436
it appears somewhat over-charged. Only the front was of granite; the walls were massive structures of a kind of concrete, composed principally of ferruginous sand from decompos- ed granite, mixed with mud from the river and
little lime.
Fr. Alexander de Rhodes, S.J., the celebrated missionary of Cochin-China, writing from Macao in 1623, says of St. Paul's College and church: "Our Society has a large collage here which can be compared with the finest in Europe. At least the church is the most magnificent I have seen, even in Italy, except ing et. Peter's of Rome." There may perhaps be some exaggeration in this judgment of the enthusiastic missionary, but his words are on record to show at least what impression the ⚫difice made upon him. The writer has had the good fortune of hearing an old and highly honoured Portuguese native of the colony grow enthusiastic over the beauty of St. Paul's when it still stood in the first quarter of the century. The woodwork particularly, executed entirely by skilled Japanese workmen, was praised as exquisitely beautiful.
The church stood until 1835, when it was burnt down one blustering wintry night. The frontispiece, as has been said, still stands al- most intact, with even the fine bronze statues of Our Lady, of St. Paul, and four Jesuit saints still in their niches."
THE FIRE AT WEST POINT.
INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSE.
At the Magistracy on te 2nd inst. Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz opened an inquiry into the cause of the fire which occurred at Chung Kan Lane, West Point, on the 23rd November. The Magistrate said that under an Ordinance of 1895 the Captain-Superintendent of Police had taken possession of the premises, and on the report which he furnished he (Mr. Gompertz) had decided to hold this inquiry.
Mr. H. W. Looker (of Messrs Deacon, Looker and Deacon) represented the following insur- ance companies:-The London and Lancashire, the Sun, the Royal, the Hip On, the Yee On, the Commercial Union, the Tung On, the Fuk On, and l'Union, all of which were interested in godown No. 3. Mr. Coppin represented the Northern Insurance Company, which interested in godowns No. 1 and 2. Mr. Chang Yu Fan represented the Yan On Insurance Company, which was interested in godown No. 4, and Mr. Leung Yan Kwai represented the Un. On Insurance Company, which was in. terested in Godowns No. 1 and 2.
Was
The
i
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
godown. I kept the key and books. On the night of the fire I was on the ground floor of the godown. I heard people calling out" Fire," in No. 2 Godown. I ran out to look, and shut the door. I saw a lot of smoke at No. 2 godown. On opening the door of my godown I found the smoke entering from No. 2 godown. I locked the door, and ran to the shop at Wing Lok Street, and told a foki.
By Mr. Looker: I keep one book show- ing what goods go in and out of the godown. When I heard the noise I went into No. 2 godown and saw smoke and flames. The coolies When I were trying to put the fire out. returned to my godown the smoke was coming through. I would not go upstairs because there was too much smoke. The godown is lighted by oil lamps. We use groundnut oil. There is also kerosene on the premises.
The case was adjourned.
оп
Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz continued the 3rd inst. the inquiry into the cause of the fire which occurred at Chung Kan Lane, West Point, on the 23rd November.
As before, Mr. H. W. Looker (of Messrs Deacon. Looker and Deacon) represented the following insurance companies:The London and Lancashire, the Sun, the Royal, the Hip On, the Yee On, the Commercial Union, the Tung On. the Fuk On, and l'Union, all of which were interested in godown No. 3.. Mr. Coppin represented the Northern Insurance Company, which was interested in godowns No. 1 and 2. Mr. Chang Yu Fan represented the Yan On Insurance Company, which was interested in godown No. 4. and Mr. Leung Yan Kwai represented the Un On Insurance Company, which was interested in Godowns No. 1 and 2.
Yuen Coon Yue, partner in the Nan Fat Yuen, gave evidence that his firm had rice, rice | husks, bags and other goods there and were They interested in the destroyed godowns, were interested in No. 4 godown to the extent of about $43,000 and Nos. 1 and 2 for about The total insuranc effected was $46,000. about $80,000, which was effected with five different companies. No. 2 godown was filled with rice, but No. I was not. The two godowns together contained about 3,200 bags of rice, and [ also about 18,000 bags of husks and 11,000 bags | of meal.
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Ip Choy, keeper of No. 4 godown, stated that he saw the bags of rice husks, which were stored near the wall which adjoined No. 3, burning in No. 2. They being unable to extinguish the flames he ran to No. 4 to get his books, and when he came out again No. 4 had taken fire. Some coolies with lamps were working in No. 2 when the fire broke out.
After further
adjourned.
evidence the enquiry
Was
Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz on the 5th instant continued the inquiry into the cause of the fire which occurred at Chung Kan Lane, West Point, on the 23rd November.
the
Mr. H. W. Looker (of Messrs Deacon, Looker and Deacon) again represented the fol- lowing insurance companies:-The London and Lancashire, the Sun, the Royal, the Hip Ou, the Yee On, the Commercial Union, Tung On, the Fuk On, and l'Union, all of which were interested in godown No. 3. Mr. Coppin represented the Northern Insurance Company, which was interested in Godowns No, and 2. Mr. Chang Yu Fan represented the Yan On Insurance Company, which was interested in godown No. 4, and Mr. Leung Yau Kwai represented the Un On Insurance Company, which was interested in Godowns No. 1 and 2.
