July 29, 1899.1
ANOTHER PIRACY. ON
RIVER.
DARING ATTACK -ON A PORTUGUESE
STEAMER.
CIHNA OVERLAND TRADE REPÓRT.
HE WEST means the pirates obtained possession of her. | workships cover an enormous area and whose She was well known on the river and the Tai employees mumber several thousands. The on- ping people were consequently much surprised gines-triple-expansion—are by Woods, of Bol- when she opened fire on them. She was first ton. observed some distance ahead steaming in the There will be some 50,000 spindles. Of these same direction as the Taiping, which was over- over 8,000 are already at work, whilst the taking her. When they got into close proxi-paration machinery is in a still more A correspondent favours as with the follow-boat's bows and at the same time opened fire with mity the Hungma suddenly crossed the other ing account of another daring ca e of piracy on the West River
A PLUCKY PURSER SHOT.
*
On Thursday, the 20th inst., when the steamer Taiping, under the Portuguese flag, bound from Macad to Samshai vis Kong:noon, was about Bve miles below the latter place she was attacked by pirates. The pirates were in a steam launch bamed the Hungma and ranged up along side firing rifles and a charge from a big cannon. Hooking on alongside with a chain grapnel they boarded the vessel and drove the orew below from the upper deck. They then made the Portuguese purser, Mr. Ozorio, who had resisted by firing on the pirates, come on deck, and promptly shot him in the side. With the rest of the crew under easy control they robbed all the passengers (about forty), took 37 balle of opium and everything else of any value, together with one passenger and one of the compradore's staff, and left with their booty, after having as they thought disabled the engine.
After the pirate launch was clear away the brew, all Chinese, again took charge, and the passengers insisting on being taken back to Ma- cao the vessel returned in the afternoon.
The
parser is badly wounded and it is doubtful if he will recover, but it is hoped he will, as he was the only one on board who showed any pluck. The Taiping, like many other steamers in the river trade. in order to guard against attack from between decks by pirates who may have shipped as passengers, bas bad iron rails fitted to gangway ports, stairway, etc., to prevent access to the upper deck; but the pirates now go one better and attack from the outside. boarding directly on the upper deck.
What action if any the Portuguese Govern- ment will take it is hard to say. What action has been taken by the British Government with regard to the piracy recently committed on a vessel flying the British flag is equally bard to say.
Prabably it will be nothing of any consequence. The British Consult Can- ton is acting for the. Portuguese Government st present.
The Taiping affair is the most daring attack yet made by pirates on the river. Nothing has yet been done to check these rascals in their devilish work and the evil seems likely to grow. Why do not the Foreign Powers concerned compel the Viceroy of these provinces to organise a proper flotilla of steam-launches in charge of Europeans and manned by Swatow men to police the river ?
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Another correspondent writes:-The steam- launch Taiping, which runs from here (Macao) to the West River, was on Thursday, 20th July, the victim of a daring piracy. She left here in the morning and about four o'clock in the afternoon returned. When news of what had happened spread through the colouy a great sensation was produced and many people visited the vessel. Mr. Leovadio Maria Özorio was in obarge of the launch, which carries the Porta- guese flag. Mr. Ozorio was shot with a revolver in the back, and a seaman was killed. Mr. Ozorio was removed to his home, where he is receiving medical attendance, but grave fears are entertained for his life. The pirates took sway with them two passengers and their luggage, the boxes containing, it is said, some thousands of dollars.
rifles and two cannon. The Taiping returned the fire, but when the attacking boat grappled leaving Mr. Ozorio alone, who was powerless and the pirates boarded the crew fled below, by himself and so followed them. As already back to the upper deck and was then shot in reported he was subsequently made to come the back. One of the Taiping's crew who jumped overboard was shot in the water, Hangma, it is said, two of the pirates were On the killed by the fire that was exchanged before the boarding. The Portuguese launch Va-on from Kongmoon for Macao, passed just after the piracy of the Taiping, but was fortunately not
Hongkong: 25th July, Mr. Ozorio, who was wounded by pirates in the attack on the Portuguese steamer Taiping, as reported in Saturday's issue, was still alive when the Macao, boat left yesterday morning but very little hope was entertained of his re- covery. The Macao papers describe Mr. Ozorió as the captain of the steamer, not the purser, as stated in our report. The launch Hungma (or
interfered with.
ACCIDENTS ON THE PEAK TRAM-
WAY.
through the different rooms yesterday, and state. Mr. Alfred Shaw kindly escorted a party
delivered what was really a most interesting and instructive lecture on the different pro- cesses through which cotton passes.
With regard to the "automatic sprinklers," as is the case in the great majority of the mill. The pipes run a short distance over the frames, at home, every room is supplied with them. and if a fire breaks out the sprinklers are set to work automatically when a heat is engendered sufficient to fuse a certain preparation on the pipes. The usefulness of sprinklers has вод several occasions been demonstrated at home, what would otherwise have been large fires having been nipped in the bud through mills having been fitted up with them.
