March 9, 1901.1
THE P. & 0. 8.8. "PLASSY."
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Naviga- tion Company's steamer Plassy, which left the harbour on Sunday, the 3rd inst., for Shanghai, is the latest addition to the Company's magni- ficent fleet of vessels, and is on her maiden voyage to the Far East. She was built at Caird's, of Greenock, and was, as far as the marine archi- tecture of the British Isles is concerned, the *first-born vessel of the century. From the time her lines were laid down till she left her cradle and glided majestically into the waters of the Clyde, was but a few months, and her speedy construction has this additional merit that she
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
passengers for kindness and consideration shown them while at sea. The remaining officers of the vessel are:-Mr. Anderson, R.NE, chief officer; Mr. Stanley, R.N.R., 2nd officer; Mr. Feakes, R.N.R., third officer; Mr. Nicholl, R.N.R., fourth officer; Mr. Beattler, RN.R., fifth officer; Mr. Williamson, chief engineer; Mr. Dust, steward-in-charge; and Dr. Haughton- Brown, the medical adviser.
The Plassy has accommodation for 130 first class, and 72 second class passengers, and has proceeded North with a general cargo for the China and Japan ports.
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deck fittings throughout were strained, and in some casestorn from the main-rail. On Christmas Day the wind rapidly increased, and became violent during the night. Strong gales succeed- ed each other, and the Madagascar was for a third time hove-down. Owing to the then pre- caricus condition of the ship it was decided to use linseed oil upon the sea, and that had a good effect, for the violence of the waves was much subdued thereby and further damage to the ship stayed. On December 26th the wind moderated. The Madagascar that day passed a newly painted ship's spar which had evidently not been long in the water, and other wreckage was observed which led to the conclusion that some vessel had
becaine practicable the hatches were opened and the cargo was found to be intact, not a single case being damaged either by salt water or during the shifting. On January 23rd, when the vessel was in Lat 21 8. Long 163) E, she met another gale which lasted for two days. This was followed by squally weather all the way up the China sea till almost within reach of port.
HONGKONG-BOUND OIL-SHIP IN foundered during the hurricane. When it
THE
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MADAGASCAR PARTIALLY SUB.. MERGED IN TWO HURRICANES.
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possesses all the appurtenances for immediate conversion into a trooper or auxiliary commerce destroyer in troublous times, as well as every modern appliance necessary for accelerating the transit of freight in times of peace. She is a sister ship to the Assaye and the So-
The four-masted steel barque Madagascar ar- braon, with the exception that she possesses rived in the Harbour on Monday evening, 4th in point of internal detail a variety of inst., from New York, 146 days out, with a full improvements, all of which tend to the comfort cargo of 83,500 cases of kerosene oil, consigned and well-being of her passengers. Her bilge to the Standard Oil Company. She completed keels have the effect of steadying her to a loading and dropped down towards the Hook on remarkable degree, and although on the passage the afternoon of 25th September last, and from out she met with heavy N. W gales in the the time her pilot left the sail till she headed north Bay of Biscay, and strong N. E. monsoons in in her southern latitudes, she encountered a the Indian Ocean with a fierce monsoon through succession of hurricanes almost phenomenal the China Sea, there was an absence of that for that season of the year. For over fiftesa incessant roll which renders life at sea so parti- days after the first spread of her canvas, cularly unpleasant at times. Indeed, the heavy she battled against adverse winds, at times weather the Plassy experienced on her way out making little or no headway, till the North- was ample test of her fitness for the particular east Trades were met with, her position trade for which she has been designed. Without at that time being within a degree of the driving her a speed of 144 knots an hour on an spot where two or three southern bound average was obtained, some two and a half knots vessels lost their sails and spars. The Mada less than that indicated on her trial trip. She gascar met her first hurricane on the night of left Singapore at half-past six on the evening 26th October when the wind veered from a of Sunday week, and was just five days coming steady ten-knot breeze
a fierce gale. up to the Quarantine Ground. Her engines are
Indications of the atmospheric change were tiple-expansion, and she carries electro-dyna-observed during the middle watch, and by the mos which light up the vessel throughout. She dawn the wind was at storm-pitch. Fortu- exhibits electric side-lights and double electric nately the premonition was sufficient to enable masthead lights, and on her tripled decks, in all hands to shorten sail and lay to, the wind addition to eleven life-boats, a steam launch showing every sign of approaching hurricane with a speed of ten knots, and, two cutters, she force. There was a mountainous ses running has eight collapsible boats for the better security which shook the vessel as she laid to it, and at of her passengers in case of need. For taking times it seemed as if she would be engulfed, cargo inboard she has, in addition to eight modern so heavy were the seas that swept inboards. cranes, two of them lifting five tons each, and the But beyond wresting some miner articles remaining six bearing two and a half tons each, of her deck gear the Madagascar ploughed and working simultaneously, an enormous steadily through wind and sea, and came out movable derrick capable of lifting 26 tons. after five or six hours practically none the worse She is a three-decker, her main or troop deck for her first hurricane. Her second was on running fore and aft with sixteen-inch scuttles 28th October, when a fierce squall struck the right round. Her hurricane deck affords a ship duri 1g the morning, and deliberately threw magnificent promenade for passengers, who can
It patrol four or five abreast with ease. On the was a moment of the greatest danger while the fore side is the Captain's state-room, the in-squall lasted, but notwithstanding the heavy ternal fittings of which leave nothing to be desired On the after part companions lead into the music rooms, first and second saloons, libraries, berths, lavatories, &c. The boat-deck is also an welcome addition to the space re- served for the recreative enjoyment of her pas- sengers, and throughout the design has been to utilise every available inch of deck space for the extension of her passenger and freight traffic.