The first witness called was Ip Chou Wing. who deposed: I am assistant manager of the Fau Fung Company, of Wing Lok Street. On the 27th Nov., shortly after 4 p.m., a messenger called to inform me that the godown next to No. 3. Chung Kan Lane, was on fire. I went down and saw that several of the godowns were burning, but could not get near them. The godown owned by my firm, No. 3. contained 5,584 bags of rice, each weighing 190lbs. rice was of different qualities. There were also 875 casks of broken glass and 21 bags of brass; 11 bundles of brass tubes, and 10 bags of cotton wool weighing 145 picals. The goods were the property of the firm, and were insured for $55,000 in eight different companies. The books in the godowa were entirely burnt. but the Police have some books which were in my shop. The godown keeper kept the books of the godown and made the entries.
By Mr. Looker: There are six partners in my shop.
Ho Chung Lam is the managing partner. He was not in Hongkong at the date of the fire. All the six partners manage the business. I know what goods were in the godown on the date of the fire by looking at the books. Two of the shop ooolies look after the placing of goods in the godown. I am in charge of the rice stored there, and am continually receiving
husks. I visited the cargoes and delivering them out.
I do godown about a fortnight before the fire.
The foki not know where the rice was stored. keeps the godown book. The selling price of rice is marked therein. Some of the rice in the godown was sold, but not de- livered at the time of the fire. I have taken out ten policies in respect of No. 3, Chung Kan Lane.
Ip Tsa said: I am the Fau Fung godown. keeper. Prior to the fire I lived inside the
Other Chinese witnesses were called. They repudiated their former statements that they a lamp suspected that coolies knocked over when carrying bags, and so set fire to the rice
P.S. Hedge, a fireman in the Brigade, said that on the 23rd November the alarm was sounded at the Central at 4.10 p.m. On reach- ing the place he saw P.-S Watt. The doors of No. 2 and 3 godowns were locked, but that of No. 4 was open-that was at about half-past four, assistance of P.-S. Watt he With the got the hose into No. 4 godown, the roof The water of which was already alight. was then turned
on. and they began to
[
[December 12, 1904.
To get at the play it on to the fire. flames a little better they went up some stairs situated between Nos. 3 and 4 godowns, and on reaching about half way up reached an Fire falling archway which was boarded up. from up above on the stairs, the partition mentioned caught alight. They therefore played the hose on this partition, and the force of water broke it in. He was thus enabled
into 800
the No. 3 godown :—in to
of it, between the pillars, there centre were three small heaps of rice, and also another heap on the right-hand side against the wall, He was then unable to see what was on the
other side of the godown, or at the further About an hour and a half after his end. arrival the first floor of No. 3 godown fell in, and when this happened there appeared to be nothing below for it to fall on. playing water on Nos. 3 and 4 godowns till about half-past ten o'clock, and then left off. When he looked into No. 3 he would say he saw roughly a hundred bags of rice.
He remained
P.-C. Shepherd, another Brigade man, said that on arriving on the scene he saw the doors of Nos. 1, 2 and 3 godowns all locked with padlocks, but the door of No 4 godown was open. Ten minutes later the roof of No. 3 fell in, the door of 2 broke out, and No. 4 caught fire. was the first European constable on the scene, though an Indian P.-C.-No. 502 he thought -was there before him; this man was running. out a despatch box when witness a rived.
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P.-S. Watt gave evidence. There was nothing in No. 3 g down; if there had been it could not have burnt up in the time it did.
Two Chinese interpreters certified that state- ments now denied by former witnesses were
correct.
The enquiry was further adjourned,, Mr. Gompertz signifying his intention to visit the spot.
INQUIRY CLOSED.
་
The inquiry into the cause of the West Point fire was continued before Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz at the Magistracy on the 6th inst.
Mr. H. W. Looker (of Messrs. Deacon, Looker and Deacon), Mr. Coppin, Mr. Chang Yu Fan, and Mr. Leung Yan Kwai, again represented the insurance companies previously enumerated.
Lui Chai, recalled, examined by Mr. Looker:-I was engaged between twenty and twenty-five minutes in trying to put out the fire. There were about twenty people We all left the godown at the assisting me. same time. The door was not locked.
Another godown coolie examined by Mr. Looker, said:-I was engaged about five minutes trying to put out the fire. There was The key of the great number with godown was lost. It was my duty to lock the door, but I was confused and did not take the key. After everybody had gone out of the go- down it was not locked. The key is still lost.
H
me.
Henry Garrett, P.S. 33, said :-Shortly after 4 p.m on the 23rd November, I received word of a fire at West Point. I went into Chung Kan Lane and saw there was fire in the godowns I got an axe and tried to knock the bolts and fastenings off the doors. I got them off No. 1 and 2 godowns, but was unsuccessful at No. 3 owing to the smoke. I was told to leave No. 3 godown then, as small collapses had started. I went outside and commenced pumping with the engines.
By Mr. Looker: There were no Chinese about in the lane. I examined the contents of No. 3 godown the day after the fire. About 300 bags of rice, copper-tubing, and some bun- dles of old glass were stored there. The godown was about one-third full of goods.
This concluded the case for the Police. Mr. Looker s-id he had no further witnesses to call. He would leave it entirely to His Worship as to whether he felt justified in com. mitting anybody for trial. No doubt the case was very suspicious. The Chinese had come with a nice little story to tell, but some of them had been found out to be telling untruths.
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His Worship had considered the evidence carefully, and very grave suspicion surrounded the whole circumstances of the fire. There was, however, no spah evidence against any particular person or persons as to enable him to commit them for trial. The inquiry may have brought out collateral facts which may be useful to
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