The New York herald., 1871-10-27
A 1YPHOON IN CHINA
Great Destruction Of Properly and Loss
Of Life in and Around Hong Kong.
AWFUL GRANDEUR Of THE STORM
,,~..s,~, s~'>~~->>e~,'>>0~~
Appalling Scenes Of Devastation Floating
wrecks in Flooded Streets.
Plunderers and Assassins at
Work.
TRAGIC DEATH OF A FRENCH CAPTAIN.

The inhabitants Of this colony have just been
visited by the typho0n that has swept over
this island for the last twenty years. On Saturday.
the ID inst, the weather IN the morning cloudy
and thick and the water IN the bay was very turbu-
lent Even as early as eleven A. M. the waves had
assumed very threatening dimensions and vessels In
the harbOr commenced to toss about IN manner by
no means reassuring. About hall.pasr five p NJ. the
wind began to increase and we experienced those
omnous gusts, growing by degrees more and more
violent, which are always looked upon as sure
presage Of typhoon. Al AaIf.past six the cyclone
had fairly taken possession increasing rapidly In
violence until ten O'Clock, when II evidently
reached the climax. The Praya, street FACING the
harbor, was entirely Hooded, 1t being high water at
this time. The appearance OF the harbor from the
Praya at this time Deggars description. The
typhoOn of last year occurred In the middle Of the
day, but this one occurring at night the dark
ness magnaed Its grandeur and terrors. The
enormous waves appeared yet more gigantic from
their indstinctness, and the phosphorescent light
emitted from them ana piercing the blackness of
the night formed spectacle Of grandeur and
beauty Added to this was the picturesque appear
auce Of the shipping. Only the hus, looming up
Ike huge black objects were visible. Above these,
but as If entirely detached from them the SHIPS
lights appeared like many distant stars, except
that the violent motion Of the water kept them con-
antly moving Almost every vessel In the harbor
drifted or had to get up steam and keep moving
to prevent colllding Throughout the early part OF
the night, especially during the nood-tide the Praya
was deluged and the smaller craft were piled on
top Of it with utter disregard to arrangement OF any
kind. The vagarles OF some OF these boats were un-
pleasant. opposite the Pottinger street wharf In
spectOr Grimes, who was coming down toward the
harbOr, was suddenly con fronted by great indis-
tnct mass, apparently bound for the Queens Road,
at an astonishing rate Of speed. He had time TO get
ont Of the way In an open doorway, and had the
satisfaction of seeing the said mass. which proved
TO be ships gig, pass him like an express train
Similar eIects were observed elsewhere, all the
streets and ways leading down to the Praya being
ultimately strewn with boats and the remains OF
boats.
LOSS OF LIVES AND CRAFT.
At East Point the glass fell on Saturday slowly,
but surely, with short heavy pufis. From the mill
tary boundary the line Of the Fraya eastward was
entirely occupied all dav by innumerable native
boats Of all sizes and classes striving TO obtain smell
either in the lagoon to the northward or the race
course in Causeway Bay; very many came to grief
in the passage and the bund was covered with rag
| mcnts ami Debris s-veiao.ss q corfous
ture were abundant. One boat in trying to round
the corner OF Messrs. Wahee Smith & Co.'s prem
ises into Causeway Bay was capsized, and some OF
her crew, consisting OF twelve persons, were with
aeR nne %in IN his ssSsa ss ons Old woan and
children were washed by the sea before the boat
py DARK ne At eeon % 10
reached ITS lowest points The gale was at its height,
Hong Kong for many years. The brig Selma Jane
was driven on shore near the hospital. schooner
Gavota is reported sunk at her mOorings. Mr..
Speecnly's steam launch found her way to the bot.
,om while the new steamer justlaunched by Messrs.
with water Her engines not having been placed in
her she ioated 1ush with the water's edge and was
proposed site of the new pier company the sea wall
was entirely washed away, carrying with 10 about
'McGregor' honse was completely destroyed AZ me
shore end, leaving mass OF ruins to mark It's site
osH %d ary up nonns o sher mat roof
ing Messrs. Jardine's garden suffered terribly the
trees Damboos and shrubs beng torn ana Wrenched
Mr.. Jacks slip was unroofed and rendered useless.
while OF Sne houses In the Bazaar had its front
completely driven The sugar refinery and dis
tiliery suffered but little, the Praya wall at the
mer being Frustrated, While the latter had their go
down doors blown in and a portion OF their cooper
age untitled. The destruction OF boating IN Cause.
way Bay was very heavy. One large swatow Junk
boilers at the refinery, driving the head OF her main
mast through The wall OF The house; She
cued and kindly eV cared for, though the poor
fellows had lost their ali in the wreck. From
The northeastern corner OF the refinery. up the bay
past the dlstillcry, the Praya wa, which was dead
lee Is lined with wreck vi pea JunKs, cargo boats
and other native snppng ne6 IN some places a three % ana
her beam ends. but II Is believed has sustained no
serious injury.
The scene on the morning OF the 81 was melail-
choy to contemplate. From Peddar's Wharf west
mollshed. Like Troy the Praya was, as far as this
portion OF it IA concerned. The wall Is an M.
s5npfy wnen have Heap been BY so GSSss
violence Of the sea to distances OF twenty aud
y ees rom er senes 0sna esn @
gaps have been formed, reaching almost to the ye-
randahs Of the houses rms parcnaTy @ aGe case 1r
entail offices. rarther to the west the damage done
great but the destruction Of the rraya less conf
Is greatly injured AS, indeed are az tue prominent
stone constructions, wnlle ne the tue wooden wooden pier pier
hurt except as regards The tearing up OF the plank
Ing, which Is easy Iemedied. Close to Peddar's
wharf q large government lighter came ashore
and sank Her gunwaes are now flush with
the water's cdge, and Que of her ropes Is coed
round the telegraph wire, which is broken fniiner
east. Another government tighter sank in mia.
channel, on Messrs. Douglas lapraik 4 co.'s wharf.
opposite this spot, too, are visible IN, masts Of a
cargo. Proceeding westward one finds the de-
slrueilon Of native craft more and more apparent
tiles have been blown OH an occasional hole SAM
pan and plenty OF debris attest the wholesale deyas
taiion which mas come upon the boat population.
The Canton steamer wharf Is not extensively in
jured though at time during the night IL was IN
iron Ship which drIIted down upon It. Although
almost within arms length Off wharf the snip went
feet Of the water, which upon wooden pier mas ap
parenty very little power. on the eastern sido OF
the wharf however Messrs. HOOK s lighter Advance
lies IN a fOrlOrn condition. level with the water.
The Despatch appears to nave sustained no great
injury as she rides at anchor in q sale enough posi-
ton Tne Pacific Mall wharf has been somewhat
injured IN IT'S planklng, but repairs are being
promptly executed; Further west the Atrevida and
tornnvia are both dsmasted, the former ashore.
with stern badly Knocked about, and on sunday
further west the destruction or native boats In
creases, and one may see at frequent intervals q
wretched family sheltered in dllapldated sampan,
the women bewailing the loss OF their relations or
their dwellings, and the children weeping in con.
cert, probably without knowing exactly why. The
misery among these boat people must be very
great, those even who have been fortunate
enough to save their boats, which are their only
haDitatlons, having lost great portion Of their
property, either accidentally swept or necessarily