238
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
It was generally supposed that she would feel! the full effects of the typhoon on her way up to Singapore and no one would have been surprised if she had not been signalled until yesterday. She had rough weather during the last two days of the voyage, but hap- pily she escaped injury of any sort. The stormy weather commenced on the night of the 16th inst., the wind being so strong that the vessel had to be stripped of her awnings. The wind increased in violence and the sea became more confused, the crew's quarters being flooded early the following morning, while a sheep pen was smashed by the heavy seas that washed over the boat. The rough weather continued until Hongkong was reached, so that the passengers had anything but a pleasant time. The crew worked splendidly during the storm and every- thing was done to ensure as much comfort for the passengers as was possible under the circum-
stances.
The Arratoon Apear, from Calcutta, arrived on the morning of the 19th Sept. after a most exciting voyage. The vessel was unfortunate enough to encounter the full force of the typhoon and it was only by dint of persistent hard work on the part of the captain and his officers that the boat arrived here safely. Light variable winds were experienced until the 16th inst., when a strong northerly wind set in and developed into a typhoon. The seas were tremen- dongly high and the vessel laboured heavily, sometimes appearing as if she was stand- ing on her nose. Heavy seas washed over the vessel again and again and for four- teen hours the boat was put head to sea. There were about 230 Chinese passengers on board and they were of course battened down, while the four or five European passengers had a terribly rough experience, their cabins be- ing repeatedly flooded. At one time the fires in the engine room were seriously threatened with extinction. The stoke hole was filled with water to the depth of two or three feet, and with each lurch of the ship the stoke hole plates were lifted, the firemen thus having consider able difficulty in their work. For hours part of the crew were in the engine room baling out the water, and it can well be imagined that the -task was a most trying, and exhausting one
However, the men stuck to their work so well that the fires remained intact. On the main and upper decks the heavy seas wrought an extraordinary amount of damage. Two boats were washed away and another was stove in by the powerful waves, a singular incident in connection with this being that one of the davits, which reached from the
upper to the main deck, a distance of about eight feet, was lifted right out of its socket into the sea. The skids of the life rafts were smashed and the rafts jumbled in a heap on the deck, the steam pipes leading to the winches and wind- lass were twisted and broken, a portable galley used by the native crew was carried from the forward part along to the main batch, and a 400 gallon fresh water tank was washed over. board from the main deck. In its career the tank smashed against a ladder leading to the upper deck and crashed into a door leading to the saloon. This was a most alarming occurrence. The water at once rushed through the broken door and poured into the saloon and filled the cabins. At one time the water was flush with the saloon table, and a piano which was fixed in the room was torn to pieces and it then floated on the water. Five of the after ports were also carried away. The passengers had a terribly anxious time. The water rushed into the cabins on one side and the next minute it would be swirling round the cabins on the opposite side, soaking every particle of clothing the unfortunate passengers possessed. One of the passengers was a lady and she had to go ashore on Sunday wearing wet clothes, while her little boy was dressed in a pair of pyjamas. The deck of the steamer presented a curious appear auce on Sunday afternoon. Innumerable suits of clothes, ladies' dresses, carpets, packs of cards, cushions, books, and a bewildering assort- ment of odd things were strewn on the deck or hung up on lines drying in the sun, while boats, life rafts, steam-pipes, broken doors, were lying in a state of dis. order in various parts of the vessel. The Voyage was indeed a memorable one and the passengers and crew are not likely to forget their experience of the typhoon,
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The P. & O. Brindisi, which arrived on the 18th, encountered the storm at the Paracels and sustained deck damage. Happily no one was injured.
the
WIFE MURDER IN HONGKONG.
THE ACCUSED AT LARGE.
that the woman
A wife murder was committed in Hongkong on Saturday night. About seven o'clock Chi. nese Police Constable No. 308 was on special duty in Praya West when be found a woman lying at the door of a house at No. 151, Praya West bleeding from a wound on the left side of the throat. The constable blew his whistle and Police Constable 180 soon came on the scene. One of them then went to West Point police station and there informed Inspector Hennessey and Sergeant Gauld of the discovery. These officers at once hastened to the house and
found the Inspector, was dead. The father and mother of woman just then arrived at the house and they told Inspector Hennessey that the husband had murdered the woman and had The gone over to Tsimtsatsui or Yaumati, officer at once despatched P.C. 308 and another Chinese constable over to the mainland with instructions to arrest the husband if possible and then went back to the police station and telephoned an account of the occur- reuce to all the police stations in the colony, Sergeant Gould meanwhile removing the body to the mortuary. The precise details of the caso are not yet known, but it appears that the woman, who is about 21 years of age, is known by the name of Chau Tsai Kin. Up to about three months ago she resided with her husband at Cheung Sha Wan village, near Samsnipo. She then came to Hongkong and it is said that her conduct was such as to make her husband very jealous of her. She lived in various houses and was last seen alive at No. 151, Praya West a few days ago, and since then she had been living with her mother at No. 12, East Street. About six o'clock on Saturday night she left the house and it is believed she then went No. 151,
where Praya West,
her husband. who stabbed her in the throat outside the house. Why she went there an how he knew she was there
is not yet known. Unfortunately the search for the husband has as yet been fruitless. Two detectives went on Saturday night to the house of the accused's brother at Cheung Sha Wan, but the wanted man had not then been there and the detectives went away searching else. where.
