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208
THE TYPHOON ENQUIRY.
SCOPE RESTRICTED: LOCAL OFFICIALS
BLAMELESS.
A supplement to The Hongkong Government Cazette gives the report of the Committee appointed to enquire whether earlier warning of the typhoou of September 18th, 1906, could have been given to shipping. The Committee consisted of Sir Henry S. Berkeley. Kt, K.C., Lieut. H. Butterworth, R.N., Mr. A. B. Skottowe, superintendent Eastern Extention Telegraph Co., and Captain A. Sommerville, master ss. Teau. These gentle- men confined themselves strictly to that questions Following are extracts from their report to the Governor :
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
the san being such just now that the sunset would be screened by the Peak." This peculiar sunset was not noticed by any other witnesses examined.
A
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Continuing, Monsieur Liebert mid since 16th atmosphere was heavy, the temperature exceptionally warm, the sky grey colour with thick cloud in the West: whereas the weather observation taken at the Observatory at 4 p.m. on 16th read "B"
(blue sky without cloud). Monsieur Liebert also said that on Monday very little breez and what evening there was there was came from the West," whereas the observation taken at the Observatory read ESE2. and on H. M.S. Tamar at 4 p.m. on onday "wind
Monsieur Liebert assured the Committee that is view of the the Captain of the appearances described Polynesicu ordered full steamat 3 o'clock ou the noruing of the 18h, and the officers e ammmand- | ing the French destroyers · began to steam up at 7 a.m. sometime before the first signal was hoisted, precautions which would have ensured their safely, had it not been for merchant Observatory: the barometer then reading steamers drifting on to the French destroyers
who were fully prepared for the typh on. 29.604. At 7.21 (local time) on that morning
With respect to the last portiou of Monsieur' (18th) the barometer at the Observatory read 29.698. The direction of the wind was NW Liebert's statement it is to be observed that the and the force 3. When the last previous Polynesien, (on her way from the North to barometrical observation was taken at the Europe), was due to sail at noon on the 18th, Observatory, at 10.21 p.m. on the 17th, the and would in any case have had steam up at the mentioned. With respect to tue barometer read 29,795, this direction of the wind hour was E and the force 1. During the preceding destroyers it seems to the Committes ine«u- period back to I am. on the 17th the reading ofceivable that they should have been "fully the barometer varied between 29,855 at 1021 prepared for the typhoon, and yet have a.m. and 29.742 at 321 p.m. : being the highest remained at their bays in close proximity to a and the lowest readings at those hours respec. dangerous lee shore, instead of slipping and tively on that day (1700). On September anchoring under the tee of Ston-cutters Island,
bern obervations had
as ships were drifting about not under control.
On the question referred to it the Committee finds that at 8 a.m. on the September 18th an order to hoist the Black Drum, indicating the existence of a typhoon to the east of the Colony within 300 miles,
no
was
issued
from the
The 17th
18th
received from other stations at the bservatory prior to the hoisting of the Black Drum. In the opinion of the Committee the barometric observations did not call for the hoisting of any typhoon signal in Hongkong on September. Under the date 18th September the Shanghai Observatory, after the erent and after information received from Hongkong, published locally the following remarks:-
Depression. A very violent storm of quite limited area raged in Hongkong on Tuesday morning" (18th ).
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Reviewing the evitence as a whole, the Com mittes find that prior to 7.44 a.m. on the 18th September there was no judication of a typhoon approaching Hongkong: and that warning, b the hoisting of the Black Drum ou the morning of the 18th, was given as soon as in the cir. cumstances, was practically possibles
His
.
Here follows our own summary of what appears to us to be the gist of the evidence, Swatow that morning, and his barometer gave Captain Rosch of the 8.4. Harlan was at
no warning. He did not believe that the Sado The evidence as to the appearance and state of the weather on the morning of the 18th previous Maru's typhoon in the Formosa channel could to the hoisting of the Black Drum is conflicting. be the same, as typhoons did not usually travel to the south of west. The Hongkong 'typhoon" Captain Unsworth, of the Hongkong and Kow.
was a locally formed tornado, and earlier warn. loon Wharf and Godown Company, stated that at 6.30 a.m. he ordered everything to haing could not have been given, even from Manila, Kivichaar, from Capt. licker of the s.. taken away from the wharves; that at 730 a.m, the sea was breaking over the wharves | Swatow, said the behaviour of his bar meter He was positive that the at Kowloon, and that no skift could have lived ¦ made him suspicious. in such a sea as was running then whereas | typhoon he encountered coming down was the same one that struck Hongkong. He was on Captain Outerbridge, who slept ashore on the night of the 17th, and whose ship was lying in the edge of it at midnight, a hundred miles out
of Hongkong. or about the centre of the barb ur, did not leave
Dr Roberek preferred to call it a tornado. the shore to rejoin his ship till about 45 a.m.
