184
RAILWAYS IN KWANTUNG.
Mr. Paul H. King, Commissioner of Cus- toms at Canton, in his annual report says:-
Of the Canton-Kowloon Railway, it is yet early days to speak. The company bas opened its head office on Shameen in the old Deacon
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
hong. Taotai Wai Han is Managing Director, representing Viceregal interests, while the Engineer-in-Chief is Mr Frank Grove, late of the Soochow Nanking Railway. These preside over a mixed staff of foreign and Chinese engineers and clerks, a d it is understood that the line along its whole length, Canton to Samchun, has been surveyed. Here, again, whether or not the line gets through to the Kowloon shore, China is safeguarded against loss in the fact that the East River traffic alone will be quite sufficient to secure commercial success, besides the possibility, by a branch extension from Weichow, of bringing Canton into direct communication with Swatow, The number of passengers carried by the Canton-Fatahan Samahui branch of the Yueh- Han Railway during the year was 3,191,524, of whom 2,081 were non-Chinese.
The gross earnings amounted to $592,990, of which sum $579,519 were contributed by passenger trafo. The freight earnings are still insignificant, and will probably remain so until the railway can be carried on along the West River bank, say, as far as the important town of Shinhing, a distance of about 26 miles from Samshui, The extension would be neither difficult nor costly, and could not fail greatly to enhance the takings of the company both in freight and fares. During the year some notable improvements have been effected. The rolling-stock has been greatly strengthened by the purchase of two aight wheel locomotives from the American Locomotive Company. The Shekwaitong ferry wharf has been easily paid for out of the year's earnings, and the line stands as living example of the truth of the pro- position I have ventured to put forward that railways in China are boun l to pay. In view of the number of passengers carried by the railway, it might be thought that 'steam boating" on the Fatshan Creek bad been killed sa effectively aa similar traffic on the Mississippi; but such is not the case. It has, however, been severely cut into, and there can be little doubt that when the company has so arranged matters as to run trains actually into the town of Fatshan-the present Fatshan depôt is 1 miles from the town, the launches will for the most part find their occupation gone. Incidentally, too, another of China's problems will be solved, as the inhabitants on the banks of the Creek will no longer be tempted to piratical ventures by the spectacle of the wheezy launch, with its dollar-laden passenger tow crawling past their doors at all hoars of the day and night,
EL
THE "ENTENTE CORDIALE" AT
CANTON.
| time to express to you my full sympathy with
these sentiments.
(Signed) J. J. Brauva 18,
ME. FOX TO MR, BEAUVAIS.
3rd. September 1908, SIE, AND DEAR COLLEAGUE,I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the lat instant, in which you are so kind as to convey to me, for the information of my nationals, an expression of the appreciation by Rear-Admiral Perrin, Commander-in-Chief of the French Naval Division in the Far East, of the services rendered by the foreign residents on Shameen to the French gunboats on the occasion of the recent typhoon.
It will give me great pleasure to acquaint my nationals with the contents of your exceedingly courteous communication, and I take this opportunity to tender to Admiral Perrin and yourself our sincere thanks for your most kind appreciation of services which, while riding in themselves, were rendered in a spirit of good comradeship and admiration for those brave French sailors who worked so nobly to save their ships.
I have &o.
HARBY H. For
NOTES FROM THE NORTH.
[BY OUR PEKING CORRESPONDENT.]
August 30.
NEW MINISTER POK PRIING.
H.E. N. Korotowels, the new Russian Minister to China in succession to the late Mr. Pokotiloff, arrived in Peking this evening from St. Petersburg, having travelled by Siberian Railway and stopped en route in Manchuris for a day or two. A
He passed straight through Tientain to Teking, but at the Settlement Station there was & large gathering of Russian and other foreign residents to meet him. He is of course well known in North China, and will be a very popular Minister.
Mr. H. B. Fox, the Acting British Consal- General at Canton, in a public notification says he has much pleasure in bringing to the notice of British residents on Shameen the following correspondence which has recently passed be tween the French Consulate and the Consulate- General with reference to the assistance rendered to the French gunboate on the occasion of the typhoon of July 28th last.
BRITISH POST OFFICE AT TIENTSIN.
The official announcement that the British Postal Agency in Tientsin would be closed on October 10 next, has been followed by another official notification that it is to be continued. The negotiations, which at one time broke down, have been fruitful in securing the continuation of this boon to all residents in the port and their correspondents throughout the British Empire. The announce- ment was made yesterday, and has caused the greatest satisfaction.
THE SIBERIAN ROUTE.
