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Q. When did you send to the telegraph office your telegram informing Sicawei about. the typhoon?
A.--The message was despatched from this Observatory at about 3.30 p.m. on the 18th There was no means of communication with the City until about this time.
Mr. FIGG remarked that in various quarters there had been attempts to influence public opinion against the Hongkong Observatory on the basis that the progress of the typhoon of the 18th September had been forecast by others. It thus became necessary to view such forecasts and copies of the N. C. Daily News containing the forecasts emanating from the Director of the Sicawei Observatory have been handed to you (the Committee) accordingly.
Mr. FIGG stated:-With respect to opinions held here by many people as to the correctness or otherwise of warnings issued from the Sicawei Observatory I put in Exhibits M to M 2-warnings issued by the Sicawei Observatory between the 25th and 27th September 1906 taken from the N. C. Daily News of the 26th to the 28th September inclusive. We know that the existence of this typhoon was first notified from the Hongkong Observatory on the 25th at 10.55 a.m. At that time the centre must have been in about 15° N 127° E, that means to the East of Luzon. It passed rather near to and to the North of Manila about 2 p.m. on the 27th. It blew in Hongkong on the 29th. It was a well marked disturb- ance, in fact a most violent typhoon. It blew with full typhoon force for 11 hours at Gap Rock. The Exhibits put in show the information issued from Sicawei up to the 27th.
Again, last year the only typhoon we had in Hongkong occurred on the 30th August.. The centre passed about 4 p.m. about 40 miles to the south of Gap Rock. At that time in Hongkong the barometer read 29.24 and the wind was from the N.E. a whole gale. At 5 p.m. on this day. Sicawei issued the following:-"The typhoon is now in the neighbour- hood of the Pescadores and seems to be filling up on the spot". (N.C. Daily News 30/31 August 1905 put in, marked N and N 1). Such warnings are a positive danger to the public, they intimate danger where none exists and safety where the danger lies.
The instances are given to show that it would be unwise to place confidence in remarks issued by Sicawei even if we received them. I am compelled to bring these matters to your notice as I consider that attempts are constantly being made in certain quarters to- embitter public opinion against the Observatory.
Dr. DOBERCK-examined by Captain Sommerville :-
Q.-What is your reason for not answering attacks made in the press on this Obser- vatory? That would enlighten the public.
A.-People holding an official position cannot well defend themselves against attacks of this character.
Q.-Is there any jealousy or disinclination to accept telegrams from anywhere?
A.-There is no jealousy whatever and the more telegrams we can get the better, but we do not want such alarm warnings telegraphed to us as were referred to in Mr. FIGG'S evidence, nor would the Telegraph Company send them free.
Mr. FIGG examined by Lieut. Butterworth :---
Q.-Have you ever heard of a typhoon at Meiaco Sima coming down to Hongkong?
A.-Never.
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