The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-23

The Pacific Mail liner Asia arrived
yesterday afternoon fEom the Orient
after an uneventful voyage across the
Pacific, which is described by Purser
Thorn as having been as quiet as a
millpOnd, diametrieally opposed to the
terrific weather which the Asia encoun-
tered in the anchorage off Hongkong
the night the typhoon swept the water
and >eity, few weeks ago, and piled
up vessels as wrecks along the shore,
destroying thousands of lives.
The Asia was at anchor. At z
o clock the typhoon was reported 800
miles distant. At 10:45 p. m. three
typhoon guns were fred that the storm
was almost at hand, and at 1880 the
typhoon struck Hongkong and vicinity
with all the force of circular cy-
clone, moving forward also at the rate
of forty miles an hou- The Asia was
untouched, or, rather, unframed, but
the Persia was driven up on the mud
flats, but sustained absolutely no dam
age. In fact, the people aboard hard.
ly knew that she had driven her nose
into the mud. She was foated off with
out difficulty. The Mongolia was not
damaged. only her gangway was smash
ed. and this through a vessel which got
loose from her mornings and, after
swinging around the Pacific Mailer s
bow, swept along until it crushed the
gangway.
'.That was terrific Storm" said
Purser Thorn. cit moved at forty
miles an hour, because at ] a. IN. it
struck Canton, about eighty miles
away. And cold9 Well, it almost
froze the brass ratings.
The Asia is carrying one of the BAN
ner cargoes of raw silk, about $4,000
bales, worth nearly $2,500,000. The
Asia viii leave port at Z clock this
morning and expects to arrive in San
Francisco next Saturday morning, when
the cargo will be worked ont with a
rush and started east for New York
this precious cargo will travel on pas
senger train time The vessel carries
1000 tons of freight. six hundred of
which will be left off here.
The Asia brought one passenger for
Honolulu, Mrs. Anderson, who came
from Formesa, where her husband, a
Honolulan, is at work assisting in the
erection of the sugar mills built by
the Honolulu Iron Works.
Colonel Greene, the copper king of
Mexico, is a passenger, accompanied by
his physician, Dr. Galbraith. They
were met at the dock by Mrs. Greene,
who arrived from Mexico on Friday on
the Alameda.
Messrs. Campbell, Glover and Lewis
have just completed work on the big
new drydock at Hongkong and are re-
turning to London. The drydock is re-
ported to have developed a leak and
considerable work has been necessary
in stopping it up.
Mr.. Hermann Jannicke is a Shanghai
pilot who is on a vacation. Theodore
Owen is a member of the Philippine
ConstabGIary. J. B. Thomas is mis-
sionary.
Pioneer May Quit.
There is a rumor along the water
front that the tender Pioneer, owned by
H. Hackfeld & Co., Ltd, will be placed
out of commission in the near future
if the immigration business from the
Orient does not pick up. The Pioneer
is Waterfront. tender, etc, and has
been largely used in transporting Japa-
nese immigrants from liners arriving
from Japan from one side of the harbor
to the dock nearest the Immigrant Sta
tian. Since the recent ruling by the
Japanese foreign office, restricting I'M
migration of Japanese to Honolulu, TINS
business has become little or nothing,
while the expense of the upkeep of the
Pioneer including the salaries OF the
, officers. continues as large as ever.
Therefore the likelihood of her going
out of commission. The Pioneer has
had unique history. She was built IN
Germany. and shipped to Hawaii on one
of Hackfeld 5 sailing vessels in sections,
and was rebuilt here, process winch /
brought the vessel into prominence over
her register The Pioneer is a seow-
steamer, of large water-cargo capacity