formation of His Excellency the Governor-
ave the honour to be, sir, your most obedient
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX.
Secretary
servant,
The Hon. Colonial Secretary,
"THE DISASTER TO THE "WHITE CLOUD."
ENQUIRY AT THE HARBOUR OFFICE. "On 22nd September a marine court of enquiry was held at the office of the Harbour Master, for the purpose of making enquiry respecting the cirómstances connected with the loss of the 'British steam-ship White Cloud.
The court was constituted as follows:-Com- mander {{. Murray Rumsey, E.N., Stipendiary Magistrate; Staff Commander R. J. Rogers, E.N., H.M.S. Tamar; Cptain D. Bowles, of the Empress of Japan, Captain R. Nelson, of the Taiyuan; and Captain F. W. Huestes, of the Simla.
Mr. Looker (Messrs. Deacon and Hastings) appeared for the owner of the vessel.
The letter of Mr. Charles Robinson, the owner of the White Cloud, applying for an enquiry was read.
The warrant constituting the court was read. Mr. Looker-Captain Raymond is not here. He has gone down to Manila, I believe,
#
Commander Rumsey--And the owner? Mr. Looker-I saw the owner this morning. 'I told him the enquiry was at half past ten. I expect him every moment. I don't know whe- ther any of the other officers have been served. The owner said he could not find any of them.
Commander Rumsey-Oh, yes; we have got three of them. The Captain, I understand, is not in Hongkong although he has been served with a notice of the enquiry and it is a some- what extraordinary thing and a somewhat un. fortunate thing that he is not here. The Ordinance gives the court the same powers as an Inspector of the Board of Trade and one of those powers is to compel the presence of witnesses, but I do not see that the court has power to compel the presence of a man if he does not happen to be in the colony. Some interesting facts might have come out in the enquiry if the man had been here, The owner and the master came to see me separately. The owner
first, I think, and he said he wished to have an enquiry, and implied that the reason of his wanting to have an enquiry was that there had been misconduct in connection with the master of the ship and probably premature abandonment. The master sent notice that he wanted an enquiry, and he 'led me to believe that his reason for that was
that the ship was unseaworthy.
Staff Commander Rogers-How long will "this man be away ?
t
-
water in his boat
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND four officers himself, the chief engineer, the second engineer, and the captain. They left Hongkong at about half-past two on the afternoon of Saturday, the 9th instant. Mr. Robinson saw them off in a launch and told | them several times to go faster. He seemed to be in a hurry to get them away. Witness went on the bridge at about half past five when the ship was between Waglan and the last of the Lee ward Islands. There was then a moderate breeze from the north-east and no sea. He reported to Captain Raymond that all was right, and Captain Raymond told him to keep first watch, each watch being six hours. Between six and 12, when he was on watch, all was right. The ship was steering south-east at first and then Captain Raymond altered it to south-east half- south by compass. She was going at the rate of about ten and a half knots, that rate being con- tinued up to 12 o'clock. The weather continued fine with a moderate northeast breeze, just a swell but not a sea. The ship did not roll much during his watch, everything being all right up to 12 o'clock at midnight, when Captain Raymond relieved him and he went below. The next thing that happened was the second engineer coming below and telling him the ship was sinking and to get up. Witness ridiculed the idea at first, but he got up and went on deck. Captain Raymond told him to put out a boat, and he did so, but told the captain he would want some chow, and some more chow and some water, before he left the ship. Captain Raymond said it was all right; he had got the chow and He left the ship because the Captain ordered him to do so, but he did not see any necessity to leave her so quickly. The ship had a small list and he was told that two planks were out and that the fires had been put out. He did nothing more than be was told to do by the Captain, and he was satisfied that that was the proper thing for him to do. He did not think it was his duty as chief officer to take a more leading part in what was being done. The first engineer was in the first boat and he had with him about ten of the crew. This boat left at about half-past six in the morning. He should think it was little after five o'clock when somewhat a the second engineer came on deck and told him the ship was sinking. About four hours after the chief engineer had left the ship witness left with five of the crew. He had been previously standing by the ship about two hours. The chief engineer's boat had pulled away for some junks. Witness was making for the junks when the Captain called him back and told him to stand by, and he stood by about a ship's length away. The Captain left at about eleven o'clock, together with the second engineer. The Captain then said he was going to cast him adrift. Witness said he would do nothing of the sort as he wanted some of the chow, and the Captain gave him a three- pound tin of biscuts and half a bucket of water, and that was all he and the five men in his boat had for three days. He then put up his blanket and set sail for Hongkong. Soon after the Captain left, the ship broke into fire. There was no sign of fire before the Captain left ber. She then seemed all right with the exception of a list to starboard. There was a little bit of a swell and the vessel rolled a little. When he went on deck after being called by the engineer the engines were stopped. His that the ship was set on opinion was fire. The Captain told him he had set the vessel on fire so that she would not impede any other vessel coming up the coast, as she might be floating for days and days. His opinion was that the ship was abandoned prematurely. He did not consider it part of his duty to express Stephen Francis' Goepel sald he held a mas- that opinion to the Captain. He did not know ter's certificate, which was issued in Hongkong where Captain Raymond was now except from in 1890. He was chief officer of the White heresay. He went away two days ago to "Cloud. He joined her at Hongkong on the take a launch over to Manila. He had had no 8th inst., signing articles at the shipping office. conversation with the Captain about this en- The ship was lying down towards Wanchaiquiry, but he knew he got his notice. when he joined her on Friday night, the 8th September. ́ As far as he could see the vessel had no cargo with the exception of some baskets of chickens. The White Cloud had previously been plying between Canton and Macao. He did not know when she was last under Govern ment survey.
