The herald., 1897-08-30
DOCKED AT
HOME PORT
With a Half Million Worth
of Silk
THE STEAMSHIP COLUMBIA
CONCLUDES HER FIRST LONG
VOYAGE
Hong Kong Excited Over Doings Of
Pirates on the Canton River.
Affairs at Manila
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
TACOMA, Wash, Aug. 29.-The
steamer Columbia arrived today on her
maiden voyage from Yokohama with 127
passengers and a full cargo of freight.
She was delayed ON several occasions
and forced to lie to twenty-four hours
on account of bre,akage of machinery.
One of the firemen died Of heat apoplexy
and was buried at sea.
The Columbia's cargo includes 100
bales of silk valued at $500, 900, which will
go across the continent via the Northern
Pacific in a special train of eight bag
gage cars. The Columbia brings Orien-
tai advices up to July 27, as follows:
CHINESE PIRACY
News has just reached Hongkong of
the prevalence of pirates on the Canton
river and one Of the most daring outrag-
es perpetrated. One of the sons of Capt
Chung Kwei, straits millionaire, Chung
All Phin, who recently went up to Can
ton, was the victim. He, in company
with a few of his relatives, hired a
flower boat and were proceeding g to their
native place. On the second day the
boat stuck in the mud and could not
proceed. During the night a gang OF
men with painted faces and fully armed
boarded the boat. With revolvers lev
eled at the passengers they comma nded
silence while four men began at once to
look for plunder. All Phin brought
from the straits jewelry amounting in
value to $4,000 and $4,000 in cash. These
the pirates took, besides clothing, etc.
When they had sa tisfied themselves that
nothing more was to be- obtained, they
left the boat after threatening the vic
TINS with instant death If they made a
n oise until two hours afterwards. In
the morning informa ton was sent down
to Canton, but before the authorities had
time to send gunboat up, the pirates
| had made their escape. Up to the pres
ent nothing more has been heard of
| them.
| Matt Salet, notorious brigand, with
| 200 followers, raided the government sta
| ton at Pulch Gaya on July 21, captured
| Mr.. Newbronner, the officer in charge,
killed corporal and then sacked the
| treasury of $4,000. The town, which
| consisted entirely of wooden and kajang
| houses, was then fired and every build
| ing destroyed. Gaya is the export and
| import center of conside ra BILE district
and the population was largely Chinese.
| Salet at last accounts was fortified at
Inaman, and it is feared win attack
Sandakan and mssacre the Europeans
| after looting the town.
A daring piracy is reported, off the
coast of Acheen. The British steamer
| Pegu was attacked by six armed
| Achanese. Captain Ross managed to
force his way through and reached the
deck, hotly pursued by his assailants.
AS the skipper, badly wounded as he
was, struggled to get to the bridge, this
man stabbed him terribly in the alb
domen, and when he fell the rest of the
piratical gang surrounded the PROSTATE
man and hacked him savagely, actually
diaam mboweling him, and leaving him
mangled corpse on the deck
| The mate and the steersman were the
next to be attacked. Both these men
were on the bridge and in spite of what
resistance they could offer were soon cut
down. The boatswain, however,
climbed up the funnel stays and thus es-
capped the onslaught of the pirates. Re-
turning to the deck, two more of the
crew and three Chinese passengers were
| killed, thirty or forty more passengers,
| according to one account, having been
killed or met their death by jumping
overheard. The vessel was then thor
oughly looted. One of the Achinese was
placed at the wheel to steer the ship
nearer land, others plundered the cap
tain's cabin, taking repeating rifle and
revolver. The safe was opened, $4,000
was taken two boats lowered from the
| ship and the pirates made off in the
direction of Simpang Olim. The vessel
was a frightful sight, the deck being
bespattered with blood and the entrails
of the victims.
Advices from Tapeh, North Formosa,
state that the rebels have been particu-
larly active, but no serious fighting has
taken place
ORIENTAL NOTES
Official information received at Manila
| confirms the reports previously pub
| lished as to the disas trous character
of the eruption of the Mayon volcano.
| Lava covered the whole mountain to its
base and the observation of the sun by
the clouds of ashes was so great that in
| the neigh borhood of the disaster artifi-
cial light had to be used at 3 o'clock in
| the afternoon. Several villages were
completely destroyed. At Libog $50 bod
les were recovered and buried and more
remained in the lava. At another place
200 persons were missing. Some of the
bodies recovered were so completely cal
cined as to be unrecognizable.
Serious floods are reported from vari-
Gus parts Of Japan. According to the
Toxic press of the 18th of July, it is re-
portsd that next years budget will show
a deficiency of $4,000, 900 yen, even though
| the fullest economy is observed. The de-
ficit is chiefly due to the extraordinary
expenditure sanctioned by the diet.
The flood which occurred in Kaying
district is now gradually subsiding.
Nam-how Ho-tin, Se-to Cheung-tan
Tung- Sai-Sheang and Shu-hang are the
places that have suffered the most. A
good many houses were washed away
and great number of lives have been