The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-20 00:00:00

THE TYPHOON IN THE CHINA SEAS.

The following account of this destructive storm is
given by the China Mail or September 2S :
On Thursday night, August 31, this part of the coast
of China was ♦isited by a storm which, from the disas-
trout accounts arriving from all quarters, appears to us
to have been one of unusual severity.
In Hong-bong, early in the forenoon, the fall in the
barometer attracted attention, and the assistant har-
bour-master went round the shipping, and warned them
of what might be expected. But little fear seems to
have been entertained till the approach of evening,
when the signal, "The barometer indicates bad wea-
ther," was seen flying at the flag-staff in front of Ped-
der'a• hill.

From this time the wind gradually increased till half-
past two, when the.hurricaoe was at its height—the ba-
rometer being so low as 28 92. Fortunately, the China
boats took the alarm early, and made for the sheltered
creeks on the Cowloon side; hut even there they seemed
to have suffered severely, as a number of salt and cargo
boats were driven on shore, and many of their crews
drowned. A few large junks and a lorcha remained at
anchor off the Lower Baz.tar, all of which were de-
stroyed during the night. Of four which came on shore
opposite Circular-buildings about midnight, the crews,
with the exception of three or four men, were landed in
safety.
In the morning the colony exhibited a moat melan-
choly appearance. In the harbour—several vessels dis-
masted, others on shore, and the whole beach strewed
with the wrecks of Chinese junks, in the midst of which
dead bodies were occasionally seen floating, while on
shore every house exposed to the storm suffered more or
less—tiles torn from the roofs, walls levelled, veranlahs
blown to pieces, and wherever a garden plot formerly ex-
isted the plants and bushes were either broken short off
or torn tip by the roots.
The following is an enumeration of the dis-asters which
befel the shipping, so far as we have been able to ascer-
tain them:—

The British barque Hermes went on shore at Circular
buildings, but has since been got off with little damage
except the loss of fore and main masts.

Ttie American brig Charles Wirgman a complete
wreck at the East Naval Stores ; since sold by public
auction.

The British barque Helen Stewart on Shore at Green
Island ; slight hopes are still entertained of saving the
vessel.

The British iron barque Juhn Laird drifted foul of
the Eliza Stewart, and lost her raiz:n mast and bul-
warks.

The British ship Eliza Stewart, laden with sugar for
Shanghae, would have rode ouc the galo in safety, but
the John Laird drifted down upon her, and drove her
against the Dos Hermanos, by which she was so much
injured that she has had to discharge her cargo.
The Spanish brig Dos ilermanos lost main topmast,
bowsprit, and fore top gallant mast.
The Dutch ship Kieu Heem, wrecked on the ea,t end
of the island, close to the village of Shako. Only three
of her crew saved.

The British barque Salopian drifted out beyond Green
Island, totally dismasted ; has since been towed into the
harbour by China boats.
The Portuguese schooner San F. Xavier was totally
disrnas:ed off the West Naval Stores.

The British sehoonar Ightul Queen's masts were cut
away tl sive her from going on shore.
The British brig Daniel Watson drifted to the mouth
of the Cap-sing'7rnoon passage, lost topmasts.

Tne British barque Coast Int put back, with a con-
siderable portion of her cargo damaged ; 2,000 packages
of tea are to be sold by auction.

The Bremen ship Jiiliano put back from sea, having
lost rudder heads, sprung head of mainmast, and lost a
few slily.

The Spanish brigantine Carmen also put back, in a
leaky state, having lost mai❑ t ipmast and sail.
The British ship Hindostan was dismasted and driven
down to St. John's Island, about sixty miles to the west-
ward of Macao, but has since been towed into Hon,.
kong by the steamer Corsair.
The British brig Calder wag dismastel near Macao,
but has since been towed into this harbour, with part of
her cargo damaged : 400 chests of tea are to be sold by
auction.
On shore very few houses entirely escaped, but those
which received the greatest damage were— .
His Excellency the Governor's, Major Caine's, Mr.
Cay's, and Mr. Inglis's, much damaged in the roofs, yen°.
tians, and verandahs. The old naval stores partly blown
down, and the new much damaged. Mr. Edger's house
partly down. Circular-buildings very much damaged.
Mr. il‘Knight'A outhouses and walls down. A great
many houses in Taeping•Shan very much injured. Of
the Chinese houses along the water's edge a great many
are down and many more nnroofed. Part of the wall of
the Seamen's Hospital blown in, and Pr. Harland's
Wong-nei•chung,
much injured. Considerable damage done to the
Chief Magistrate's Court-house and to the gaol build-
ings. West Point` and the Centrell Hill police-stations
or
At
noloafeeado,
unroofed, and venetiaua broken to pieces. East Point
Station rendered quite uninhabitable. In Soo-kunpoo,
but the i,ver chung, 'Aberdeen, Stanley, and indeed in
was not apprehended.
y village on the island, may houses are blown down
at about 3 P. 51 , weather
near throughoutapproach
of
fthaesedveayre dis-
agreeable,wt;pshi?oi
lf
rapidly. But the Calm wa
aAttwBhieh Theti
mbaer
oneomeot efrrcao.
rasher
ea etc)
high
1 r fallingan g e
stood at 29.69..
1 A.M. the storm recommenced,Ab
it fell in the course of th'.asi, it was 29 20, and at midnight
oua n h hour
wto i
blowing
g 8
furiously 43 , soon
from after
which the gale moderated, and the quicksilver roe
increased,N AV . an d
and NV. Nt
h. Nelrn . s o brief duration, fur about
much destruction was caused in the
About a quarter to 3 there was
another calm of about an
not blowing hard however, at
hour, after which the storm
harbour.
The
commenced,