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Eleptember 16, 1899)]
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Cavalry, and one Company of the Signal Corps. jor Wittich is in command of the troops. First Lieutenant Casler is the managing.com mander of the ship and Capt. Dorris is in full command. Arriving at Kobe on Friday even, ing, direct from San Francisco, the Morgan ** City, lay an hour there before proceeding on her voyage. Her course was through the In- land Sea to reach Nagasaki where she was due to ship coal and water A pilot was taken from Kobe and it is stated in explanation of what befel the vessel that he (the pilot) had been on duty without sleep for 36 hours on end previous | to taking charge of the Morgan City,tik -- The night twixt Friday and Saturday proved dull, foggy and rainy as midnight passed. The * difficulties in the navigation of the Inland Sea we were however safely passed for some hundred or so miles of the way. The ship's striking occurred at about 3.40 on Saturday morning, when, as stated, the transport was within 8 or 10 miles of being abreast of Onomichi. The signal of her danger was conveyed to the guard on duty by the sounding of the "Slow" and "Full Speed Astern "gongs. As it after wards appeared the ship was discovered to be working for the point of an island, on striking which, according to the calculation of the pilot, so it is stated, she would have ripped open her side and sunk at once in deep water with what result to the vast ship's company can easily be imagined. It was seen that it was impossible to clear the point so the helm was put up as hard a port and as speedily as it might. The effect of porting the helm, it was seen, would be the ripping open of the vessel's side as described... The course decided on to save this catastrophe was that of keeping the ship's head straight on to the land with the order, previously given of course for full speed astern. The transport took the land with a heavy jar which awoke everybody on board and indicated that her speed must have been but about half reduced from the time the order for full speed astern was given. The grounding brought the troops on deck at once but from all accounts there was neither confusion nor panic nor even great alarm from the time the ship first struck to the time when the shipwrecked men bivouacked under shreds of her canvas on the beach. The officers were around directing their men simply to obey orders, there being no immediate danger or call for excitement. These orders were taken in the spirit in which they were given and were generally observed. The land was easily seen from the ship's deck, the vessel being in fact to all appearance right on top of the rocks lining the shore of the island.
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An examination forward with the view of determining the state of the vessel was the first step. It was found that she was not making water and it was decided to attempt to get her back. to deep water again, The engines were set full speed astern and to aid this movement the troops were shifted from port to starboard and starboard to port alternately several times, so that the swing thus induced in the hull of the ship might assist in working her off her position on the rocks. This was finally accomplished in about an hour's time and the big transport with. her great human freight came smoothly into deep water again. The case proved the worse for the shift however. It was speedily dis- covered that she now made water forward at great rate, the shifting of the bull from its previous elevation having apparently left open a rip in her plates. So quickly was she now filling in fact that in only a short time, nine feet of water was reported foward, It was evident to the officers that the ves- sels, must go down at very short notice and the decision was taken to head her straight for the sandy beath on the starboard side several miles scross the intervening channel All the way, to this beach the ship was drawing down lower into the water, She, lowered so quickly indeed that she was soon flooded forward, and in a short time ber stoke and engine room were flooded, the fires being therefore drowned out. ⠀⠀ At the same time, the water got among the į bunker coals on one side, the result, being that the vessel was just on her last inches above water as she reached the sand. Still during this time, there was no undue commotion or con- fion, the previous good order and discipline prevailing to the end. The vessel got upon the Taft sufficient freeboard to ens
M
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT:
Chinese official
large foros
GENE AD SUS MISSION KWANGCHAUWANI
Since the Frónok, the lease of i K to them by Chin
on the subject now-a-days to West Kwangtung ande man trading the time of the previous M
chauwan was the beatly dominated not only the pirates who, by reason Hainan Island, but the whole Kangchanwan and Tonkin. affairs is still as true now.
sent safety for those bi hoard Meantime | place while, way was being made towards the contly reported that shore, the boats had been, got out, signals | to i of distress shown, and a orowd of Japanese boats brought along. By the time the trans, deve port was on the land a second time it was day. light and the landing of the men, which was at a há once commenced, was got into operation under l the most favourable conditions. The crowds of native boats which had come along to offer assistance were utilised along with the ship's own boats. The whole ship's company number. ing close on a thousand in all were on shore in a few hours. In the next few hours the ship went heavily to one side. This however did not prevent the removal of a large quantity of stores, detachments of the men being detailed- off to bring these ashore. It was in connection with this salvage work that the only casualty which has occurred in the loss of the ship took place. Toward three in the afternoon when a number of the men were in the tween decks and elsewhere throughout the vessel she suddenly began to slip into deep water. The men had barely, time to save themselves before the hull was completely submerged. As she then lay the transport showed above water only a small part of her bow, the upper section of the masts and of her fannel. This ended the matter so far as the ship was concerned, The men on shore were receiving the best of treatment from the Japan ese, and as they were able to utilise the ship's canvas for shelter and the ships stores, so far as saved, for food they made out on the whole very well. It remains to mention that the Yoshino Kan, flagship of the Japanese Squadron, offered any assistance desired in the way of medical aid, while the petty officers of the ship made up a present of tobacco for each of the petty officers and soldiers of the troops on board the Morgan City. Regard ing the supposed casualty the facts are that on the roll being called when matters were in some sort arranged on shore it was found that one man was missing. It is supposed that he had. gone down with the ship when she finally
ank.
