46
;
would require to be c longer and, we presume
ity than those which do service Amsterdam, These are not insurmountable? obses, however; and if the mains can be kept clear of the anchors of the shipping, there seems to be no reason why Hongkong should not find salvation in such exceptional menus, adopted to meet an exceptional cas. Nothing at any rate would be lost by obtaining expert opinion on the subject. The Amsterdam subaqueous service was, it may be mentioned, carried out by Messrs. FELTEN & GUILLEAUME, of Mülheim-on- Rhine.
NEW TYPE OF CARGO-BOAT
IN HONGKONG.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
indeed a ship to be proud of; and when in 'New York harbour-she has been chartered by the way, by the American Government, and is going to Manila with stor. s-she quite opened the eyes of the shipping people there.
There is at present lying in the Harbour a type of vessel whose peculiar construction makes probable a revolution or at least D radical conversion to present-day re quirements, in the cargo-carrying steamor. She is the turret ship Poplar Branch, owned and built by the firm of Doxford, Sunder- land, whose patent she is, and who have another identically similar vessel in the Lime Branch. With a length of 410 feet, a beam of 60 feet, and a draught of 23ft 6in., the Poplar Branch. whose gross registered tonnage is 5,380.55 and net registered tonnage 3,472.53, bas a total available cargo space of n less than 12,931 tons reckoned at 40 cubic feet to the ton, a measure- ment equal to that followed in the storage of water, and one which makes the vessel's carry- ing capacity, therefore, almost deadweight. It is difficult to convey in cold type the great utility of the steamer as a colossal cargo-carrier, but this is at once apparent even to the layman in a glance at her deck, which runs flush right fore and aft; and if the inspection be carried still further and a visit made to the immense "shaded" main deck, where several thousand tons of light cargo can be stored, the possibilities of the vessel in the direction indicated become even more apparent. The term "shaded" as applied to the main deck of a steamer may appear a peculiar one, but stripped of technicality it means simply that the deck, unlike those of other steamers, cargo or passenger, is not
but built in ou open, all sides, thus affording, as has been said, ample accommodation for the storage of such light cargo as graio, etc. Along this main deck are five hatches in which heavy material shipped as cargo is disposed, and rmidships is a large water ballast tank with a capacity of 2,800 tons; this tank, when the demands of trade necessitate it, can be emptied and the place of the water taken by more cargo. Where the structural peculiarity of the Poplar Branch is more apparent, apart from her bulging sides near the water-line, such as those which characterise the P. & O. s.s. Banca, is in her flush deck, along which are ranged five pairs of derrick posts to which derricks are rigged when cargo is to be discharged. Here again another advantage is possessed by the Poplur Branch over other steamers-her cargo can be unship ped with the highest degree of rapidity, and its -discharge is facilitated still further by the opening of the ten large ports or doors constructed five on each side of the steamer's length. These derrick-posts give the vessel an odd
and in England she appearance, jocularly dubbed "the ten-masted steamer." On this flush deck are being carried two seventy-ton lighters, one fore and the other aft, and the lifting capacity of the derricks may be judged from the fact that these lighters will be unshipped bodily. Whilst making no pretence to being a flyer," the_triple: expansion engines of the l'oplar Branch can drive her through the water at the rate of twelve knots an hour, a spced which causes the consumption of 35 tons of Welsh coal per day. However, the saving of coal is no object of the owners, whose orders are that the vessel is to be kept steaming at the quickest rate possible however much the coal bunkers may thereby be disminished. Electri- cally lit throughont, and with excellent quarters for both officers and men, the Poplar Branch is
6+
Was
MURDER BY A FRENCHMAN AT SINGAPORE.
The Singapore Free Press gives the follow ing account of a terrible affair at Tanjong Pagar on the 6th inst, the result of which has been a verdict of wilful murder against a Frenchman:-
A shocking affair occurred at Tanjong Pagar in the early hours of yesterday morning, resulting in the death of a poor riksha coolie. About 3 a.m., the Malay constable on duty at Tanjong Pagar Police Station was horrified at the appearance of a riksha coolie running towards the station streaming with blood. When he reached the building he collapsed at the sentry's feet. Blood was pouring from a gaping wound in the unfortunate man's throat and on his back vere many ugly stabs and gashes, apparently caused by some sharp cutting in- strumeut. Before he could be questioned, however, the
man bad died. Thoroughly alarmed, the constable awoke Sergeant Hickey, who is in charge of Ta jong Pagar Police Station and with lanterns & party set out to probe the mystery. Nor bad they far to go ere doing so. Along Keppel Road, town- wards, was a thick trail of blood. Following this for about a bundred yards, a riksha was found in the road with blood spattered on the shafts in all directions and still beyond this led the gory frack. For yet another two hundred yards the Police followed the wet, red line till it came to a dead halt on the little iron bridge over Keppel Road about 300 yards from the Police Station. Here, without doubt, the ghastly crime had been committed, for the roadway was like a shambles, blood lying in thick streams on the red-dust. Here the unfortunate coolie had been brutally stabbed and had, with superhuman energy, dragged his riksha 20 yards further, ere, nearly exhausted, he had let go the shafts and raced, panting, to the Police Station, where he collapsed. The searching party now returned to the Police Station and communicated with the Detective Station, with t! a result that Sergeants Frayne and Brace were soon on the scene of the murder. As they were proceeding along Keppel Raod, when about 150 yards from the Police Station, they met a man, evidently a European, who was walking in the direction of the Station. On seeing the detectives, he quickened his steps, but they followed and came up with him. The man was stopped and searched, when his clothing was found to be saturated with blood, coat. trousers and singlet alike, and a search revealed blood-stained razor in one of the cont pockets, He could speak no English, but was immediately arrested and taken to the Police Station, where later he was confronted with the body of the murdered coolie and denied any knowledge of the man or. murder. He further said he was a French subject, and gaye his name as Josef Goin. He had come here by the German mail steamer Tanglin and had applied at the French Consulate for a passage to France and he was to have left for Marseilles by the Guadalquiver. He missed that steamer. however, and since then he had been living at 56, Queen St.-n Filipino eating house. He denied all knowledge of the murder.
