452
PUBLIC MEETING ON THE RELIEF OF TYPHOON SUFFERERS.
On Monday, 3rd inst., at noon, a meeting con- vened by His Excellency the Governor (Sir Henry Blake, G.C.M.G.) was held in the City Hall for the purpose of taking such measures as might be deemed necessary for the relief of the sufferers from the recent typhoon. His Excel- lency presided and was supported by Sir John Carrington, C. M. G. (Chief Justice), Sir Thomas Jackson, Viscount Suirdale, the Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, C. M. G. (Colonial Secretary), and the Hon. J. J. Keswick. There were also present Lady Blako, their Highnesses the Maharajahs Scindia of Gwalior and of Bikanir, the Bishop of Victoria (Dr. Hoare) the Rev, R. F. Cobbold, the Hon. R. M. Gray, the Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, the Hon. | Wei A Yuk, Dr. F. Clark, Messrs. E. Osborne, R. G. Shewan, H. N. Mody, P. Jordan, Fung Wah Chuen, Ho Fook, Lo Kining, Li Pak, Li Yau Tsem, Lau Tsz Kong, Lau Yam Tsun, Lau Chu Pak, Au Yen Tin, Ho Lai Shang, Leung Pui Chi, and others.
His EXCELLENCY said-Your Highnesses, ladies and gentlemen: I have asked you to meet me here to-day for the purpose of considering what measures shall be taken to alleviate the distress caused by the typhoon of the 10th November. We all remember with what equani- mity one saw the typhoon come hoisted on the 8th November, and ́even when the red ball was changed to black and the cone was changed to a drum people went about their business quite satisfied that one would have nothing more than perhaps a severe gale. The fishing boats left the harbour, and on looking out that on the evening of the 9th I saw while the black cone was hoisted still the junks were moored in their usual places off Yaumati and Mong-kok-tsui, and not collected in the shelters, as they would have been in the previous month after a similar warning. The fact was that nobody believed that we were going to have a bad typhoon in November. But as the evening closed in and the night wore on we realised that a fierce typhoon held us in its grip, and at daybreak next morning the minute guns of Her Majesty's ship Sandpiper told their tale of distress and were gallantly responded to by Her Majesty's ship Otter, which, ably handled by Commander Wilkin, saved the crow of the Sandpiper with the exception of one unfortunate man, only a few minutes before she sankathermoorings (applause)—and the waves surging right up to and over the Kowloon godowns showed in what a furious sea the fleet of junks, hidden by the blanket of mist, wera straining. When the typhoon was passed and launches could live, I went over that Yau- mati shore and I shall never forget the scene of desolation that met my gaze. A mass of debris, consisting of shattered launches, junks, and boats, lined the shore. In that one night 20 launches and over 200 junks and boats were shattered, while ashore houses were blown down and mat-sheds utterly demolished. In that night in this harbour the police returns collected a few days afterwards showed that between 90 and 100 lives were lost, but that was not the full tale, for the Captain of one of the Canton boats saw sunk close by on the other side of Stonecutter's Island two junks with 20 people on board, not a soul of whom was saved nor have their bodies been recovered. That night was not without its gallant deeds there, and among those gallant deeds never was a case in which a hero met death more bravely than the Naval Yard Policeman Duncan, who, seeing two Chinese women in a sampan, which was being dashed against the wall of the Torpedo Depot at Kowloon, jumped into the sampan and in a vain attempt to save them perished with them. Im- mediately after my return from Yanmati I sent to the Chairman of the Tung Whs Hospital to ask what could be done to discover the people who had suffered through the loss of their boats, and I found that the Directors of the Tung Wha Hospital had already started on their errand of mercy two launches to assist the distressed and to recover the bodies of the drowned. (Applause), I asked these gentlemen to find out for me before we attempted to solicit subscriptions what actually had taken
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
OWJ
were
[December 8, 1900.
His EXCELLENCY expressed his thanks for the compliment paid him and the proceedings terminated.
We are requested to state that subscriptions to the fund in aid of the sufferers from the re- cent typhoon can be paid to the honorary tres- surer or any other member of the committee appointed at the meeting held on the 3rd inst., viz., Sir Thomas Jackson (hon. treasurer), the Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary), the Hon. C. P. Chater, C.M.G., the Hon. J. J. Keswick, Mr. Fang Wah Chuen, Mr. Ho Fook, and Mr. Lo Kun Ling.
Subscriptions can also be paid at the estab- lishments of Messrs. Lane, Crawford & Co., Id., coner & Co., Messrs. C. J. Gaupp & Co., Messrs. Kelly & Walsh, Ld., Messrs. G. Fal- at the Hongkong Club, the Club Lusitano, and the German Club.
