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October 27, 1897.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The following rider was appended by the President
boat through the surf than to keep her in the open sea. The carpenter and one woman were loat from the boat. When the boat capsized II agree with the above finding in general, held on and was washed ashore.
The President-It is not likely the villagers would take the belts away when there were live Chinamen about.
but I desire to record the dissatisfaction with A Malay quartermaster was then called and which I view the following facts relating to said he was not told what boat he had to go to the doings on board subsequent to the ship in case the boats had to be manned, A second being beached, in which the other members of First, as to the loss of quartermaster, who was also called into the the Court do not concur. Court, said he had his proper boat. When the ship | logs, charts, &c. The ship was fully manned struck all the men went to their respective boats. and officered for a ship of her size, and we have Captain Hall was then re-called. He said- it in evidence that she was equipped in accord- When the ship struck her way was not stoppedance with the Board of Trade Regulations. which are generally considered sufficient. I I cannot say if the water was before the collision bulkhead. A few minutes before the ship was am also led to infer that a proper state of dis- beached I saw the water over the main deck and cipline was maintained on board. Yet, although the hawse rail must have been about level with there were only twenty-two prsus on board the the water. The bodies I saw or the beach had who were not part of the ship's company,
master states that he was himself so much no lifebelts on; the belts may have been taken from them before they arrived.
engaged in superintending the preparation for leaving the ship that he had no time to save his charts, logs, etc. Next as to the loss of life. The ship was hard and fast beached within a short distance of the shore. It was 10 a.m. in the day. All the boats got away with the entire crew and passengers and no boat need have been overloaded. But they were taken, presumably by the Captain's orders and at any rate without his endeavouring to prevent it, through a surf, which could be seen from the ship, in preference to removing fur- ther to leeward to look for a less dangerous landing. As a consequence all the boats were either capsized or swamped and in all eleven lives were lost out of a total of seventy-seven who left the ship.
R. MURRAY RUMSEY,
Retired Commander, R.N.
President.
Witness-The belts may have been washed off. Witness then made the following statement- Yesterday I made a statement about the engi- neers and firemen being anxious to get away from the ship. I wish to correct an impression that statement might have caused. The engi- | neers and firemen were no more anxions to get away than any other members of the crew; they remained on board as long as they could and behaved exceedingly well.
This concluded the evidence.
THE PUBLIC WORKS REPORT.
The report of Mr. W. Chatham, recently Act boarding Director of Public Works. on the progress of Public Works during the balf-year ending 30th June, 1897, was laid before the Legislative Council yesterday. We make the following extracts:~-~~-~-
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ANNUALLY RECURRENT WORKS, Repairs to Buildings.-A very considerable amount of work has been entailed under this heading on seconut of the ravages of white ants. Wherever practicable, the use of timber is being dispensed with, and repairs are being effected in s. ch a manner us to avoid a repetition of the damage by these destructive insects in future.
The following was the finding of the Court :— We find that the steamship Namoa, official number 65,090, of which Thomas Phillip Hall, whose certificate of competency is 24357, was master, left Amoy on a voyage to Foochow with a general cargo at 4.45 p.m. ou the 2nd October. That the crew consisted of forty-five all told on the articles; that there were twenty-three passengers on board, of whom twenty were and that in native steerage passengers; addition there were nine Chinese on who were engaged for services on board the ship, but who were not on the articles. That after leaving Amoy a fresh monsoon was encountered and the Captain decided to keep close along the land and in consequence pro- ceeded by way of the Haitan Straits and Fair- way Passage, which course. the Court is in- formed, he had frequently before followed, That at about 10 am. on the 3rd October the ship struck when in a position which cannot be defini- tely given as no bearings were taken, nor were the log books or chart saved from the ship, but this position was probably somewhere about three to fire cables W.N.W. of Brown Rock. That after striking the ship was headed for the land and about half an hour after was beached about 800 yards from the shore. That at this time the weather was fair with a fresh N.E. monsoon and moderate sen.
That the boats had been made ready directly after the ship first struck and that as soon as she was beached all bands were got into the boats and left the ship. That nnfortunately the landing was not accom- plished without loss of life. The boats went through a surf in which all of them came to grief, and seven passengers, the carpenter, and
Maintenance of Praya Wall and Piers.-A three of the crew were drowned. We are of opinion that the ship was properly found and matshed shelter has been constructed at Ward- fully manned and was navigated in a sufficientlyley Street Wharf with the view of inducing seamanlike and proper manner, and that the master was justified in taking a course between the Cow's Horn Point and Fairway Island, sud that the rock on which she is supposed to hase struck is not marked on the chart which was in use (Admiralty No. 1985), anl appears to have been an isolated rock of which no break or other warning was given. That the steps taken to beach the ship were, under the circumstances, justifiable. That the captain committed an error of judgment in selecting the spot to land. As we do not find that the loss of the ship was caused by the master's wrongful act or default his certificate is not dealt with.
Giren under our hands at Victoria, Hong- kong, this 20th day of October, 1897.