The Pak observatory gave him no indication on the 18th, and H.M.S. Tamar's signal log
the previons afternoon of such a s'orm. shows that torpedo No. 38 was alongside at
first warning was barometric, at X21 a.m). 8.5. under orders to proceed to D'Aguilar wire.
drum was hoisted at s B. Balween 7.44 less telegraph station (Exhibit ()}), and actu lly
eft H.M.S. Tan ar at 8.15, after the hoisting | a.m. and S. a.m. be was consulting and obser- of the Black Drum, for Kowloon,where she safely ring. Coast tek grams were opposed to any idea of an approaching storm. Previous complaints entered the camber o the torpeda depot situated to the north of the northern Kowloon wiærfr | about the unnecessary hoisting of typhoon and Lieut. Butterworth (the King's Harbon siguals made them very caref il, but that did not Case This typhoon Master) informed the Committee that at S│influ-nes the present o'clock that morning he ordered his skiff to be 'absolutely could not have been predicted on the 17th. Meteorology was not an exact science; alongside H.M.S. Tamar at 8,30. The evidence
faisurex Wels everywhere frequout. The as to the appearaucs and stafe of the weather
tornado and
ty. on the afternoon, evening, and night of the 17th - difference between
WAS phoca
if degrea only this is also conflicting Monsieur Liebert, the Con
*mething Wag
new. bridging the sul for France, "fit on Sunday September 16th, i one
meteorological missing ink. Ed and on Monday 17th, that we were going to
What the range of your instru bave a typhoon very soon, and his rough observa- ¦
meuts? Dr. Dolerck said, In this case about tions were confirmed by several naval people who
20 miles, geperally about 3 4 miles.” were in the harbour, especially the commanders of the mail steamer l'olynesien and of the Freach destroyers."
to any one
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gap a
Asked
on
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You keep no night watch ?"
LE
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4bo
(April 1, 1907.
Dr. Doberck answered to written questions put to him on September 25th by the Chairman
of the Committee.
Q.-State in detail the Observatories, and Observation Stations with which you were in te egraphic communication on the 17th-18th instant?
A. - Nemuro, Hakodate, Tokyo, Kochi, Naga- aki, Kagoshima, Oshima, Naha, Ishigakishima, Taihoku. Taiohu, Tainan, Koshan, Pescadores, Chefoo, Weihaiwei, Hankow, Kinkiang, Shang- hai, Gutzlaff, harp Peak, Amoy, Swatow, Pakboi. Victoria Peak, Gap Rock, Macao, Phulica, Tourane, Cape St. Jimes, Aparri, Manila, Legaspi, Bacalod, Hoilo, Cebu, Labuan. No communications from Vladivostook and Hoihow.
Q Are your relations in any way strained with any of the Observatoties, or Observation Stations, with which you are in communication, and if so, state which? and the cause?
A-Certainly not! We exchange telegrams daily, and in addition all publications are exchanged between the observatories of Tokyo, Shanghai (Zikawei), Hongkong, and Manila, and any member of the staffs of any of these four observatories is granted facilities for making observations at any of the other obser- ratories, if be happens to be there.
(apt. Bradley of the s.s, Kutsang wrote that there could not be sufficient warning unless data were received from all possible observatories in a wide radins,
M. tiéb et testified as a private citizen, not as Consul, although the loss of French ships and men made him feel that he had a certain te believed that earlier right to be beard. warning could have been given. [is evidence is quoted, and commented on, in the report, as per extracts given above. According to the Manila Director's book, such storms could and
did divert from Meiaco Shima down to Hong- kong. M. Liébert insisted that the warnings from Manila and Shanghai, dated three and four days before should have made Hongkong watchful and suspicious. The normal readinge of the previous day should not bars lulled this suspicion especially in view of the sky appear. ances.
Mr. Figg said they got figures from Siccawel. but not the remarks quoted by M. Liébert,
Dr. Dolerck explained that observatories did not exchange remarks-only observations. To exchange remarks would "do harm," and besider, the Telegraph Companies might object They did get remarks from Manila but this was irregular, and not done elsewhere. Ou this occasion, Manils sent no remarks.
If they had received the notes pat in, they would have been of no value.
Q. The remarks telegraphed by competent observers in the Philippines would be of use to you ?[
A—No, not at all all the facts are condeared in the telegrams. Loose remarks outside the in- formation we receive would be useless.-
801 Q.
not speaking of loose remarks, Would not your own remarks for instance be useful to other places?
A. - No; and it would take up the cables too much,
letter pur
wilness produced
露
Q.-A
been written to the Com. porting to have mander of 鼈 Freach warship by the Director of the Siccarsi Observatory in which the Director states that he sent out the follow. ing warnings on the 16th September :-(1) Typhoon 3 of Meiaco Sima, (2) Typhoon E of Formosa did you receive these?
A.- No.
ų. – Would such warnings have predicted bad weather 8 of Formosa ?
A. Yes, bat had the same telegrams from there as soon as Siccawai
We
He was positive'y certain that the typhoon of the 11th was not the same that reached Hong-
Yes. They go away at 10.37 pm. and come kong. It had ceased that afternoon. back at 7.20 a.m.
It was between
un oue's duty to take observations pm. and 7 am, unless the weather In this case it was got. They Were threatening relied caicfly on telegrams. There was nothing abnormal in the previous night's ranet.
Referring to the appearance of the weather on Monday 17th, Monsieur Liebert said the I appearance of the sky on Monday accustomed to these regior s indicated a typhoon not far off"; among other indications the san set with sharp red colour in part purple, in otbers yellowish copper behind a thick veil of grey
That appearance Was heavy cload," observed on board H.M.S. Tamar, nor at the Observatory, which the witness remarked was in the his pinion probably due to “the declination of
1
not
pm
As viewed from Stoa-catters' about “ on the 17th we think there was A gentleman ho does not profess weather wisdom remarked peculiar o lour,” and “supposed it meant change of some sort."— Ed.)
Mr. Figg quoted some Siocawei warnings " to show that it would be unwise to place confidence in remarks issued by Siocawei even if we [-mœired them."
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no
De Doberck repeated that there was jealousy whatever," bat " we do not want suck alerm "warnings telegraphed to as referred to in Mr. Figg's evidence.”
Capt. Outerbridge maintained that warning could have been hoisted at six a.m. Everyone kuow that relations between Hongkong and
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