gust 19, 1896.]
ows For Yokohama-Dr. and Mrs. eson Wright, Major Halton, and Mr. Chae Leichtenfelder. For San Francisco Miss Belle Smith, Miss M. Hennessey, Messrs. A Chamberlain and C. H. Mitchell. For London-Dr. and Mrs. Lowson.
17th August.
In the afternoon Mr. Van Buren received a second telegram :-" The Gaelic left Shimonseki to-day for Nagasaki.”
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
miseries was added the repeated shipping of water, and the little craft had to be continually baled out. Then, again, the men were soaked to the skin the day after they left the ship, and they hadn't a dry stitch on them during the whole of the thirty-four days, and the conse- quence of this drenching was that one of the On Saturday morning Mr. J. 8. Van Buren, men lies ill in Manila, while another, who fell received the following telegram from Yoko- overboard and was hauled in again with_con- hama :-"Gaelic dry; leak stopped. Frac-siderable difficulty, is at the Sailors' Home ture between second and third watertight bulk- suffering from rheumatics. The boat at length heads. Will send further particulars as soon as reached the island of Mindanao, of the Philip- received.'
pines group, and here in exchange for some old clothing the men obtained food from the nativespi From that place they went to Surigao with some natives, but before reaching this spot they had to charge canoes no fewer than eleven times, and they obtained food mostly by dis- posing of a few of their effects. At Surigao they raw the Governor, who kindly gave them some money to buy a few necessaries and then des- patched them to Manila, where they arrived in a steamer on the 3rd August. Here they met the captain and three of his men, who had arrived only two hours before in another steamship and who had also had some exciting adventures. At one island two of the captain's crew deserted from the boat and they, like the boatswain and his men, have not since been heard of. The captain interviewed the British Consul at Manila and the ten men were sent on to Hong- kong by the Esmeralda, the captain deciding to remain behind for a while.
18th August,
The steamer Gaelic, recently ashore in Shimonoseki Straits, arrived at Nagasaki on the morning of the 16th instant.
܃
A BRITISH SAILING SHIP BURNT AT SEA.
REMARKABLE ADVENTURES OF THE CREW.
On Saturday morning the British steamship Esmeralda arrived from Manila, bringing teu of the crew of the British ship Flora P. Stafford, which was totally burnt at sea whilst on a voyage from Newcastle, New South Wales, to Manila with a cargo of coal. The Flora P. Stafford (Captain Oscar Smith) was a Nova Scotian fully rigged ship of 1,250 tons, official number 85,443, and she left Newcastle on the 22nd April with a orew of seventeen. Nothing unusual happened until six o'clock on the morning of the 6th June when a fire was discovered to have broken out in the 'tween decks. The ship was then about 224 miles off land to the eastward of the Philippine Islands. The whole of the crew at once set to work to
conquer the fire. Water was poured into the forward hatch in order to check the progress of the flames, but a sudden bursting ont of fire in one of the other hatches plainly showed that the efforts of the crew would do
little towards saving the ship. She was evi- dently doomed to total destruction, and the captain gave orders for the three boats to be provisioned. First of all the largest boat was lowered astern and provisioned, and the boat- swain and the seamen were towed in her until the 8th. On that day it was seen that the fire had got such a hold of the vessel that further clinging to her would only involve the danger of being burnt to death. It was therefore ro- solved to abandon the ship. Two other boats were lowered and provisioned. Five men joined the couple in the large boat, the captain and five seamen got into the second boat, and the first mate and three seamen manned the third.
THE HONGKONG HOTEL CO., LIMITED.
The following is the report of the Directors to be presented at the ordinary meeting of shareholders, to be held at the Company's Hotel, at noon on Friday next:-
In accordance with Section 53 of the Articles of
Assei tion, the Directors have now to submit to the Shareholders their half-yearly Report for the six months ending 30th June, 1896.
ACCOUNTS.
The profit on Working Account amounted for the six months $19,211.05 for the corresponding period of 1895, to $35,489.52, as compared with being an increase of $16,278.47.
The l'rofit and Loss Account, including a credit bal.nce of $8,175.38 brought forward from 31st December, 1895, shows a credit balance of $22,024,45 (after writing off $5,000 from Furniture Account-
As
recommended in last Report-and paying $4,574.96 for much needed repairs to Buildings, &c.) as compared with $5,668.38 at credit of the Account on the 30th June, 1895, and $2,765.31 at credit on 30th June, 1894.
It is satisfactory to note that it has been necessary to write off only $256.49 for bad debts and refunds; a very small sum compared with the heavy losses from this cause in the past.