C. R. H. ROBINSON, Staff
Commander, R.N.
HENRY PIBUS, Lieut. R.N.R., Commander R. M.steamer Empress of China. EDWARD JAMES BULLER,
Master, as Chunsang. W. H. WATTON,
Master, as. Phra Nang.
Maintenance of Telegraphs.-A line has been constructed from the Police Station at Victoria Gap to the summer quarters of the Captain Superintendent of Police, which puts this re- sidence in communication with "the Central Police Station. Four lines have been renewed between the Telegraph Companies' Office and the Central Police Station.
Maintenance of Public Cemetery.-The Cemetery has been maintained in a satisfactory condition. The concreting of the paths and construction of steps leading to terraces laid out within recent years is in progress.
some of the numerous parties which go afloat in the summer evenings to make use of this wharf and so relieve the traffic at Pedder's Wharf. The pier and shelters at Tsiinshatsui are under- going general repairs.
Maintenance of Lighthouses.- Gap Rook Lighthouse has been painted and colour washed and similar work is in progress at Green Island. Dredging Foreshores.-The dredger has been employed in connection with the Prava Re- clamation Works except for a period of 7 weeks when engaged at the Kowloon Wharves per- forming some dredging for the Godown Com-
pany.
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Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in Vic- toria-The roads generally have been main tained in a satisfactory condition except that portion of the Prays where the Reclamation Works are in progress, and the roadway is un- dergoing alteration both as regards width and level. Jubilee and Queen Victoria Streets have been laid with concrete so as to avoid the frequent repairs which were necessitated with macadamised surfaces owing to the somewhat | steep gradient of portions of these streets.
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Maintenance of Roads and Bridges out of Victoria.-A considerable amount of work has been performed under this heading. The fol- lowing roads have been re-surfaced :-Shauki- wan to Stanley, Stanley to Deep Water Bay for s length of two miles, Wongneichong to Tytam, Bowen Road to Magazine Gap. Queen's Road to Wanchai Gap, Victoria Gap to Pokfulam, Wanchai Gap to Aberdeen, New Aberdeen Road.
In addition to the above, the road from the city to Pokfulam has been blinded for nearly the whole distance.
Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in Kowloon. The principal roads have been re- surfaced and the roads generally throughout the Peninsula have been maintained in good Communication has been largely condition. developed by the construction of proper roads in Kowloon, and it is now possible to traverse the greater part of the Peninsula by 'ricksha, a performance which was quite impossible four or five years ago.
Maintenance of Waterworks, City of Victoria and Hill District.-It is satisfactory to be able to record that a constant supply of filtered water has been maintained to the City and Hill District during the past dry season, in con- sequence of the extensions to the Tytam Water- works which have already been carried out. The catchwater round Mount Parker has proved to be a valuable auxiliary to the supply.
Maintenance of Waterworks, Kowloon.-The supply in this case has also been constant and the works already carried out have so far proved sufficient, though the demand is rapidly over- taking the supply.
Maintenance of Waterworks, Shankiwan.— This is a new feature in the reports of this Department and affords another indication of the improved state of affairs which is gradually The supply being introduced in the villages. of water from fountains was begun during the month of June, 1896.
Maintenance of Waterworks, Aberdeen.— The same remarks apply in this case also, though some works of a limited nature existed formerly, having been undertaken when the Paper Mills Reservoir was constructed in 1893. The supply has now been placed on a more satisfactory footing, filter beils and a service reservoir have been constructed and the works have been extended so as to bring the water within easy access of all the inhabitants of the village.
Maintenance of Sewers.The sewers have been maintained in a satisfactory condition both in the city and in the various districts and villages where sewerage systems have been introduced.
Lighting of City of Victoria and Kowloon.- The contracts with the Gas and Electric Com- A panies have been satisfactorily carried out. considerable number of the gas lamps have been fitted with incandescent burners, effecting a marked improvement in the lighting of the neighbourhoods where this has been done. A new contract has been entered into with the Gas Company for a period of five years, com. mencing from the 1st July, 1897.
Maintenance of Public Recreation Ground.- The ground has been maintained in good order. Clock Tower. The necessary repairs have been made and the clock has been maintained in good order.
WORK UNDER THE BUILDING ORDINANCE,
Plans Deposited.-Plans have been deposited to the number of 183; 5 for European dwellings, 41 for Chinese houses, and 137 for miscellaneous structures.
Certificates Granted.-Certificates have been granted under section 53 of Ordinance 15 of 1889 for 201 houses and permission has been given for the erection of 33 verandahs and 7 piers over Crown land or foreshore
Permits and Notices.--Notices relating to structures in a dangerous condition have been served in 7. cases; 1.262 notices and permits of a miscellaneous nature have been issued; and 35 permits have been granted for the erection and repair of monuments and enclosures in the Colonial Cemetery. The fees received for the latter amount to $40.83.
EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC FORKS. Improvements, Recreation Ground, Happy Valley-The additional area forming an exten- sion of the Recreation Ground has been levelled
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