Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-21

HONG KONG, Sept. 2.--The full extent
OF the catastrophe Is not yet known, but
conservative estimates places the number
of Chinese who lost their lives al 5000 and
the total OF the material damage to the
colony at s9OlO00OOo.
Reports of disasters at sea are constantly
being received here. The steamer Alba
tross. with 100 passengers on board.
foundered near Futaumen pass. Only six
passengers and two OF the crew were
saved. They swan ashore. The steamer
Hong Kong also was lost and its entire
crew IL missing. The steamer Ying Fat,
from samchun,> foundered and 1870 pas
sengers and ten of its crew are missing.
Only two OF the crew are known to have
been rescued
Mrs. Hoare and her search party have
returned, The found no trace of her hus-
band, Joseph Charles Hoare, Anglican
bishop OF Victoria whose yacht was lost
during the typhoon.
Captain Thomas, commander of the river
steamer fatshan, whose Chinese crew
clambered on board the French mall steamer
Polenesian when the Fatshan colided with
II. saved his vessel and $50 Chinese pas
sengers by splendid seamanship Fortu-
nately the engine room stan stuck hero
ically to its stan. Captain Thomas was
X.
the wheel and navigated the Fatshan for
one hour and forty mInutss through
tempestuous sea and finally beached the
vessel safely. II is believed It can be re-
fioated without trouble
The stan of the Jardine- -Matheson Sugar
Refinery rescued 200 Chinamen from sink
ing sampans
Financial Losses Heavy.
The losses of the Kowloon Godown Ware
house company are estimated at sT5o o0O
Forty thousand bales OF yarn which were
In storage. at -Kowicon are prohabir s fr4
retrievably damaged. The beach is Uttered
with valuable silks and many iooters have
been arrested here and at Kowloon.
There are ample supplies of rice to re-
lieve distress.
There were 200 Chinese passengers on
board the steamer Heung Shan, from
Macao. which stranded or Lantao island
All the European passengers, Including
three women, were saved. Many of the
Chinese, including women. were drowned,
but the total number of deaths is not
known. The position OF the Heung Shan is
hopeless
The British reserve sloop Phoenix, which
was reported ashore yesterday, Is a total
wreck
Another storm, less violent, however
than the typhoon, broke here at midnight
and blew for six hours. The damage ap-
parently was not great.
Omeiai Inquiry Under Way.
Sir Matthew Nathan. governor OF Hons
hong speaking to the legislative council
today, said he intended to appoint com
n1ittee to inquire into the charges made
against the observatory to the effect that
1t had failed to give warning of the com.
ing OF the typhoon. He said he was con.
ndent that the director of the observatory
could not be blamed. Inquiries into in.
dividual acts OF heroism with the view OF
according recognition also will be started
The governor has accepted the offer of tn,
American squadron to cooperate in rescu.
work.
Coptic is damaged.
SAN FRANCISCO. Sept eo-The Mer
chants exchange received a cable messag,
from Hong Kong today. stating that anon,
the vessels injured during the typhoor
there was the steamship Coptic, who's,
spars were considerably damaged.