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good enough, although even then their use would not appeal to one with a regard for cleanliness. But in wet weather they are always more or less dangerous and for two storied structures their use is absolutely cri minal and should be considered such by the authorities. The use of so convenient and economical an article as mud seems to have ap- pealed to the Chinese builder to such an extent that even in brick houses, which the owners were desirons should be substantial, the storm disclosed to the astonished owner mud where there should have been cement of lime and mud where there should have been even brick and
stone.
It was about the only creditable thing the storm did. It exposed the flimsiness of Formo- san houses in general and the need of reform in methods of building. An honestly built brick or stone structure would have defied the storm regardless of its fury, but unfortunately there were few buildings of that kind.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
quantities of tea owned by them have been damaged and in some cases destroyed.
Honses in some sections of Twatutia are down for blocks and in one district which had been but lately built, all the new structures are in ruins. In one street (Kohingai) not a house remains standing and much lumber which had been stored in this street because the water had not reached it during previous floods, was this time swept away.
Among the wrecked buildings is the large Japanese restaurant called Kojimaya. This building had been constructed in Japan and brought down and set up here at considerable expense. It was perhaps the best type of Japan- ese architecture in the island. The Twatutia Police gare great assistance and furnished food to nearly a thousand, and native societies also did much to relieve distress.
Inside the walled city of Taipeh the damage is not so great, the city being on a higher elevation. Still 71 houses were destroyed and The greatest damage was done near the river93 badly injured, while 10 persons were killed front and all night the shrieks of the unhappy and 11 wounded. Water came into the Govern- victims were heard above the roar of the storm. ment House to the height of 14 ft., and the When the water had receded sufficiently to Prefecture was converted into a miniature lake admit the use of a rescue boat, it was in many with a depth of over two feet. The members cases found too late; the unfortunates having of one of the large Japanese firms, Sanyo & Co., either been carried out to sea or crushed down had an exciting experience and a narrow escape. under the heavy mass of timber and mud. The The large building which they occupied had a survivors poking about the wreckage were stone foundation but the walls were of mud much affected and did not appear like living brick, and they watched with anxiety the water intelligent beings; and one Chinese well known crawl up to the danger line. At 10 p.m. it was by foreigners, in whose house some ten persons but a few inches from the mud brick and in met their death. silently wandered about, clad consequence the dozen occupants took refuge in in tattered night garments, pale-faced and
a building to the rear, the stone foundation speechless, all the world like a spectre. of which ran higher. They had been in their Hundreds of Chinese who had fled from their new shelter but a moment when with a crash houses and sought shelter in the higher districts the adjoining house, which was occupied by a returned to their homes to find them crushed to small hospital, fell to the ground. Soon after- the ground. With no roof to shelter and no wards their own main building collapsed, and food to eat, one found them; men, women, and fearing that the rear building would follow they children sitting about the wreckage, sad and made their way to an unoccupied building near disheartened In some places they were by, but this also soon became dangerous and gathered about the dead and mangled body of plunging into the water they managed to reach oue of the family which they had with the Prefectural office in safety, and just in difficulty recovered from the ruins, or they time, as the buildings they had deserted, together were bandaging and caring for the wounds of with others adjacent, crashed to the ground. an injured relative. There were freqnent As soon as the storm abated it was found that exhibitions, however, of that heartless apathy the chief doctor of the hospital, a nurse, and a with which Chinese often look upon the mis- patient had been killed instantly. In another fortunes occurring to strangers, even though house occupied by Japanese, only three escaped they be their own countrymen.
with their lives. The Government took prompt measures to afford relief.
In Taipeh, which consists of the capital city and its two suburbs, Banka and Twatutia, 1,398 houses were totally destroyed and 759 badly damaged, which means that in only this small district the occupants of over 2,000 houses were rendered homeless, although among the damaged houses there are doubtless many that can be quickly repaired. The majority of the inhabitants anticipated the danger and escaped while there was yet time. But others were not so fortunato au 80 bodies have been so far recovered from the ruins. Great numbers were, however, washed out to sea, and an English speaking Chinese informed the writer that he had been busy during the morning pushing back into the river the dead bodies which were continually being washed up on to his premises and where he feared they might strand and later canse him trouble.
Twatutia presents & very much damaged appearance. The settlement being on the bank of the Tamsui River, on low land which not many years ago as a large marsh, sustained the greatest injury. Over 800 houses were totally destroyed and over 400 badly damaged and more than fifty dead bodies have been so far recovered from the ruins. Foreigners did not escape without loss. Messrs. Tait & Co.'s large hong was badly damaged and a second building owned by them was partially des- troyed. Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co.'s old. hong was wrecked and the occupants were obliged to remore to new quarters which were very fortunately in course of con- struction and now nearly completed. A godown attached to the hong of Messrs. Smith, Baker & Co. was destroyed and the building (ccupied by the United States Consular Agent partially collapsed. In fact there is only one Foreign firm in North Formosa which escaped without loss, either from damaged tea or sugar or from injured buildings. The Foreign Club was very badly wrecked and it has been necessary to secure new quailers. Chinese, however, were the greatest losers and large
In another section of Taipeh city, the build- ings of the Appeal Court were destroyed and the Court has been suspended for a few days in consequence. A new building is being erected for the Court, but it will take many months to complete it, and meanwhile temporary quarters will be provided.
