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November 24, 1900.]
SHAM FIGHT AT KOWLOON.
A sham fight took place at Yaumati on Tuş. day, the Kowloon section of the defence, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Welchmar, be- ing mobilised at half-past nine in the morning in positions to meet an attack by a force whose advance guard was known to have seized the hills to the north of the Military Station and was reported to be advancing on the Dock Fort and Whampoa Docks with the object of cap- turing them during the day, Victoria being cut off from communication between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The defence was reinforced at 9.40 a.m. by two guns, 7-pounders, four companies of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and the Kowloon reserve troops. The guns of the Dock Battery were available to assist the defence, the Fire Commander being instructed to note the occa- sions on which his fire was used with effect on the assailants.
The attacking force, under the command of Lieut. Col. Teversham, D.8.0., consisting of two guns, 7-pounders, four companies of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, six companies of the 3rd Madras Light Infantry, six companies of the 22nd Bombay Infantry, with regimental Maxims, rendezvoused at Yaumata at nine o'clock in the morning, no advance being made
until half-an-hour afterwards.
The limit of operations for the attacking force was bounded by a line drawn from the Joss House through the Naval Range on the west to Kowloon City on the East.
The umpires were:-
-Lt. Col. Perrott, R. A. (senior); Lt. Col. the Hon. R. H. Bertie, R. W. F.; Lt. Col. R. Baillie, 22nd B. Infantry; two officers, H.G.A.; two officers R.A. officers, Siege Train; and two officers, 1st Bengal Lancers.
THE CAPSIZING OF THE "CANTON RIVER."
An enquiry was held at the Harbour Office on Thursday morning to enquire into the cir- cumstances attending the capsizing of the dredger Canton River during the typhoon on the 10th inst. Hon. Basil Taylor, Acting Harbour Master, presided, and the other gen- tlemen present were Lieut. Butler, R.N., and Captains G. D. Bowles, Elliot, and McMaster.
John Scott, master of the dredger, sworn and examined, said that at about three o'clock on the afternoon of Friday, 9th inst., he gave orders to the engineers to be ready to go out. During this operation they fouled their head moor- ings, and it was getting on for dusk before they were cleared. It had begun to blow and was growing worse as the evening advanced. There were three chains out at head and stern of the dredger, and it was the head one which fouled. The wind at this time was blowing EN.E. He decided to remain where he was, At about eight o'clock it began to blow pretty hard, and it was resolved to lower away the peak ladder, with a view to steadying the vessel, over which heavy seas were now washing. This was done, and about fifteen fathoms of the head chain were also slacked to keep her from drag. ging. At about one o'clock she took a list to port. The wind was still on the port bow. The vessel was taking so much water that the donkey engine was unable to cope with the inrush, one of the main engines was started to pump her, and the time then being between twelve and one. Still they could not keep the water under, and still the dredger kept listing to port. The seas were repeatedly washing over her, and she was full to the rail. It was about three o'clock when the dredger finally turned over. The pumps were stopped just before she capsized. Steam was very low then Mr. Robertson, second engineer, had previously reported that the engine room floor was afloat. The water all along had been washing right over the engine room, smashing the windows and doing other damage.
Mr. Scott at this point explained on a chart, at the request of Lieut. Butler, the exact posi- tion of the dredger.
Question-Did you know the meaning of the Observatory signals?
Answer Yes, sir, Question-You had a copy of the port regu- lations?
Answer-Yes, sir.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Question-Did you personally give the order to put on the main engine?
Answer-I did.
Question.-Were there no low deck ports on your ship you could have opened?
Answer-No, none of them could have been opened.'
Question.Were the moorings clear when she began to go?
Answer. Yes.
William White, chief engineer, was next examined. He stated that on the afternoon of the
9th inst. about three o'clock, they were going out, having loaded their cargo, when the chains to bank fires; it would be about four o'clock fouled. and they were detained. He got ordors when that order was given. The wind was high and a heavy sea running, but they were not making much water down below at this time; there was considerably more water in the stoke hold, but even then nothing to speak of. About a quarter past two in the morning he was called up, as the vessel was making water and taking a list to port. He saw there was a good deal of water coming in over the port bow. The donkey engine was not suffi- cient to keep it under, and the main engine had been put on, but even then the water gained. He came up out of the engine room at a quarter to three, on the orders of the mas- ter. The steam pressure then would be about 65, and the fires were still burning. The pres-
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sure to begin with was 120.
Question-When you came up out of the engine room, how much water would there be? Answer--Well, it was up to the fire-bars. After witness came on deck the captain said -“Every one for himself now." It would be a quarter of an hour or so later when the vessel went over. Every one had a life-belt, including the carpenter, who was drowned.
Question-Could the carpenter swim ? Answer-I could not say, but he had more clothes on than any of us.
go.