arvey. He did not see that she had a passenger certificate. The White Cloud was a paddlewheel ship with a walking beam. They of 23 aboard all Chinese and
came
Mr. Looker-I expect him back shortly. Commander Rumsey said that if the Captain came back before the court rose his evidence would be taken. If not the court could be re-opened if considered necessary when the Captain got back.
Staff Commander Rogers-Was the owner on board P
Commander Rumsey-No.
Staff Commander Rogers--He can give us very little information then.
Commander Rumsey-He can give us his opinion as to the condition of the ship when she left.
Captain Huestes-It is rather strange the man should leave for Manila.
Commander Rumsey said yes, but that not being a criminal court they could not stop a man if he attempted to run away.
In answer to Mr. Looker, witness said the vessel left at half-past two on Friday afternoon and not on the Saturday afternoon. The ship went down the morning after she left Hongkong. Mr. Robinson was on board when the anchor was got up. Witness got the anchor up and Mr. Robinson came to him and interfered with him. He got into Hongkong early on Wednes- day morning, having been three days and a half in a small boat.
[September 30, 1899.
D. B. Adamson said he was chief engineer of the White Cloud. He held a first-class certificate issued in London somewhere about 1879. He only joined the White Cloud on the Monday pre- vious to her sailing. He had been in her before as second engineer in 1884, when she was in the Canton and Macao trade. He joined her here for the trip to Manila only, his passage to be paid back. He was engaged by Captain Ray- mond. Generally speaking he was satisfied. with the condition of the ship when she left Hongkong. They left on the Friday afternoon at about four o'clock. Up to about nine o'clock at night all was well. There was not much of a sea on. Then a nasty chop of the sea came on -it was not bad weather-and the result was that the ship began to make water under the covering board and down into the bunkers. At half-past ten, when the water was not over the stokehole plates, he started the de on the bilge, and at eleven o'clock he went up and asked the chief officer to pnt the ship's head to wind to give him an opportunity of clearing out the water. The ship was put head to wind, and he cleared her of water, and st half-past eleven she was kept away on her courge again. He was relieved by the second engineer at about 12 o'clock, and at about a quarter past one the second engineer called him and told him the water was rapidly increasing in the stoke-hold. They then put the bilge in- jection on, and by so doing they kept the water fairly level. At about four o'clock, when be re- servd the second engineer, things seemed to be going on fairly well, but at five o'clock they put the bilge injection on again. Soon afterwards the second engineer told him a plank had given way, and as the water was coming in in great force he told the Captain. They could see the plank as all the inside liuing had practically rotted away. five feet of the plank had started. He agreed with the Captain as to the desirability of leaving the vessel. The water was pouring in and the fires were out and the sea was just getting up at the time. Had they stopped in it would just have been a case of foundering, and he saw that the sooner they got out the better. Witness was in the first boat which was lowered. There were ten firemen with him in the boat. They sighted a couple of fishing junks and pulled off for them without delay. It was about half-past seven in the morning when he left the ship. Wheu about eight or nine miles away from the vessel shé
was
About
afloat. At about half-past eleven they could see smoke and he thought at first it was a Hongkong steamer following them, but it must have been the ship on fire.
In reply to Mr. Looker, witness said only one plank was started as far as the engine-room was concerned. He heard afterwards that four or five other planks were started after he had left the ship. He was not surprised at the plank starting, because she was an old boat, and he heard a good deal about her before he went away.
Albert Mr. Culloch said he was second en- gineer in the White Cloud. He held a second class cerfecte issued in Hongkong in 1893. He joined the White Cloud on the Monday morning before sailing. Between his joining the ship and the sailing he went round the ship and was quite satisfied with her condition with the exception of the boilers, which were not properly secured, 'but this 'was attended to before they left the harbour. Witness described what took place from leaving Hongkong to the starting of the plank and what occurred subsquently. He said he left the ship with the Captain after the other boats had left. The Captain said he would stay to see the last of the ship. Before leaving the Captain said his duty was to see that the ship did not become a derelict and asked if there was any kerosine. Witnesa went to get some, but the Captain called him back saying that planks had gone from the ship's side. Witness brought a tin of kerosine and they sprinkled it on the deck and sot fire to it. This was with the idea that the ship should not remain a floating danger. Shortly after that he left the ship with the Captain.
In reply to Mr. Looker witness said that when he left the ship the water in the ship was 12 inches below sea level. She might have
floated an hour or two.
After a few minutes' private consultation the the court was re-opened.
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