The new hospital when completed had accommodation for one hundred patients. The establishment of a free hospital by public subscriptions was first mooted in 1882, and from the beginning it was proposed to place it under the control of the London Missionary Society on condition that it be permanently used as a free public hospital open to persons of all nations and of every creed.
The Society subscribed $14,000 for the site, Dr. Ho Kai defrayed the cost of erecting the building, and Mr. E.R. Belilios donated $5,000.
Reference is made in contemporary records to the opening of the Alice Memorial Hospital on February 16, 1887, at the corner of Hollywood Road and Aberdeen Street, after designs by Messrs. Bird and Palmer. It is also noted that Drs. Manson, Artigan, Young, and Jordan devoted an hour each day to attendance at the hospital, giving their services gratis.
This institution remains to-day, a tribute alike to a fine Chinese gentleman and to those pioneers of medical work on behalf of the Colony's poor.
A correction:
In the reference to the career of Sir Kai Ho Kai yesterday, I inadvertently referred to the offer of the post of Acting Magistrate, made to him in 1888, as promising the first appointment of a Chinese as a magistrate in Hongkong. I had overlooked the fact that the celebrated Mr. Ng Choy (afterwards better known as the Minister Wu Ting-fang) was not only the first Chinese ever to have been called to the English Bar and to have been admitted locally, but was also the first and only Chinese police magistrate in this Colony, being appointed to act in that capacity in 1880.
A very old resident also forwards a reminder that Sir Kai Ho Kai was reputed to be the first Chinese ever to adopt European wear.
The old Hongkong Hotel building, shown in this photograph, was so badly damaged by the big fire of New Year's day, 1926, that it was evacuated and eventually the site was sold. The damage done in that fire, it may be added, was estimated at $2,500,000; and among the Naval helpers was Prince George, then a Sub-Lieutenant serving on the China Station. In visualising the modern hotels of the Colony, with the Peninsula Hotel at Kowloon forming one of the finest structures of its kind in the East, one can imagine the olden type of building that served as a hotel in the pioneer days of the Colony. Originally, there must have been places little above the "hotels" of backwoods regions, and seafaring men of fifty years ago, and more, could tell of premises which were little more than glorified public houses.
The old records take us right back to 1841, and we find that, as could be expected, a hotel opened its doors in the first year of British occupation. This was known as Lane's Hotel, and remained in business up to 1843. Other places which operated hotels thereafter had a somewhat chequered career, and it is not till the Eighties that one finds a more pretentious kind of establishment, such as the Waterloo Hotel, run by a Mr. Lopes, which started in 1884, and the Commercial Hotel, which opened its doors the same year under Mr. Maclehose. The Hongkong Hotel, of course, stood in a class by itself, about this time. Later came such places as the Grand Hotel, up to less than two decades ago operating in a building on the site of the present National City Bank at the bottom of Duddell Street; and of more recent memory the Astor House, renamed the Saint Francis. The Carlton, half-way up the steeper part of Ice House Street, suffered from fire about twelve years ago, and the unburned portion is now a...
3.
The new hospital when completed had accommodation for one hundred patients. The establishment of a free hospital by public subscriptions was first mooted in 1882, and 'from the beginning it was proposed to place it under the control of the London Missionary Society on condition that it be permanently used as a free public hospital open to persons of all nations and of every creed.
The Society subscribed $14,000 for the site, Dr. Ho Kai defrayed the cost of erecting the building, and Mr. E.R. Belilios donated $5,000.
Reference is made in contemporary records to the opening of the Alice Memorial Hospital on February 16, 1887, at the
orner of Hollywood Road and Aberdeen Street, after designs by essrs. Bird and Palmer. It is also noted that Drs. Manson, Artigan, Young and Jordan devoted an hour each day to attendance
the hospital, giving their services gratis.
This institution remains to-day, a tribute alike to a fine Chinese gentleman and to those pioneers of medical work
behalf of the Colony's poor.
A correction:
In the reference to the career of Sir Kai Ho kai yesterday, I inadvertently referred to the offer of the st of Acting Magistrate, made to him in 1888, as promising
e first appoint ment of a Chinese as a magistrate in Hongkong. I had overlooked the fact that the celebrated Mr. Ng Choy
499
(afterwards better known as the Minister Wu Ting-fang) was not only the first Chinese ever to have been called to the English Bar and to have been admitted locally, but was also the first and only Chinese police magistrate in this Colony, being appointed to act in that capacity in 1880.
A very old resident also forwards a reminder that Sir Kai Ho Kai was reputed to be the first Chinese ever to adopt European warb.
The old Hongkong Hotel building, shown in this photograph, s so badly damaged by the big fire of New Year's day, 1926, at it was evacuated and eventually the site was sold. The mage done in that fire, it may be added, was estimated at w2,500,000; and among the Naval helpers was Prince George, then a Sub-Lieutenant serving on the China Station. In visualising the modern hotels of the Colony, with the Peninsula Hotel at Kowloon forming one of the finest structures of its kind in the East, one can imagine the olden type of building that served as a hotel in the pioneer, days of the Colony. Originally, there must have been places little above the "hotels" of backwoods re- gions, and seafaring men of fifty years ago, and more, could fell of premises which were little more than glorified public
suses. The old records take us right back to 1841, and we find
at, as could be expected, a hotel opened its doors in the first ar of British occupation. This was known as Lane's Hotel, and remained in business up 1843. Other places which operated hotels thereafter had a somewhat chequered career, and it is not til the Eighties that one finds a more pretentious kind of establishment, such as the Waterloo Hotel, run by a Mr. Lopes, which started in 1884, and the Commercial Hotel, which opened its doors the same year under Mr. Maclehose. The Hongkong Hotel, of course, stood in a class by itself, about this time. Later came Fuch places as the Grand Hotel, up to less than two decades ago
pe rating in a building on the site of the present National City ank at the bottom of Duddell Street; and of more recent memory the Astor House, renamed the Saint Francis. The Carlton, half- way up the steeper part of Ice House Street, suffered from fire about twelve years ago, and the unburned portion is now a
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.