her over till her lee-rail was in the water.
list, the cargo fortunately remained stationary, and the Madagascar eventually righted herself. It was momentarily, though, for another squall came on, and striking ber on the starboard side partially submerged her. The topgallant sails were completely blown out of the ropes. While the vessel was in her listed condition she sprang almost the whole of her deck stanchions fore and aft, and did much damage to her running gear. The wind height The Plassy is 450 feet in length, 544 feet in ened gradually during the whole of the next day, width, and 35 feet depth of hold. Her gross and heavy seas were shipped, fortunately without tonnage is 7,405. She is commanded by Capt. any serious effect. For a whole week the Captain C. F. Preston, R.N.R. who, being in possession and his hardy crew tried to weather Cape San of the necessary Admiralty warrant, flies the Roque and beating continually were rewarded by Blue Ensign. The selection of Capt. Preston making that point on the eighth day, and catch- to the command of the company's heiress of the ing the South-east Trades shortly afterwards. century is both judicious and well-deserved Fine weather that followed, the vessel picking From boyhood upwards, he has spent a life up westerly winds in Lat. 38 8., which | time in the service of the Company. He continued until Long. 59 E. and Lat. 44】 ploughed the China seas in the old sailing S. was reached on December 24th. Here the ship days when the Haddington used to be vessel met her third hurricane. She again the star of the clippers in the early sixties, shipped tremendous seas, several of them succeed and ere the seventies had dawned he took ing in heaving the ship down till the port side command under canvas, and successfully navi- was completely submerged. In this position gated his clipper vessel through typhoons she remained for a considerable time, squall and storms innumerable between the home ports after squall striking her with relentless fury, and Yokohama, Foochow, Hongkong, and Bang- When eventually the weather moderated it was kok. At the close of the tea-days, and with the found that she had a heavy list to port through advent of steam, Capt. Preston still continued the cargo having shifted. The seas had filled to run on the China coast, and has seen twelve the deck houses and the cabins under the poop, years of active service. For four years he sailed and washed overboard all the utensils out of constantly between Yokohama and Hongkong, the galley. They had burst the fresh and for a long time had a command on the Bom-water tank on the deck, and had carried bay and China line. He has become quite po pular with P. & O. passengers, and is the holder of several valuable gifts tendered by grateful
the buckets and bucket-racks overboard, while the doors were washed off the frames under the forecastle-head. The bulwarks and
Captain A. H. Smith, who is in com- mand of the Madagascar, is an old Calcutta trader and a native of Dundee, who for many years was in the jute tra le. His chief officer, Mr. D. Maclean Scott, has also had some Eastern experience, and Mr. David Thos. Williams is the second officer.
PRAYA EAST RECLAMATION SCHEME.
We have received for publication copies of the correspondence which has passed between the Hongkong Government and the Hon. C. P. Chater, C.M.G., on the subject of the pro- posed Praya East Reclamation Scheme. The letters are given below
Hongkong, 12th June, 1900. SIR-In the month of July, 1887, 1 sub- mitted for the consideration of His Excellency Major-General Cameron, then Administering the Government, a project for the reclamation of the foreshore of the Colony from the Western boundary of the Military Cantonments west- ward to the Gas Works. The project was approved and accepted by the Government and by the land-owners concerned, was sanctioned by the Secretary of State, and has been, to a very great extent, carried out and completed in accordance with my original proposals, at an expense to the Colony not exceeding my enti mates and with greater pecuniary profit and advantage to the Government and to the Colony than even I ventured to anticipate. In only one respect has that project failed to accomplish all that was expected from it. My principal object in suggesting it was to relieve the overcrowding in the older portions of the City and so improve the general sanitary condition of the Colony, then greatly in need of improvement. The length of time the Praya Reclamation has been în hand, and the steady growth of the popula- tion during the twelve years that have elapsed since first I mooted the scheme, have prevented the Colony from obtaining any adequate relief of that kind in spite of the very considerable area of new land added to the Colony, and, it will have, I am afraid, to be admitted that in the central districts the overcrowding is now as great, if not greater, than in 1887.
I have now to submit for the consideration of His Excellency Major-General Gascoigne, C.M.G., the Officer at present Administering the Government of the Colony, another soheme of the same class and character but more exten- sive, having the same object in view-the improvement of the sanitary condition of the Colony by the creation of additional building land sufficient for the erection of 2,413 Chinese / houses of the most improved construction, well lighted and ventilated, and capable of socom- modating an adult population of about 150,000 people, allowing thirty square feet of floor space and four hundred and fifty cubic feet of air space for each adult. I propose to increase the practi cally available area of the Colony by 4,227,400 square feet, or 97.03 sores. Of this area 2,665,300 square feet, or 61.18 acres, will be an actual addi. tion to the size of the Island by reclamation from the sea, and 1,562,100 square feet, or 35.85. acres will be made available by the cutting down, levelling and laying out of ground now practically useless. Of the 4,227,400 square
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