The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-12-08
TYPHOON At
HONGKONG
Details of the Terrific
Storm There.
MANY LIVES WERE LOST
Houses Blown Down and Big Ships
Were Driven Ashore and
Wrecked. y


HONGKONG, Nov. lin the special
edition of the Hongkong Daily Press on
Saturday afternoon last we gave some
particulars of the disastrous effects of
the typhoon by which the city was Wis
tied early in the morning of that day
Further inquiries go to show that the
loss of life and the damage to property
is even more serious than was at first
anticipated. No part of the city has
escaped. Much of the debris has in the
meantime been cleared away from the
streets, but on Saturday evidence of
the visitation was seen on every. hand
Wreckage was strewn on the lower
thoroughfares, broken branches. trees
and small landslips on the higher roads
and general debris on the Praya. OF
matsheds there arr many in the colony,
large and small, Jdt all had expert
enced disaster. Strong iron telephone
posts in Des Voeux road were bent by
the force of the wind to an angle of 35
degrees and iron lamp posts had every
where assumed the most grotesaue
shapes. The roofs of the houses along
the Praya, especially, had suffered
most severely. In the harbor much
damage was done, the native craft
especially suffering, many boats being
sunk and presumably many lives lost.
The water early on Saturday morning
contained a large quantity of floating
wretkage. Two steam launches were
sunk inside the Causeway bay break
water. A great number of native craft
of all sizes were wrecked and sunk at
Yaumati The Canton day steamer
Hankow was unable to leave for Can
ton on Saturday morning and there
was no steamer for Macao until D. m.
Residents who remember the disastrous
typhoon OF 1874 say that hte wind was
saturday was equally as strong the
only difference being that it did not
last so long
The first intimation of rough weather
was given at 11:45 on the morning of
Thursday. the Sth inst, when the red
cone was hoisted. pointing downwards.
indicating tyDhOOn to the south of
the colony. At 11:4O a. m on Friday,
the 9Th inst, the red cone was taken
down and the black one hoisted, point
ing downwards, a sign that the ty-
phoon was within 800 miles. At 6:15
the same evening orders were received
from the observatory that the COM
munity should be warned of what was
coming by the firing of gun The
gun. however, refused to go off and ar
intimation was sent round to all the
police stations with the result that al
were on the alert. Another warning
signal was hoisted at 7:30. viz: two
white lights in vertical line. This in,
dicated bad weather and that the wine
was expected to veer. At 7:10 Satur
day morning the typhoon was signalleC
to- be east of the colony and sigma
hoisted at $40 a. m. showed that i
was to the north of the colony Shortl!
afterwards things began to quiet dow1
and at 4:30 the black cone was taker
: down. Sunday was a beautifully fin
day. The amateur photographer tax
ing snapshots of the wreckage, etc.
was much in evidence.
|, DREDGER CANTON RIVER LOST
AS daylight on Saturday approache,
those in the neighborhood of the Docl
!, Extension Works heard cries proceed
= ing from the harbor and it soon be
came apparent that something had be
!. fallen the powerful dredger Cantor
: River, which recently arrived here from
Paisley. where she was built by Messrs
y Fleming & Ferguson of that city. Dur
\ ing one of the fitful gusts of wind tn
ponderous craft with her massive der
= rick encumbrances and overhead gea
had failed to maintain her equilibrium
and had, almost without any warning
listed to port and capsized. AS to tn
:. precise number of crew, workmen an
: others on board at the time 1t was i'm
q possible on Saturday last to give an
I, accurate figure. II was known tina
g Captain Scott. who was in command c
= her, was aboard, as also We're the chic
q engineer, Mr. White. the second engin
l. eer. Mr.. Thomson; the carpenter, Nj
y McIlroy, and the majority of the crew
II From the statements of some of ther
n IL would appear that all on board wer
l. apprehensive of danger as the element
r heightened in their fury towards tn
e morning. 1t must have been yer
l. shortly after the dredger had fallen
d prey TO the elements and turned turf
fe that the lookout man on the lamar ot
IS served some Of the Canton Rivers ere
ID clinging to the bottom of the vesse
ii which then resembled a cigar-shape
ii craft. H.M.S. Astraea's lookout ais
ID reported the sight of the strugglin
er seamen and boats from both vesse
j. with volunteer crews put off to the re-
s. cue. 1t was at the greatest risk tn;
r. the Tamar's whaler. with her crew
TO five under Queens Harbor Master Blu
a Ter, seeming at every moment to me
ly with a similar fate to those they we
II. about to save, forged their wa