The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-09-04
MAGAZINE BLEW UP
DETAILS OF LOSS OF CHINESE
CRUISER KAICHI.
Crew Were Getting Charges for a
Salute When the Explosion Took
Place-Large Number of Lives Lost

A correspondent on board the Japa-
nese warship Atago gives further parti-
culars of the desertion of the Chinese
cruiser Kaichi at Marking on June %.
He says:
I'VE arrived with this ship on Sunday
at Marking and anchored two cables
lengths away and on the port quarter of
the Kaichi at 1925 p. m. We had just
given our ship her cable, and while 1
was looking at the Kaichi suddenly her
port side blew out, then Immediately
the whole poop, main and mizzen mast
We're shattered; in fact, the whole of
the after part of the vessel from the
mainmast was blown to pieces. This
was followed Immediately by volumes
of smoke and flames as high as the
masthead, and a terrific report follow
ed The conclusion was great and
men, spars, deck, boats cabin fittings,
doors, furniture and effects were blown
into the air several hundreds of feet
with numerous shells exploding in our
beam and dangerously near some fish
ing boats. The Kaichi sank at once,
even before some of the debris came
down. We were enVeloped in smoke
and debris, so much so that the captain
gave orders to the men to run for
shelter.
when the smoke cleared away a
little there was nothing to be seen but
huge mass of floating wreckage with
only two men to be seen. One of the
Atago's boats showed one of these men,
sailor, who was blown out of a port
on the forward lower deck. The other
man was carpenter, whom l have not
seen; native lifeboat saved him. The
United States man-Of-War Helena was
anchored about three-quarters of a mile
off, and all her boats were immediately
sent to assist but there were no lives
to save A quantity of stuff fell on our
deck, and among it was the log book
of the unfortunate vessel. On the hulk
Quashing a portion of a man-the
trunk-fell on the roof and a number
of pieces of human bodies were seen
floating on the wreckage. All the glass,
lamps and some of the crockery were
broken on board the Quashing They
felt 1t badly, as they were lying off the
port beam of the cruiser.
THE first portion of the vessel that
was blown out was a piece of the main
deck with beam attached to ONE angle
iron, weighing about three hundred
weight This and a piece of iron plate
We're blown on shore some 500 yards
distant from the wreck. Another piece
was reported to be found much further
away. A quantity of glass was broken
at the custom house, which was three
quarters of mile away, and the shock
| was felt at the British consulate, over
six miles off. Two sampans that were
alongside the cruiser at the thine were
! destroyed and the occupants killed. For
| three hours the ram and jib boom were
showing out of water above twenty feet
she was anchored in twenty-five
lathoms of water, so half Of the vessel
must have been completely blown away
and the forward half was standing on
end perpendicularly till $50 m. when
it tumbled over.
The number of lives lost is estimated
at about 40 to $50. The captain had
just landed and three officers were in
Shanghai, leaving four officers on board
Some of the men were on shore on leave
Undoubtedly it was the magazine that
blew up.
Upon inquiry I learn that she had
four tons of gunpowder on board. The
captain CID seeing us coming in when
he landed left word that his men were