In Banka out of 1,024 houses submerged. 529 were totally destroyed and 271 badly dam- aged, while the personal casualties so far as is known amount to 3 dead and 130 wounded. Nearly all the houses facing the river bank were swept away. If anything the bouses are more wretchedly constructed in Banka than in Twatutia and though the water did not reach to the height in the former city that it did in the latter, still the houses collapsed more quickly and many who were carried down with the wreckage were not submerged and consequently escaped with but the wounds they received during the fall, whereas in Twatutia the great depth of water drowned many who might have later escaped from the wreckage with outside help.
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At Kelung. the sea in the harbour rose 6 feet abore high water mark and the streets of the village were covered to the height of a man's shoulder. Thirty bouses were wholly destroyed and forty badly damaged. The loss The large barracks of life is yet unknown. occupied by Japanese troops were destroyed and in the railway yards there remains not a single building. The s.s. Yeyoshima Muru lost both anchors and while she was running for the open sea she stranded on the rocks near the en- trance to the harbour. Many native boats, both Japanese and Chinese, were lost but the number is not known yet.
Of the surrounding villages Pachina suffered thegreatest. Here over 400 houses were totally destroyed and over 50 others rendered aninhabitable. Twelve bodies were recovered from the ruins and thirty-fire found wounded. At Pankiso. Kimpauli, Hobe, anl other vil.
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|August 27, 1898, lages in the north, there was considerable loss of property and life,
In the whole district of Taipeh, which in cludes the villages above mentioned, the losses reported up to date amount to 2,073 houses to. tally destroyed and 995 houses so badly damaged as to be uninhabitable. 139 bodies of the dead were recovered from the ruins and 160 wounded. Later investigations throughout the prefecture will undoubtedly double this number."
No detailed report has yet arrived from the South as both railway and telegraphic com. munication has been interrupted. A traveller arriving from Cochay by the sea route has, however, brought some information. From him we learn that Taichu (formerly the proposed Chinese capital, Taiwanfu) bad forty houses destroyed and that the new Prefectural buildings, the post office, and the barracks were damaged and about a dozen people were killed. Many roads running from the city were destroyed. The Twa-to and Chiok-tsui rivers overflowed, converting an area of some 25 miles in length into a lake. The entire village of Katow, which is situated on the bank of the Twa-to River, was swept away. Great damage was also done in Gochay and several small villages in the vicinity were totally demolished. The roads extending to the southwards from Tai-ka were all destroyed and it is impossible to learn how the southern towns have fared. It is believed, however, that the damage has been very heavy there also.
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The damage to the railway running south from Twatutia is reported by an inspector who returned yesterday to be very great. An iron bridge near Chureki has been twisted all of out shape and for considerable distances the line has been washed out and in some places badly. undermined. The repairs required will be so extensive that it is quite out of the question, this gentleman states, to use the road again during the present year.
I have been unable to obtain any meterological. report of the storm but the commander of the Yenoshima Maru at Kelung stated that the wind was blowing at the rate of 55 miles an hour in Kelung harbour. during the height of the storm.
ENQUIRY AT THE HARBOUR OFFICE.
COLLISION BETWEEN THE "RISING STAR
AND A DOCK LAUNCH,
"
At the Harbour Office on 22nd August Commander Rumsey held an enquiry into the circumstances connected with the collision between the steam launch Rising Star, Cheung Shing Hi master, and No. 1 K dock launch, Chan Yan master.
Mr. Robert Cooke said-I was coming from the Deck Company's premises on Thurs- day evening last, about 7 or 7.30, and cu getting near the Esmeralda buoy
I saw a steam launch coming out from Peddar's Wharf. I called the helmsman's attention to it and told him to look out and we starboarded our helm and blew our whistle. Immediately afterwards I noticed the red again and con- cluded that the other launch had ported. It was then foo late to do anything, but I ran aft and told them to stop and go astern full speed. Almost immediately after we struck the other launch abaft her port side light, say 25 feet from her bow. There was another launch com- ing into Peddar's Wharf at the time; she was on our starboard side about 6 or 70 feet off and about one and a half lengths ahead. We had eased down our engines about a minute or so before I first saw the lights of the launch coming out from Peddar's Wharf.
Surgeon-Captain Brown said--1 was board the ferry launch on Thursday evening. We left Pedder's Wharf about 7.20, I remem. ber seeing the other launch, and my impression is that when I first saw her the two boats were end on to each other. I noticed the other launch moving to port while we went further and further to starboard, until the collision took place and our boat was struck on the port side.
on
Chan Yau, master of the Dook launch, said—- We were coming from Hung Hom. When I got to the Esmeralda's buoy the Rising Star was leaving Peddar's Wharf. I saw her green light on my starboard side, and I pat my helm to
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