The Directors propose to deal with the profit of $22,024.45 by writing $22,000 off the Furniture Account and carrying $24.45 forward
The ship was seen to burn to the water's edge and when she was finally left darkness was coming on. The three boats kept company until the
The Board are of opinion that the book value of following day, when a heavy squall separated the furniture stands at present at much too high a them and they lost sight of each other. The figure, viz., $82,948.14, which is due to insufficient boat in which the first mate and the three sums having been written off in the past. During seamen were was never seen again, and the last six years the average book value of the it is feared the men have lost their lives. furniture has been about $75,000, and only the sum Of the other two boats that in which the of $15,600 hrs been written off during that period, captain was had the best of instruments. They including $5,000 debited to Profit and Loss in the had a good compass and a chart, while the boat- Accounts now being put before you. The Directors swain's boat was possessed of only a broken consider that quite 10 per cent. should be yearly compass minus the glass cover, which was prac-written off furniture subject to such excessive wear and tear as that in the Hongkong Hotel. Had tically useless, and consequently bearings were
circumstances permitted this being done for the last principally taken by the stars. Thirty-four
six years on the average book value, the sum absorbed days elapsed before the boatswain and his men
would have been $45,000, or upwards of $29,400 sighted land. During that long weary voyage
more than the amount which has actu:" been put they had some remarkable adventures, and it is aside for furniture depreciation during that period. indeed a wonder that they are now alive. They They themselves never expected to survive. had to rig up masts and sails of the rudest de- scription. The foremast was an upright of a ladder and the, sail a piece of tarpaulin; the mainmast.1 was an oar and the sail & blan- kėt There was no rudder on the boat and steering. had to be accomplished an early date. with an oar. The food was poor and - scarcÐ.. The water was unwholesome;. most of it was kept in a salt beef barrel and the remainder in a soap barrel. One of the survivors said the water tasted like tar and looked like tar and was almost as thick as tar.
ood had to be doled out very sparsely in and one of the mouths to be filled was a dogs, and he came in for his share of food as regular the men themselves. To these
In the face of this the Diractors consider that it is no more than prudent to dispose of the surplus appearing in the accounts in the way they have suggested.
STAFF.
Mr. A. Fonseca resigned the post of Manager on the 30th June last. The vacancy will be filled at
Mr. C. Mooney was appointed Secretary on the 1st
May last.
DIRECTORS.
BALANCE SHEET,* 80TH
Hotel Property
Marine Lot No. 5, and remain-
UNE 1896
ing portion of Marine Lot No. 3:412,523. Remaining portion of Marine
Lot No. 7
Praya reclamation,
as per last report $12,543.17 Since paid
5,493,25
Furniture account-
As per
last report
Less written off as recommended
in last report.
Less sale of a billiard table......
Since added
Stock of wines and provisions.. Steam launch... Cash...
408-157-20
197萬
18,036:42
838,716.72
$85,628.07
5,000.00
$80,628.07.
250:00
$80,378.07 2,570.07
82,948.14
15,309.88
3,500.00
$229.09
7,019.19
-265.00 **
1,101.00.
Shares in public companies. Licences attaching to latter half of 1896 Fire insurance to latter half of 1896 Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Accounts receivable
Capital-
LIABILITIES.
28,100.44 10,400:19
$988;580.65
8,879 shares at $50 each (fully paid up) Mortage to Hongkong Land Investment and
Agency Co.,Limited
443,950,00
600,000.00
Sundry creditors
20,615.20
22,024.45
$986,589.65
Profit and loss account.
PROFIT AND Loss Account, FOR THE. SIX MONTHS
ENDING 30TH JUNE, 1896. Dr.
To Crown rent
To directors' and auditors' feas
To rates and taxes To fire insurance
To repairs and renewals To interest account
To legal expenses
To furniture account (written off as recom-
mended in last report)
To bad debts and refunds attaching to year
1895
To balance
Cr.
By balance from 31st December, 1895 By rents of shops and offices
By dividends on shares
By profit on hotel working account for six
months ending 30th/June, 1896.
$
365.90
1,650.00
2,564.26
1,102.15
4,574.96
16,546.28
78.85
5,000.00
256.49 22,024.45
$54,103.34
$ 0. 8,175.38
10,162.00
336.44
35,489.52
$54,103.34
THE HONGKONG AND WHAMPOA --
DOCK CO., LIMITED.
The following is the report of the Board of Directors of the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Co., Limited, to the ordinary half-yearly meeting of shareholders, to be held at the offices of the Company, No. 14, Prays, on Monday, the 24th August, at 3 o'clock p.m.: To the Shareholders of the Hongkong and Whampao
Dock Co., Limited.
Gentlemen,-The Directors have now to submit to you their report, with a statement of accounts for the half-year ended 30th June last.
The total receipts for the 6 months are $1,480,075.23,- and the net profit, after paying interest due and all charges, amounts to
$569,073.12 to which has to be added the balance brought forward from last account..
and from this have to be deducted--
Directors' fees Auditors' fees....
54,474.30
$629,547.42
7,000%
$616,047 42
leaving available for appropriatio
The Directors recommen that a divit Messrs. W. Parfitt and E. Osborne retire by half year of 8 per cent or 000,00
of 4 per cent, or 500, equalling rotation, but offer themselves for re-election.
$187,500.00, be paid to the sharehol of $20,000.00 to conliibuting $24,602 31-be-written
AUDIT.
The accounts have been audited by Messrs W. H. Potts and W. H. Gaskell, who are recommended for -re-election.
W. PARFITT, Chairman. Hongkong, 14th August, 1896.
Docks $25,489.98 from Com $1,486.00 from the
alne of
loon
and
lighter, that $200,000.00 be passed to reserve fun
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.