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In addition to the other manifestations of interest and sympathy it ought to be mentioned that the Japanese Red Cross Society sent along a supply of eggs sufficient to put three round to every man, Further supplies of tobacco were forthcoming and the police made such arrange ments as prevented any interference or undue crowding by the people who came to the scene in great crowds.
Cap. Dorris yesterday proceeded to Nagasaki and made arrangements for the despatch of another transport to the scene of the wreck and it is expected that the men will be on their voyage again in a day or two.--Kobe Herald.
APPROACHING REPORTED
THRONEMENT OF THE EMPEROR,
The N. C. Daily News publishes the follow ing telegram from its native correspondent at Peking dated 7th September:-
Role
centuries ago, and the French wan, will easily be the masters of th Kwangtung and Tonkin coast. The Chine know this, but they did not at the time of the French demand, and they are now trying their best to counteract their fatal cession of Kwhangs chanwan:
The Chinese claim that the French demanded, and with the object of delimiting the be at first, a lease of only 100 li square of of the ceded region, Chon, acting, Kiangchow, and Pan, Taotsi of the Kao Lien Ching Intendancy, were sent se Commis to meet a French Commissioner, early this year. Arrived at Kwangshauwan, however, the Chinese Commissioners found that the French
were not satisfied with the mite first demanded and, in addition, wanted an extra territory of over, double the original demand "This the two Taotais, were not prepared tå they zealously went to work to find why the French wanted such an out-of-
aut but
as Kwangobauwan. Reference to; the
port. yamen records soon explained .ance.. of the place vis-à vis Hainan Talaud, Ako
and the Gulf of Tonkin, and it soon b Kwangtung coast, west of Lienchou Peningala, apparent to the Chinese Government that any further cession of islands and territory,, in the it impregnable from the sea and mainland, bu vicinity of Kwangchauwan would not only also throw the whole western coast of t vince as well as Hainan Island completely rat the mercy of the French... With Karangahau Wan alone in the hands of the French, and the neighbouring islands and mainland in the bands of a strong Chinese force, the mischief will not the Chines be so great and, with this in Government is determined not to yield to mil the French demand;
Already have the Chinese and, Franch Com- DEmissioners met three separate times, but without
result, as neither side would give way, has been the reason for sending General í settle the question, once for all like the General, whom they as he has been very friendly teous, and liberal minded in Arrangements for the dethronement of the the French on the Tonki unfortunate Emperor Kuang Heu are proceed ders, General's headquar ing space. The Empress Dowager's choice has of Chingchow to the definitely fallen upon Pu Ts'uan, the nine-year miles east of the French old son of Duke Tsai Lan, to succeed, Kuang Chinese, on the other, has Hsu as Emperor of China. This Imperial can- fidence in him as he cor didate can only speak the Manchu dialect and Chinese troops at Lis knows no Chinese, Kuang Hsn has already late Franco-Chinese wa been forced to draw up a memorial to the Em-Su, has nearly 20,000 troop press Dowager asking to be allowed to resign Chingchow who are als his throne owing to his chronic illness, vide this gives colour to Imperial decree of the 4th instant, and a pre- Dowager's last verbal tence will be made by the Empress Dowager to refuse accepting the resignation and to ask the Emperor to consider the matter again. This will be done three times, and at the third. time the resignation is to be accepted as showing the Emperor is really anxious to resign. The de- thronement is expected to take place shortly.
Here is an The troops of Prince Ching and Jung Lu will in Shanghai. be under arms on the occasion in case something dated the untoward happens. Duke Tani Lan is close the ferry friend of Prince Ching and there are doubts whe- | over daily ther Jung Lu's party will be satisfied at this for... in the way ther strengthening of the Ching faction the day, and if. appointment of, the new Emperor. Ther
with Pooth rumours that, perhaps, Russia will have some: not 1 thing to my
the dethronem.
མའ:
when he left Peking the French if nece instructions from the News
NC. Daily Never
romoter
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