10
LOSS OF THE
GLENAVON."
CHIEF OFFICER DIXON AND OTHERS MISSING.
QUARTER-MASTER SMITH DIES FROM EXHAUSTION.
31st December.
Yesterday morning Messrs. Jardine. Mathe- Bon, and Co., agents for the Glen line of steamers, which are owned by Messrs. Mac. gregor, Gow and Co., of London, received information that the Glenavon (Captain Pithio), which left Hongkɔng at about five o'clock the previous evening, had struck a rock when she had been about two hours at sea and gone down. The passengers and almost the whole of the crew were saved and have been landed in Hongkong. Chief Officer Dixon, and Second Steward Wilson are missing, and Quarter-master Smith, who swam ashore, died from exhaustion.
When the Glenavon left Hongkong, bound for Singapore and London, she had several passengers on board, including a Mrs. Hadley and child and two discharged seamen-Frank Lowe (from Shanghai) and John Gardiner (from Hongkong). She had a mixed cargo of of about 6,600 tons, the greater portion being tea and rice, and she carried eight bags of mails, of which five wore saved. These were sent on by the Sumatra, which left yesterday morning. Though somewhat damaged by water the addresses were perfectly legible. The three baga lost contained three parcels of mails from Yokohama, two from Kobe, one from Nagasaki, two for the Netherlands India agent, and one from Manila to the Raleigh.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
|
[January 7, 1899.
of the boats, who had landed a little higher up, | Macao bout, but nothing was seen of either and were fortunate enough to attract the atten- | chief officer Dixon or second steward Wilson. tion of a junk, which took them to Cheung
3rd January. Chan Customs Station, whence they were sent to Hongkong.
On Sunday Captain Pithie went out and found the body of Chief Officer Dixon on The first boat which was launched was in Linting Island, it having been washed ashore. charge of Second Officer Clifton and was occupied He brought it to Hongkong, and yesterday it by Mrs. Hadley and child, Miss Crocker (the was interred in the Cemetery at Happy Valley, stewardess), the discharged seamen Rowe and together with that of Quarter-master Smith, the Gardiner, four Chinese passengers, an Indian surviving officers of the Glenavon and many passenger, and four Chinese members of the friends being present. The remains were buried crew. The boat cruised about for some time, | side by side. The Rev. G. J. Williams con- as did the others. The sea was much too rough ducted a very impressive burial service at the to think of attempting to reach Hongkong in grave. the boat, as the water was continually washing
6th January, over the occupants, who were soon drenched to the skin. They ultimately met with a fishing junk, which brought them on to Hongkong. While they were oruising about they fell in with the third boat, in which were Third Officer Ainsley, Chief Officer Dixon, some Chinese, and, it is thought, Second Steward Wilson. The boat was half-full of water and the oo- cupants asked them for something with which to bale it out, but they were unable to supply them, and it is accordingly feared that "the boat has been swamped.
In the second boat,, which was in charge of Chief Engineer W. Straiton, were P. Phelps (third engineer), A. Morton (fourth officer), G. Milne (carpenter). W. Wilson (chief steward), W. H. Black, F. Salmon, J. D. Evans (quarter masters), W. Sweetman (storekeeper), Dr. Wallace (surgeon), and four Chinese. They also were fortunate enough to come across a junk, and reached Hongkong soon after the first boat.
The last boat to leave the ship contained the fourth engineer (Dougal), the lamp-trimmer (W. Clark), and about a dozen Chinamen. These, as before stated, made straight for the land, and meeting the Captain and the others who had swum ashore they all got on board a junk.
services of H.M.S. Rattler were also called into requisition. Mr. A. P. MacEwen (of Messrs. Jardine. Matheson, and (o.) called upon Admiral Seymour, who at his request kindly recalled the Rattler, which had already left the harbour for Manila and was passing through the Lyeeman Pass, and requested Captain Hardinge to proceed im mediately to the scene of the wreck.
The body of second steward Wilson, of the Glenavon, is still missing. Another launch went out to search for it yesterday
AFFAIRS IN THE PHILIPPINE
ALMOST A CRISIS BETWEEN AMERICAN AND INBURGENT FORCES.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT,]
Manila, 21st December: Relations between the Americans and Fili piuos approached nearer a orisis this morning than at any time since the occupation of Manila. As the officer of the day was posting his guards last night, the sentry on the bridge at Paco, in the outskirts of the city. was moved into posi tion on the highest point of the structure (in the middle) according to the new orders. This bridge is guarded on the city side by Americans and on the country side by the Filipinos. It is very narrow and of no importance except as marking a boundary. Up to last night both sentries walked their ends of the bridge, and when the American was moved up to the centre the natives objected, and, drawing their men into guard formation, the Americans were told that if their guards were not off the centre point of the bridge by nine o'clock the following morning they would be fired upon. The officer hurried back to town and reported the state of affairs. At nine o'clock the following morning seven thousand troops were lined up to meet the insurgent fire. True to their word some insurgenta were there, and a conference was held between the representatives of Generals Anderson and Aguinaldo. As the result the sentry was put back to the old position; the Filipinos carried their point, and the Ameri- cans had a dusty march back to barracks.