Question-He was last seen when ?
Answer I met him going down to the engine. room for a piece of waste to stop the holes in the wheel-house, and told him he had better not
Question-No one saw him after
you? Answer-Yes, I believe the captain saw him. Question-What in your opinion was the cause of the vessel's capsizing.
Answer-Well, I would not like to say; it's not in my department.
causes.
Question-Was there any explosion before the ship capsized
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"BABIL TAYLOR,
413
Acting Harbour Master. F. BUTLER, Lieut., R.N. G. D. BOWLES,
Master s... Tartar.
Signed GEO. ELLIOT,
Master ss, Breconshire, A. MCMASTER,
Mastersailing ship Sierra
Miranda.
MANILA AS A RIVAL TO HONGKONG.
commerce
which
The San Francisco Chronicle in discussing the pros and cons arising from the annexation of the Philippines, refers to competition which must take place in the race for Commercial · supremacy between Hongkong and and Manila. The paper says:-Manila must become what Hongkong is now, only greater, and it will be on American soil in Intimate communication with American commerce. Steamship lines will multiply, as they are already multiply. ing with the increased they bear. With multiplying lines and greater volume of business there must come low freights and the greater demand for the products of our labor which low freights induce. The final establishment of order in the Philippines, which will promptly follow the sup pression of that wing of the insurrection which exists in America (and this wing has now been broken by the defeat of Bryan) will usher in such an era of prosperity for the Pacific Coast, as Pacific Coast patriots have only dreamed might be realized in future ages, but which now, under the magnificent statesmanship of President McKinley, seems destined to open upon us at once.
Thore is no reason why Manila should not in time out-rank Hongkong as a seaport, When the extensive harbor works which have been sanctioned by the Civil Comission are completed, Manila will possess one of the Anest anchorages in the world.
INTERESTING TO SPORTSMEN.
The following copy of a letter has been sent to us for publication :-
H.B.M. Vice-Consulate, Macao, November 15th, 1900. 1 Question Still, as an engineer, I suppose the
SIR, I have the honour to inform you that you have some opinion on the subject.
'prohibition' against shooting parties Answer-Well, the cargo may have hung all carrying arms through Macao has been with- on one side, but there are probably two or three drawn, and that I have not advised you before of this step as I thought the then remaining restrictions imposed, chiefly the necessity of plying appersonally at the Colonial Secretary's office for a permit, destroyed in a measure the utility of the withdrawal of the "prohibition as far as Hongkong sportsmen were concerned. I now have the honour to inform you that the purpose of shooting in Chinese territory, sportsmen wishing to bring guns to Macao for
if arriving on Saturdays, can make written ap- plication to the Colonial Secretary here before- hand. They must state who they are, and what they are, also give points of ingress and egress as far as tho Province of Macao is concerned and adhere to these points.
Answer-No explosion whatever,
Captain Scott, recalled, in answer to a ques. tion said he last saw the carpenter about five minutes before the vessel upset. Before she did go over she gave a sudden "kick" the carpen ter was on the upper side then. Witness never saw him again.
Question-Could he swim? Answer-Well, I think so. Question-He was washed away at once? Answer-Yes,
Question-Would it have been of no use to make distress signals?
Answer-No, sir; the rain squalls were very bad, and it was impossible to see, it was 80 dark.
Question-Had you the means on board of making signals ?
Answer-No, we had no rockets on board. This was all the evidence, and the count then sat in private to consider its finding, which was delivered as follow:-"The steam dredger Canton River capsized and sank on the morning of the 10th inst., at about three a.m., during a typhoon. The casualty was, in our opinion, dus to the fact that the stern moorings could not be slipped, thus preventing her from swing- ing to the wind. A large quantity of water thus made its way into the port chain locker and coal bunker, giving her a heavy list, which was increased by the great weight of the top hamper to such an extent as to cause her to capsize.
2.-" We find that nobody is to blame for the casualty, and that every step was taken that should have been taken.'
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I have the honour to request that you will make this public through the medium of the newspapers of your Colony.—I have, etc.,
F. ONGLEY Beaton, Vice-Consul. The Honourable the Colonial Secretary,
Hongkong.
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Japanese coal is likely to find a serious rival in the mines of New South Wales, if what Sir George Dibbe says is correct.
Sir George Dibbs states that the Sydney Harbour Collieries, Limited, which has a capital of half-a-million sterling, has a wonderful futurs before it. · After two years of work its shaft is down 2,000 feet, and it is expected that coal will be resched another 900 feet down in nine months. There have been public rejoicings over the progress, and what Sir George Dibbs said on the occasion of these was that when the rich coal deposits known to exist under the harbour are tapped Sydney is bound to be the commercial”and manufacturing centre of Australasia, no matter where the Federal capital is situated.
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