The better to show how the extinguisher
works a pipe had been carried into the mill yard, where a pile of wooden boxes had been placed, the top box containing shavings. A minute after the shavings were set alight the extinguisher was at work on the fire beneath.
Au accident occurred on the Peak Tramway On Sunday, but it fortunately had no serious results. At about nine o'clock in the morning, when the car had got about half way up-near the junction between Bowen road and Planta- tion road-one of the wheels went snap. The driver at once put on the break and brought Hongkong Cotton
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and after some fatiguing climbing reached level passengers, including several ladies, alighted ground. 'he car was taken down the hill again, and supplied with a new wheel.
Another little accident or rather delay took place on Monday evening on the Peak Tramway. The 5.15 p.m. car, on its way up, stopped near. with the gear under the car, and a delay of Bowen Road, something having gone wrong
about an hour ensued before the cars could resume regular traffic. The car returned even- tually to the Terminas at St. John's Place, and a number of passengers got out and made the journey up in chairs, but most of them remained and completed the trip to the Gap.
THE FIRST CTION MILLIN HONGKONG.
AN ENCOURAGING EXPERIMENT.
Though all the machinery is not yet going, at the mill of the Hongkong Cotton Spinning Weaving, and Dyeing Company, Limited, things are in a suficiently advanced state to justify Mr. Alfred Shaw, the Manager, in inviting the shareholders to inspect the premises between four and five o'clock any Tuesday or Friday afternoon during July or August. A further invitation was issued for Monday afternoon, when a practical demonstration of the Grinnel Automatic Fire Extinguisher was given.
This is the first cotton mill erected in Hong- kong, and though it is as yet too early to say much, still as far as they have gone the promoters have every reason to be satisfied with their ven- ture. In March of last year the site of the premises, near Causeway Bay, was practically a swamp. Now it is occupied by a hive of industry which is calculated to have an important effeot on the colony. For the last two months be- tween 800 and 900-hands mostly women and girls-have been learning the mysteries of spinning cotton and preparing it for spin. ning, ring spinning," as it is called, with which the concern is fitted up, being much simpler than male spinning and only re- quiring girls to attend to it, whilst the latter requires men and boys. Though the hands had never seen a cotton mill in their lives before, they have been wonderfully quick in picking up the work, and some of them seem as much at home among the frames as do the Lancashire lasses in the
The more means of employment there are for the inhabitants of a town or city the more pros- perous that town or city becomes, and accord. ugly any new venture such as that of the Limited, should be hailed Spining, Weaving, and
with satisfaction,
ANOTHER DARING ATTACK ON A LADY.
TWO CHINAMEN LOOK ON.
We regret to have to report the perpetration of another daring outrage on a European lady. About half-past six on Monday might Mrs. Faste- wski, a German lady, was walking along Lower Richmond Road when a Chinaman rushed upon her from behind. Seizing her by the throat and! throwing her to the ground, he snatched at her gold watchchain, breaking off about a foot, but leaving the watch and a portion of the chain behind. Evidently thinking he had got the lot, and alarmed by Mrs. Fastewski's cries for assistance, the ruffian made off and is still at large. The matter was reported to the police, to whom Mrs. Fastowski supplied rough description of her assailant, and they were soon on the search, but without result. Mrs.-- Fastowski says the attack was witnessed by couple of Chinamen engaged in building a mať- shed but that they never attempted to render
her the least assistanos.
ROBBERY IN THE BOTANICAL GARDENS.
AN AMAH AND CHILD ATTACKED,
It might have been supposed that the Botani. cal Gardens, which are frequented every after- noou by large numbers of amahs and their small charges, as well as other visitors, would be free from footpads, but such, it appears, is not the
case.
On Thursday afternoon, about half past four, Mr. C. E. Osmund's amah, carrying & child ten months old, entered the New Gardens by the lower gate in Albany Road, She had hardly got inside before she felt a hand placed on her neck from behind and her hair ornamentë pulled Her first thought was that it was another amah playing with her, but she soon discovered her mistake, finding herself steadily pressed down on to her knees. On realising that she was bei attacked by a thief she told him to lake what he liked, but not to frighten the child. Having abstracted the woman's hairpins the man com- menced to pull at her earrings, but, because they did not come out very easily - and that he thought it would be imprudent linger too long over the business, he left these articles and walked
she did not see hat i ant's face as he had his back towards that she was only able to describe clothes and figure. He left the Ga same gate as the amah had ent amah met a Chinese consta or two afterwards whom she
Hongveng as the name is given in the Port- factories of Cottonopolis and neighbourhood. turned her head, bway, The ama
uguese papers), with which the pirates made their attack, had itself been pirated, but the details of this affair have not transpired. It seems, however, that the launch was formerly engaged in daily towing a large junk between Kongmoon and Canton, and that by some
True cotton machinery has been brought to such a state of perfection that really comparatively little human labour is required The machinery, in which all the latest improve- ments are incorporated, has been sent out by great firm of Platt Brothers, of Oldham, whose
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