WEATHER
1096
In view of the typhoon threat yesterday, end the rain (welcome enough) a reference to one of the earliest rainstorms on record after the British occupation of Hongkong will be in order.
I am obliged to a reader at Macao for the following extract from an old chronicle of a heavy rainfall which took place at Hongkong on May 7, 1845, end although it lasted only a few hours did a great deal of damage, somewhat reminiscent of the storm of 1926:
"The damage was very great both to the recently-formed roads, and to many buildings in the course of erection; and had the violence of the rain continued an hour or two longer, many houses must have been undermined and destroyed. As it was, much individual inconvenience has been sustained. About 5 o'clock, the whole of the Queen's Road, from the entrance to the large bazaar to the market-place, was completely flooded, to the depth of from two to four feet. All the streets leading upwards to the hill served as feeders to this lake. In Peel Street, particularly, the torrent rushed along, bearing everything before it, and the street still resembles a dried-up water-course covered with stones and wrecks of buildings. The passages from the Queen's Road to the sea were all full. The one leading through Chunam's Hong, for hours presented the appearance of a rapid river, and many of the houses on each side were only saved from the flood by mud walls hastily raised. About 6 o'clock the rain moderated, but for some time after the road was quite impassable. A coolie, attempting to ford the stream rushing down D'Aguilar Street, was borne off his feet, but saved himself by coming against the frame of a mat-shed.
"The drain lately formed could not nearly receive the supply of water, which committed great devastation, flooding a few houses in its vicinity to the depth of nearly three feet, and carrying away some new walls. All the open drains in the upper streets have suffered; many are entirely destroyed, leaving scarcely a trace of the street. A stream from a distant watercourse flowed along the road above the bungalow occupied by the Attorney-General, and descending with great fury upon the roof of one of his out-offices, carried away a great part of it.
"In many places the Queen's Road has been covered with soil, sand, etc., to the depth of more than two feet, and nearly all the cross-drains are choked up. The bridge at the Commissariat has been carried away, and that in the Wong-nai-chung has also disappeared. Several lives were lost by the fall of a house in which some Chinese resided; and it is said the stream of Pokfowlum burst upon a mat hut, in which were a number of coolies employed upon the new road; three saved themselves in a tree, but many more are missing, and supposed to be carried out to sea.
It might almost be a description of the 1926 flood havoc.
A photograph is published to-day showing the damage done to the Kowloon wharves by the big typhoon of September 18, 1906. The stumps of the piles supporting the wharves are all that were left, the superstructures having been washed away. Hard against the seawall is shown the American sailing vessel S.F. Hitchcock,
Page 255
Page 256
WEATHER
1096
In view of the typhoon threat yesterday, end the rain (welcome enough) a reference to one of the earliest rainstorms on record after the British occupation of Hongkong will be in order.
I am obliged to a reader at Macao for the following extract from an old chronicle of a heavy rainfall which took place at Hongkong on May 7, 1845, end although it lasted only a few hours did a great deal of damage, somewhat reminiscent of the storm of 1926:
A
"The damage was very great both to the recently- formed roads, and to meny buildings in the course of erection; and had the violence of the rain continued an hour or two longer, many houses must have been undermined and destroyed. As it was, much individual inconvenience has been sustained. About 5 o'clock, the whole of the Queen's Road, from the entrence to the large bazaar to the market-place, was completely flooded, to the depth of from two to four feet. All the streets leading upwards to the hill served as feeders to this lake. In Peel Street, particularly, the torrent rushed along, bearing everything before it, and the street still resembles a dried-up water-course covered with stones and wrecks of buildings. The passeges from the Queen's Road to the see were all full. The one leading through Chunam's Hong, for hours presented the appearence of a rapid river, and many of the houses on each side were only saved from the flood by mud walls hastily raised. About 6 o'clock the rain moderated, but for some time after the road was quite impassable. A coolie, attempting to ford the stream rushing down D'Aguilar Street, was borne off his feet, but saved himself by coming against the frame of a mat-shed.
"The drain letely formed could not nearly receive the supply of water, which committed great devastation, flooding a few houses in its vicinity to the depth of nearly three feet, and carrying away some new walls. All the open drains in the upper streets have suffered; ́ many are entirely destroyed, leaving scarcely a trece of the street. stream from a distant watercourse flowed along the road. above the bungalow occupied by the Attorney-General, and descending with great fury upon the roof of one of his out-offices, carried away a great part of it.
A
"In many places the Queen's Road has been covered with soil, send, etc., to the depth of more than two feet, and nearly all the cross-drains are choked up. The bridge at the Commissariat has been carried away, and that in the Wong-nai-chung has also disappeared. Several lives were lost by the fall of a house in which some Chinese resided; end it is said the stream of Pokfowlum burst upon e mat hut, in which were a number of coolies employed upon the new road; three saved themselves in a tree, but many more are missing, and supposed to be carried out to sea,
It might almost be a description of the 1926 flood ha vog.
A photograph is published to-day showing the damage done to : the Kowloon wharves by the big typhoon ofSeptember 18, 1906. The stumps of the piles supporting the wharves ere all that were left, the superstructures having been washed away. Hard against the seawall is shown the American sailing vessel S.F. Hitchcock,
Page 255Page 256
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