THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 171H OCTOBER, 1874. 579
Harbor Master to Colonial Secretary.
[No. 198.]
HARBOR DEPARTMENT, HONGKONG, 14th October, 1874.
SIR,--For the information of His Excellency the Governor, I have the honor to transmit a Report of the Typhoon and of the principal casualties that occurred in this Harbor on the morning of the 23rd ultimo.
The morning of the 22nd commenced fine, with the Barometer at 29.85-the average range of the previous four days.
As the day advanced the atmosphere became unsettled, and, notwithstanding that the wind was North West it was accompanied by an oppressive heat, the Thermometer being 85° Farhenheit.
The Barometer began to fall at noon and steadily went down, until at 4 P.M. it was 29.74. The wind, which at this time was about North North West, began to blow in fitful gusts across the Harbor, and it became evident that a Typhoon was approaching.
The Steam-launch was sent round to warn the Junks that they must at once seek shelter in Kowloon Bay, on the North side of the Harbor. With the exception of five, they all left their anchorage; these subsequently became wrecks at West Point.
The Barometer continued to fall slowly until 10.30 P.M. when it stood at 29.40, the wind having veered to North. Between 10.30 P.M. and 2 A.M., the Barometer fell upwards of half an inch and stood at 28.88-its lowest range-for about an hour.
At 2 A.M., the wind suddenly shifted to North East and then to East North East and blew with terrible violence. The strength of the wind brought an immense volume of water into the Harbor, not a tidal wave, but a rapid rise which continued for about an hour, flooding the Praya and ground floors of houses to a height of four and five feet for some distance in shore.
Although, according to ordinary calculation it should have been low water at two o'clock; by three, the water had risen to from five to six feet above its high water level, or a rise of about ten feet had taken place.
As the storm subsided, the wind gradually veered to South East and by seven A.M. it was fine. Under such circumstances it is not surprising that the loss of Shipping and Junks should have been so much greater than it has been during any previous Typhoon. But few vessels held on to their anchors without dragging, and many that would otherwise have remained stationary were fouled by other ships and dragged also-in some instances to go down together.
The Master of the British Barque Falcon tells me that his Ship dragged on to what he supposes was the British Barque Malvern; that the collision stove the Falcon's stern in, but that the Malvern's bows suffered so badly that she went down head foremost with all hands on board just after the Falcon had drifted clear of her.
Another instance is recorded of the German Barque Maury fouling the German Barque Aldebaran causing her to sink; the crew of the latter vessel got on board the Maury, but she was so damaged, that, after being fouled by two Steamers, she also sunk but later in the day; the crew escaping by means of their boats after the storm had subsided. One vessel, however, the British Barque Charlotte Andrews held to her anchors, although she had been fouled by other craft, and saw nine vessels drift past her.
It is painful to report that two Spanish Steamers are lying sunk alongside the sea wall at the centre of the City. A strict regard to the readings of the Barometer and the general appearance of the weather should have warned the Captains of those vessels to seek shelter the evening before the Typhoon set in.
The German Barque Everhard was thrown over a reef of rocks on to a sandy beach on the North East point of Lantao; and a Siamese Brig drifted, ultimately becoming a total wreck on the Island of Cheong Chow Ching.
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The cases above described are inserted with a view to showing the manner in which the storm acted on some of the vessels.
I am of opinion that the casualties to the British and foreign shipping would not have been so great had more of the vessels been provided with heavier anchors; and had cable been veered at an earlier stage of the storm than was apparently done. But the sudden shiftings of the wind and the simultaneous rise of tide were doubtless the principal causes of the deplorable losses afloat.
Junks and smaller boats are so ill provided with ground tackle that the rise of the water was of
itself enough to cause their anchors to start from their holding ground.
No place was safe for this kind of craft. Stone Cutters' Island and Kowloon Bays, usually such safe harbors of refuge during a Typhoon, seem to have availed them nothing, the beaches of these places being literally strewed with wreck.
The loss of life is most distressing. Of British and foreign shipping alone, there is an estimated loss of 200 persons composed of all classes and nationalities.
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