Soon after they left the accused man visited the house, but the police were not informed of the visit until after he had gone away and he still remains at liberty. It will therefore be useful to give the man's description. His name is Won Heung. He is about 28 years of age, and is a native of Tung Kun, but for some time past has been living at Cheung Sha He is thin and of medium height, and has small black marks on his face. It is believed that he committed the murder with a weapon something like a butcher's knife. Early yesterday morning Inspector Hennessey visited the scene of the tragedy and found quite close to the house a knife of this description. The blade, which was considerably bent, had turned rusty after having been in the rain.
Wan.
to she met
There was an interesting law case before the Police Court on the 25th of August, says the Korean Independent, and the defendant won the case by the logical argument which he made Cho before the Court on his own behalf. Boksun of Waugsimni came to the town with He hitched his animal on his pony on business. the tree by the road side and went away to During his absence the attend to his errand. pony became unhitched and walked round the street. The pony saw a bull standing near by and went to it for a fight. The bull became angry at the impudence of the pony and gave it a good butting which resulted in its death. The owper of the dead pony sned the bull driver for damago before the Police Court and at the trial the defendant claimed that his bull killed the pony for self-defence. The Court "nol, pros, the case.
[September 23, 1897. HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
At the monthly meeting of the General Com- mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce held at 3 p m., on the 10th Septem- ber:-Present:-Messrs. R. M. Gray (Chair- man), Herbert Smith (Vice-Chairman), J. J. Bell-Irving, T. Jackson, N. A. Siebs, T. H. Whitehead, and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary.)
MINUTES.
The minutes of the last monthly meeting and of the special meeting of the 3rd Septem. ber were read and confirmed.
NEW MEMBERS.
Messrs. H. H. Kirch & Co. and the China Sugar Refining Co., Limited, had been elected members during the month.
THE EASTERN MAIL SUBSIDY. In accordance with decision come to at last meeting, a letter was addressed to the Post- master-General on the 17th ult, asking him to make another application to the General Post Office for certain information required by the Sub-Committee, and, on the 18th idem a reply (read) was received stating that the request had been complied with.
OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF BRITISH FIRMS AT NEW TREATY PORTS. In connection with the refusal of the British Consular Agent at Shashih to register Messrs. A. S. Watson & Co.'s branch at Shashih as a British firm without further information, the Chamber had, at the request of Messrs. Watson & Co., addressed H.B.M.'s Consul-General at Shanghai, and, on receiving a letter from Sir Nicholas Hannen regretting his inability to render assistance, bad since laid the matter before H.B.M.'s Minister at Peking.
THE REGISTRATION OF TRADE MARKS. Read letter from Messrs. H. H. Kirch & Co., dated 20th August, as agents for Messrs. Marsland, Son & Co., of Manchester, supplying details of the case of infringement of trade mark, and expressing a hope that the Com! mittee would give the question of registration their further consideration.
The question was discussed at some length, and it was resolved to address the Government on the subject.
LEKIN TAXATION IN THE TWO KWANG. Read correspondence now passing between the Chamber and the British Consul at Canton on the above subject, including letter from the latter dated 28th ult, already published in local Press.
THE DANGEROUS COAST OF SOCOTRA, The Secretary reported that copies of the Chamber's letter to the President of the Board of Trade (already published) had been forwarded to the local Government, to the Shanghai, Yokohama, Singapore, Colombo, and eighteen British Chambers of Commerce.
Read letter from Singapore Chamber acknow- ledging receipt of above and enclosing copy of their own letter on the same subject to the Government of the Straits Settlements (with inclosures), recommending the erection of a light.
TRANSIT PASS GUARANTEE pund. The guarantee signed 19th September, 1894, for the purpose of making trial consignments of goods to the inland markets in the two Kwang had been duly cancelled and circulated among the signatories.
MISCELLANEOUS,
Sundry requests for information and arbitra- tion were then considered.
The meeting then terminated.
(Correspondence.)
TRADE MARK REGISTRATION,
Hongkong, 20th August, 1897. The Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce.
Dear Sir,--From the reports of the last meeting of your committee we notice that, in answering Messrs. Marsland, Son & Co.'s com- plaints, re infringement of one of their trade marks, forwarded through the Secretary of State for the Colonies, you informed them that a registration of trade marks is already in ex- istence in this colony, and that their complaints were too vague to go further into the matter,
As local agents of Messrs. Marsland. Son & Co. will you permit us to bring all the facts of the case before you, and we venture to hope
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