*
(July 19,
1902
the possession of the French Consul or the authorities in Singapore to corroborate what what the accused has he says, From stated, it would appear that his name is Josef Goid, that he is a Frenchman, born in France, He states that he escaped from the French penal settlement in New Caledonia, by means of a cutter which he along with three other runaways captured in the harbour of Noumea, the capital of the settlement. Their stolen boat was wrecked near New Guinea, and they were picked up by the German mail steamer Tanglin which brought them to Singapore.
Goin is a well-built man between forty and fifty years of age. He has a good appearance but looks a determined individual. When arrested he was smelling of drink and it is thought this may have something to do with the murder. A medical examination of the murdered coolie showed that his jugular vein had been cleanly severed. The inquest was held at Sepoy Lines this afternoon."
The Straits Times says:— 'It is not ascertained who the Frenchman is, and very little seems to be known about him. It has been stated that he is an escaped convict from New Caledonia"
The inquest was held on the 8th inst. to investigate the cause of the death of the coolie. The hearing of the evidence was concluded in the afternoon, and the rerdiet was culpable homicide, amounting to murder against the Frenchman, Josef Goin. The only evidence as to the identity of the accused is the statement made by him, there being nothing either in
THE CHEFOO POISONING
CATASTROPHE,
The Shanghai Mercury publishes the follow- ing particulars of the calamity at Chefoo:
Chefoo, 8th July, 9.15 d.m. Ten schoolboys belonging to the China Inland Mission School at this port have died of ptomaine poisoning. It appears that one of the courses served to the boys and teachers at the school at tiffin on Sunday was chicken-pie. There were several pies cooked and one of them was evident- ly bad. A number of the boys were taken ill afterwards, and it was thought that cholera had broken out in the school, but it turned out to be ptomaine poisoning, and as soon as it was found out proper remedies were applied. The names of the poor little fellows who succumbed are as follows:-
Gershom Broomhall, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Hudson Broomhall of the China Inland Mission, home on leave.
Ellsworth R. Fitch, son of Rev. J. A. Fitch, American Presbyterian Mission,” Weihsien.
Nicholas Gray, the son of a Russian mer- chant in Japan. He has a brother at the school. Marit Sandstedt, son of Mr. E. W. Sandstedt, captain of the C.M.S.N. Co. bulk at Hankow.
Stewart Kay, youngest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Kay, who were massacred in Shansi during the late troubles.
Norman Gray Owen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Owen of the China Inland Mission.
Norman Whitfield, the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Whitfied, late of Messrs. Liddell Bros. The father has been home some time and the mother left for home lately.
•
Howard Fishe, the youngest son of Mr. C. T. Fishe of the China Inland Mission.
Claude Hartwell, son of Rev. J. B. Hartwell, D.D., American Southern Baptist Mission, Tengchowfu, near Chefoo..
Herbert Parry, son of Dr. H. Parry, China Inland Mission,
*
There are two other boys who are still seriously ill, viz.:-
Hugh Gray Owen and Frank Parry, brothers of the boys mentioned above.
Chefoo, 1 p.m. Two more deaths have taken place at the ! school through poisoning. They are:-
F. W. H. Momsen, son of Mrs. (Capt.) Muir, stepfather at Chefoo, mother in Shanghai.
Hugh Gray Owen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Owen of the China Inland Mission.
Telegrams to the N.-C. Daily News from Chefoo state that another victim. Cyril Molloy, aged 10, died on the 9th inst, exhibiting symp toms identical with those of other eighteen of his schoolmates who were ill, namely, ptomaine poisoning.. Parry, Ewing, Squire and Devault had recovered; Newcomb was progressing favourably.
Speaking of the Pacific Mail Co.'s new steamer Korea, the Kobe Chronicle says:-The P. M. Company certainly needs some more expeditious steamers on the route. The mail via San Fran- cisco, arriving in Kobe on the 8th inst., brought London dates of May 21st, and on the same day a mail via Seattle was received with dates ap to the 7th ult. At present the San Francisco route is often less expeditious than that by way of Suez. On the 8th inst. the French mail and the English mail via Sues came in together, the former with da'es up to the 30th May ́ and the latter with dates up to the 6th June. Whatever else can be adduced against the P. & O., it certainly keeps up its reputation för quick delivery of mails.
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