place, the people who really
in | Chinese present would appreciate the very distress and the number of boats that were great sympathy and kindness His Excellency lost. I believe they have done this and that had shown towards the sufferers from the Mr. Lo Kin Ting has at the present moment typhoon, and he was sure that the Chinese that list in his possession. It therefore re- would co-operate with the greatest heartiness mains for us to arrange to assist in subscribing in collecting subscriptions. They had already a sufficient amount of money to relieve the had a few thousand-$7,000-promised (ap distress of these poor people. I know there plause) and he was sure that when it was would be no difficulty about the matter, for the generally known that the European community European public of Hongkong are always had taken such a hearty sympathy in the matter generous in subscribing, and I am sure they the subscriptions from the Chinese would come will be equally generous in subscribing to in rapidly. alleviate the distress of the people who have colony. (Applause.) suffered in our
the immediate vicinity of the Outside harbour of Victoria, I find on enquiry that I went many lives and boats have been lost down to Lantan, and I found that the day be- fore the typhoon a fishing fleet of 17 junks with 87 souls on board left Tai-Ho, on the South of Lantau, and that of that number not one ever returned. Six people from a village to the east of Tai-Ho were lost and 17 junks and boats In Mira Bay at Sha-Tan-Kok, destroyed. which I visited a few days ago, three people were drowned, and in a village close to Taipo-ha 36 boats were entirely destroyed. Iu a fishing population the destruction of a man's boat means the destruction of his home, and there must be considerable distress which I have no doubt will be met and alleviated in a very short time by the subscriptions that I ask you and the public of Hongkong to give. I know that the Chinese community are always ready to help their people. No people on earth are more ready as far as I have seen. Up to the present they have seen that no person has died of starvation or felt any great want. To enable these people to replace their junks Friday, the 30th ult., being St. Andrew's Day and boats we shall require about five and the annual ball promoted by the St. Andrew's twenty thousand dollars.” That is not a large | Society of Hongkong took place in the City sum, and I have no doubt it will be very roadi-Hall. In the early days of the colony, when I have pleasure in telling the European residents were limited, a cordial ly subscribed.
invitation was extended to practically all, but as the white population of the colony increased the ball-rooms became more and more crowded until the committee have been compelled to keep the invitations within bounds. We under- stand that about a thousand were sent out, and they were readily responded to. Unlike most functions of the kind, even the non-dancing man can spend a pleasant hour or so at this great Scottish re-union. Independent of the accommodation provided for them down. stairs, where they can enjoy a rubber with their friends, it is interesting to watch the dancers flitting to and fro. The beautiful dresses of the la lies, intermingled with the sombre evening dress of the civilian and the brilliant uniforms of the Navy and Army men, present a spectacle well worth witnessing. The effect is still fur- ther enhanced by the garb of ancient Gaul worn by quite a number of those present.
you that Their Highnesses the Maharajahs Scindia of Gwalior and of Bikanir, who have done me the honour of coming here to-day, have each generously subsoribed £25. (Applause). Now I have nothing more to say but to propose that the following gentlemen shall collect for this fund, namely, Mr. Stewart Lockhart, Mr. Chater, Mr. Keswick, Sir Thomas Jackson, Mr. Fung Wah Chuen, Mr. Ho Fook and Mr. Lo Kin Ting. I am sure that amongst these gentle- men the collections will be very readily taken up. I have not asked Mr. Keswick, but I have no doubt he will respond to my suggestion (Mr. Keswick nodded assent)-to form one of this body of gentlemen, because Mr. Keswick is always ready and willing to come forward when there is a good work to be done. (Applause.) If these gentlemen will kindly undertake to collect, the information which is now in the posession of Mr. Lo Kin Ting can be laid | before them, and they can decide on the amount of money to be given in each case.
Sir JOHN CARRINGTON, in seconding the proposition, said he was quite sure that, matter without going into detail in this again, they all sympathised very much with the Chinese floating population especially, this great disaster. who had suffered in He believed that, as his Excellency had said, the community of Hongkong, both Chinose and European, would have great pleasure in
The only suggestion, coming to their aid. he had to make was that although the Eu- ropean gentlemen on the committee would not be in a position to know the right appropria- tion of the fund raised, still it would be much better to lay the responsibility on the whole of the committee, the European gentlemen | acting in concert with the Chinese gentlemen, who no doubt would enlighten them as to the right appropriation. He supposed it was not contemplated that there should be any other public meeting or committee appointed. This committee, he understood, would be charged with the collection of the fund and also with the distribution of the fund when it had been collected.
The motion was put and carried.
His EXCELLENCY-I thank you very much for your attendance here to-day. I have no doubt whatever that in a very few days the amount which is necessary will be subscribed.
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI, in proposing a vote of thanks to His Excellency for taking the matter up on behalf of the Chinese, said the
|
|
ST. ANDREW'S BALL.
As in previous years the whole of the rooms in the City Hall were pressed into service-the halls as ball-rooms, the library as card-room. and bar, and the theatre as supper-room. No ono who has attended previous gatherings of the kind could fail to be struck with the have been the de- fact that, elaborate as corations heretofore, they were excelled this year. The most noticeable feature after one had emerged from the luxuriant mass of green- ery in the vestibulo was a huge thistle outlined with electric lamps of different hues. This was at the head of the grand staircase and excited general admiration. Beneath was an immense mirror partly embowered in plants, and the windows above were draped with the Royal Standard, the effect being enhanced by tro- phies of brightly burnished swords. Further ovidence of the character of the gathering was seen in the St. Andrew's shields, with thistles, which adorned the walls of the second staircase. The top landing was a veritable bowery, enlivened by flags and trophies of different kinds. Coming to the ball-rooms, one who had attended the ball before no
St. required to be told that exceptional care had been bestowed on their decoration. Andrew's Hall in partionlar looked consider sbly better than heretofore. At the far end of the room was the Scottish Cont-of-Arms surmounted by the Royal Coat-of-Arms and a view of Hongkong Harbour, the whole being draped with blue and red ensigns. The portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh at the other end of the room was between a huge Scottish
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.