The Imperial Railways of North China whose track in this province and in South Manoharis just beyond the Great Wall has been washed out by the recent heavy rains, causing an interruption of through traffic-announce that from the 18th prox, they will accelerate the service од their main line betwe n Peking sad Moukden, performing the whole run without any stoppage for the night at Shanbaikaan as heretofore. The duration of running time between these two places is reduced, thus effecting a saving of passengers' time. The whole journey to Earops from North China and vice versa is becoming inoreasingly popular with travellers, whether on business or pleasure, this being due to the ingressing speed❘ of the trains and the increased comfort of the M. BEAUVAIS TO MR. Fox.
carriage, Already it must have affected the 1st September, 1909. steamship traffic vis Hongkong and Sue; in SIE, AND DEar Colleagus,-In a letter the future it is bound to do so still more. In fact dated 22nd August, Rear Admiral Perrin, it would not be surprising to find Hongkong Commander-in-Chief of the French Naval residents going home via Siberia in cases where Division in the Far East, has requested quickness is a consideration. Already it takes me to convey his deep and sincere gratitude but 15 or 16 days to go from Peking to London, to the residents, both French and others and next year probably the journey will be done residing on the concessions of Shameen, who, undeterred by the fury of the wind, the torrents of rain, and the falling trees, which exposed them to constant danger, rendered the most friendly assistance to the ofews of the French gunboats on the occasion of the typhoon on the 28th July last.
[Translatio]
I feel that cannot do better than request you to be so good as to bring this expression of the Rear Admiral's appreciation to the notice of your nationals, and I venture at the sam. ()
in a fortnight.
Three more men have been publicly executed at Hanoi for participation in the attempt to poison a whole artillery brigade. Several other men have been sentenced to penal servitude or simple imprisonment for perioda ranging from two to twenty years. Farther important arrests have been made, and one Frenchman is in eriminated.
|
[September 14, 1908.
THE LOSS OF THE “DUNEARN.”
HOW THE DISASTER OCCURRED.
"
The N. Y. K, steamer “Saikyo-maru from Formoss brought to Mojl the news of the loss of the British steamer “Dunearn,” which was caught in a typhoon of Goto Island, near Nagasaki, on the 26th alt. The orew of the ill-fated steamer numbered 52, of whom only two were rescued, one being Mr. William Phillips, aged 24, third officer, and Mr. John London, aged 22, fourth engineer. These two young officers were fortunate enough to be picked up by the "Saikyo-mara at noon on the 27th. The others were drowned.
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The crew of the " Saikyo-maru made a collection in aid of the survivors, which amounted to Y57 and this sum was presented to the rescued offoers.
the Dunedin
The steamer belonged to Steamship Company, of Leith, Bootland, and was commanded by Captain Graham. She left Nikolaievsk on the 19th August and arrived at Karatsu on the 20th to load cosl. She left Karatau on the 24th at 9 a.m, for Singapore.
The vessel, says the Nagasaki Press, is well- known in Japan ports and Captain J. Graham who had commanded her for over seven years, will be sincerely mourned by many friends in the various ports. He was a native of Edinburgh and, although only 38 years of age, was Com- modore of the Dunedin Shipping Company's fleet and had gained the reputation of being a careful and skilful seaman, The "Dunearn was the last vessel to enter Vladivostock during the war with a cargo of coals aud narrowly escaped being captured by the Japanese. Coming out of the Siberian port, the vessel was stopped by the Japanese, but as there was nothing on board then to which exception could be taken, Captain Graham had the satisfaction of completing the adventurous voyage in safety and arrived at Moji in February, 1905. Al- though of a somewhat reserved temperament, Captain Graham became very popular in the course of repesfed visits to Shimonoseki and Moji, where he was known and respected the foreign residents and where the news of his death has occasioned deep gloom. He resided at Leith sad leaves a young widow, to whom the heartfelt sympathy of all will go out in her great bereavement.
The third officer, who was one of the survivors, gave an account of the disaster and the following summary was placed at our contemporary's disposal:
"On the 20th inst. the 'Dunearn ' encountered a very severe typhoon and could make but little headway, the engines going slow.
“All the officers' cabins were flooded and the bursting of a sea in the bankers gradually worked the coal into the engine-room, giving the vessel a bad list, Just before she turned over, another heavy sea struck her and carried away the starboard side of the bridge, chart- room, and cabins, and washed overboard the Captain and Second Mate. The No. 2 hatsh was also barst open and this seems to have been the chief cause of the vessel going over. She sank about 3 p.m. on the 26th when in, roughly, Long. 128 E., Lat. 30/31 N. The other survivor was the Fourth Engineer. They were picked up by the "Saikyo Maru" in Long, 1:7.19 E., L1t. 31.43 N. at 11.20 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. on the 27th.'
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Offoers of the Saikyo Maru" state that, as their vessel passed the scene of the wreck, a great number of sharks were seen, and, it is probable, that many of the missing seamen fell victime to
the voracious monsters.
The Wai Wa Pa has drawn up some по regulations about the protection of foreign missionaries in the various Provinces with view to preventing anti-missionary riots in future. The Foreign Ministers in Peking will shortly be notified bout the regulations so that they may be pat into forse as soon as possible. It is said that the regulations do not interfere with the work of the missionarios at all and are simply for the gui1ance of the local Chinese authorities. In fu u e no foreign missionarise will be recognised by the Chinese Government unless their names have been registered in the books of the Wai Wa Pạ through their respective ministers.
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