 John Bowring, LL.D. (Acting) 1853 Sir S. George Bonham, Bart., K.C.B. 1854 Sir John Bowring, Knt., LL.D. 1854 Lieut.-Colonel Wm. Caine (Lt.-Governor) 1855 Sir John Bowring, Knight, LL.D. 1859 Colonel Caine (Lieut.-Governor) 1859 Sir Hercules G. R. Robinson, Knight 1862 William Thomas Mercer (Acting) 1864 Sir Hercules G. R. Robinson, Knight 1865 William Thomas Mercer (Acting) 1866 Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell, Knt., C.B. 1870 Mj.-Gl. H. W. Whitfield (Lt.-Governor) 1871 Sir Richard G. MacDonnell, к.C.M.G., C.B. 1872 Sir Arthur E. Kennedy, K.C.N.G.,C.B. 1875 John Gardiner Austin (Administrator) 1876 Sir Arthur E. Kennedy, K.C.M.G., C.B.

1877 Sir John Pope Hennessy, K.C.M.G. 1882 Wm. Hy. Marsh, c.M.G. (Administrator) 1883 Sir George Ferguson Bowen, G.C.M.G. 1885 Wm. Hy. Marsh, c.M.G. (Administrator) 1887 Mjr.-Gen. W. G. Cameron, c.B. (Adminis.) 1887 Sir George William Des Vœux, K.C.M.G. 189 Francis Fleming, c.M.G. (Administrator) 1890 Sir George William Des Voeux, K.C.M.G. 1891 Mjr.-Gen. G. Digby Barker, c. B. (Adm.) 1891 Sir William Robinson, G.c M.G. 1898 Mj.-G. Wilsone Black, C.B. (Admiur.) 1898 Sir Henry Arthur Blake, o C.м.G. 1902 Mj.-Gen. Sir W. Gascoigne, K.C.M.G. (Adr.) 1992 Sir Henry Arthur Blake, G.C.M.G. 1903 Francis H. May, c.m.o. (Administrator) 1904 Sir Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G. 1906-7 Hon F.H.May,c.x.o.,Ad'tor. (forlmonth) 1907 Sir Matthew Nathan, K,C M.G. 1997 Hon. F. H. May c.x.o. (Administrator) 1907 Brigadier Gen. Sir F. D. Lugard, K.C.M.G.