Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-18
H0NGKONC'S SHIPPING
Over 10000 Vessels Entered
the Harbor Last Year.
GREAT FLEET THERE
POPULATION IN 1901 WAS CLOSE
TO SOC, 900.
City Of Victoria Built on Series Of
Terraces Upon the Side Of
the Mountain.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

By WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
HoNGKONG, April 49, 1904.
During the last year 2O21S vessels of
g. 734,3oS tons burden entered the harbor of
Hongkong and 2o.O04 vessels of s505,5H
tons cleared with cargoes The British
steamers numbered 1877, with tonnage
OF 4,429, 743; Germany came next with 797
steamers of 1,184,202 tons, Japan with BOB
of S3s,362 tons, France with 452 steamers
of $4,000 tons, while down toward the end
of the list is the United States with SO
steamers of 1921 tons. These figures
place Hongkong among the great ports of
the world.
The harbor that holds all this shipping is
the most important military and naval sta
ton OF Great Britain beyond the British
coast, hence the approaches by sea are
strongly fortified, even more strongly than
Gibraltar. 1t has two entrances, one at
each end. and both are commanded by ex-
tensive earthworks concealed among the
hills and armed with the latest ordnance
No one is allowed to approach them. While
out walking the other morning 1 wandered
INTO an Enclosure that Is surrounded by
nlgh wooden fence, supposing 1t was a park,
put before many seconds was informed to
the contI airy by a staiwart Scotchman with
red coat and big rifle, who inquired for
my pass and told me l could not go any
farther without one. Stopping at the
guardhouse I chatted with the men and
found that no strangers were admitted or
allowed to inspect the Notifications under
any circumstances, and that even the SOL
diers of the garrison were permitted to go
only SO far and no farther, unless they be-
longed to the batteries on duty there.
You cannot see the Notifications from the
harbor nor from the ships as they enter
and IGaVe-Only the roofs Of he ra
visible. The guns are entirely concealed.
There are immense barracks, military hos
pitals, warehouses, arsenals, machine
shops, gun factories and other military in
situations scattered all over the island and
at present 1910 English and Indian troops
and 5,597 sailors and marines are on duty
here, while floating In the harbor is the
largest fleet of battle ships, cruisers and
torpedo boats this side of the British chan-
mel They all have their war paint on, the
lead color that is supposed to be invisible,
and are lying quietly, ready for whatever
may turn up. Occasionally the admiral or
ders them out for practice to Mrs bay.
neighboring harbor, where Admiral Dewey's
feet lay before, the attack upon Manila.
You remember that when war was declared
Dewey's ships were In Hongkong harbor,
and the governor, according to international
regulations, ordered them to leave within
twenty-four hours and issued a proclama-
ton warning everybody within his juris-
diction to observe the strictest neutrality
and forbidding them to give aid or comfort
to the yankees.
Dewey hoisted' anchor and dropped down
to Mrs bay, where his feet lay unmolested
until junks and lighters from Hongkong
had brought down alFthe coal and supplies
he needed. The Spaniards made great
fuss about 1t and accused the Englishmen
Of violating the neutrality laws, but the
governor showed them his, proclamation
and told them that II Admiral Dewey had
obtained any aid or comfort from Hong
kong he was a very naughty man, and
dropped the subject.
The Fleet at Hongkong.
To show what 1t costs Great Britain to
protect little colony that isn't bigger than
the District of Columbia and has less than
100000 population, 1 give a list of the men