At the time of writing some uncertainty exists as to the exact location of the rock on which the vessel struck. She passed Linting Island, which is about a dozen miles from Green Island, at about half-past six, and as it was
Immediately news of the catastrophe arrived about three-quarters of an hour afterwards that in Hongkong steps were taken to succour the she came to grief the presumption is that she missing. It was at first thought that the was then in the vicinity of Shamun Island captain bed in all probability perished. The ("There Gates"). The Captain and Chief Chief Engineer lost no time in securing a Officer Dixon were on the bridge and Quarter-launch and going out to the scene of the wreck. master Smith was at the wheel. It was noticed | The Hon. R. M. Rumsey, Harbour Master, also that her bottom touched and immediately after- went out in order to locate the wreck, and the wards the crash came. The order "Full speed astern was at once given and executed without loss of time, the Captain in the meantime send- ing down below to ascertain the extent of the damage. He thought he might possibly be able to return to Hongkong, but he soon found that it would be hopeless to attempt this, as the vessel was rapidly filling up in the forehold, the water pouring in in great volumes through four gaping apertures. He accordingly turned her head towards the land with the object of beaching her, but this he was prevented from doing by the vessel going down head-first about half an hour after she had struck. In the meantime rockets were fired in the hope of attracting assistance, but they do not appear to have been noticed. The glare of Gap Rock light house could be seen in the distance, but it was too far away for those în charge to see the distressed vessel. The order to get out the boats had also been given. and notwithstanding the obstacles placed in the way by the panic. stricken Chinese, many of whom jumped into the boats before they could be lowered and of them have accommodation for passengers. | difficulty will not be grave, but if they have
had to be pulled out again, the order seems to have been obeyed with promptitude. When the last boat had been lowered there remained од the vessel Captain Pithie, Chief Officer Dixon, Quarter-master Smith, Second Engineer Boyd, and Second Steward Wilson. These, like most of those in
the boats, had provided themselves with life- belts, and when they saw that the vessel was doomed they jumped overboard. Second Steward Wilson and Chief Officer Dixon swam for the boats, but the others made straight for the land, which was about a mile and a half away, and after a terrible struggle, the sea being some what rough, they succeeded in reaching it. Quarter-master Smith was, however, so ex- hausted that he died and his dead body was placed out of the reach of the water whilst his comrades commenced to search for assistance. On getting on to the other side of the island, which they subsequently discovered to be Linting, they came across the oonpants of one
]
Since the above was written we have been informed that Ainsley has been picked up by a Chinese oruiser. so that all the passengers and crew have been accounted for with the exception of four-Chief Officer Dixon, Second Steward Wilson, and two Chinese, Captain Pithie purposes going out to search for the missing ones to-day.
The Glenavon was an iron screw steamer of 1,912 tons register. She was 360 feet long, 34 feet wide, and 24 feet deep, and had engines of 330 horse power. She was built in Glasgow in 1881, and olassed 100 Al at Lloyds. There
are a dozen steamers in the Glen line. Nine
and carry a doctor and stewardess, and of these nine the Glenavon was one.
THE CHIEF officer's BODY FOUND.
31st December.
An exhaustive search in the neighbourhood of the wreck for the missing was made on Friday but without result. Harbour Master Rumsey and Boarding Officer E. J. Meugens, together with the P. and O gunner (G. Razaret). went out in the Dragon with the object of render- ing what assistance they could to any survivors who might be found, taking with them a supply of provisions. They sailed along the east coast of Linting and then cruised about the Samoan group, but could see no signs of the wreck or of any of the missing. After passing the Samoun Islands they came across the Rattler and a launch, which were on a similar errand. They subsequently saw a launch which was towing a boat in which were third Officer Ainsley and some Chinese, who had been picked up by the
It is just such affairs as this that keep up the constant friction between the forces. Aguinaldo may be recognized or he may not, but certainly such a demonstration as was held to-day is a long way toward a recognition of the insurgents as an armed people and nation, and as such holding a conference with them.
AMERICAN TROOPS DEPÁRT FOR ILOILO.
26th December. Brigadier-General Miller and staff will leave Manila with an expedition for Iloilo this morn- ing. Notice has already been sent to Iloilo by an army officer, who left bare Saturday night, of the coming of the troops. The transports Arizona, Newport, and Fennsylvania will carry the 18th U.S. Regular Regiment, a division of the 6th Light Battery, U.S.A., and the 51st Regt. Iowa Volunteers. The Baltimore repre- sents the navy.
If the Spaniards are yet in possession the evacuated and the Insurgents are in force, some trouble is anticipated by the army. Practically nothing is known of the development of the situation during the last week. Many are of the opinion that the Filipinos are now in possession. but as no news has been received during the last six days, and the cable is not in order, nothing reliable can be said.
The general opinion is that matters can be adjusted in a very few weeks. The Postmaster goes with the troops and will establish postal communication in all its branches.
Three Filipinos who live in the opport opposite Iloilo, are passengers on Newport. They are men of influence and may be of some value in treating with their countrymen.
The great frequency of tires at Canton this season is attributed to incendiarism. It is said that one of the methods adopted by the in- cendiaries is to dip a cat in kerosine, set it on fire, and let it run into a house,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.