Evening star., 1923-08-18
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE
FEAREDAS TYPHO0N
SWEEPS HONGkONG
Several Ships Sink as Tenn
pest Whips Harbor Into
Seething CaIdron.
SHELTER-SEEKING BOATS
HELPLESS BEFORE GALE
Torn From Moorings by Fury of
Wind Reaching 1870 Miles an
Hour, Greatest on Record.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associate Press.
HONGKONG, August 1S.-Heavy loss
of life is believed to have been claim
ed by typhoon that struck the har-
bor here at $50 o'clock this morning,
sweeping the waters into -secthinS
menace that flung several ship; iutC
their depths and tossed others into
havens of refuge. Many Europeans
were among the victims, 1t is feared.
The English submarine L-9 and the
steamer Ming Sang of British regis
try sank in the harbor. Only one sail
or is known to have been saved from
the submarine and there are but :Wo
reported survivors from the Ming
Sang. both European officers.
With harbor communication para
lyzed. it was impossible early this att
ernoon to form an estimate of tine
number of lives lost and the damage
caused. In the city business had been
suspended and police AMI soldiers
were massed along the waterfront.
Harbor Whipped by Tempest.
1t was the worst storm experienced
here since 1906. Following observa-
tory warnings. ocean-going steamers
and small craft sought shelter last
night Bomb-fire signalized the ap-
proach of the storm center this morn
ing. Within an hour the wind was
blowing with hurricane force and the
harbor was tempestuous
The steamer Ming Sang whiStled
long blasts of distress. blue-funnel
long blasts of distress. A blue-funnel
reach the stricken vessel. The high
running sea made the rescue impOs
sible and the Ming Sang went down
Except FOR the two officers reported
saved, all on board are believed to
have periShed.
The Ming Sang, owned by the 1ndo-
China Steam Navigation Company,
was of 1850 net tonnage.
Ships Tossed About.
The British submarine L-9, parting
from her moorings, drifted westwar
and sank off the Hongkong Club.
One sailor swan away, holding fast
to a small yacht buoy, until another
buoy was thrown from the endanger-
ed Japanese steamer Ginyo Maru and
the British blue Jacket pulled to safety.
The Ginyo Maru and another YES
sci, the Sekino Maru. had drifted
from their moorings. The Sekino
Maru was brought up alongside a
pier. to which she was able to moor
undamaged. The Ginyo Maru drifted
toward the royal navy yard sea wall,
where she grounded astern. slightly
damaged.
The liner Empress OF Australia
cleared from the wharf at kowloon,
a suburb, last night. moored in mid
stream and successfully outrode the
typhoon. The French mail liner
Andre Lebon was swept. dragging her
anchor. considerable distance.
When the terrific wind struck the
shore big trees were uprooted and in
several places flung against the
boundary walls, which collapsed. In
the business district signboards were
blown to bits and wall hangingS were
torn off.
Telephone cables were blown down.
Tramway services were suspended 1t
Is not known how Kowloon Jared. as
all communication with that port was
cut off.
Wind Reaches 13O Miles.
Several more casualties afioat were
reported later in the afternoon. The
British naval oil tanker karki, a
naval tug and the Chinese-owned
steamer Haldis went ashore.
The roof of the Victoria Jail was
damaged seriously. Several houses
were partly unroofed. One Chinese
house collapsed and two bodies were
recovered from the debris
The lowest point reached by the
the wind blew 130 miles an hour
said to be a world record. After that
the barometer rose rapidly.
An eyewitness to the sinking of the
British steamer Ming Sang told of
the gallant attempt by a party ashore
comprising sanitary and revenue
officers. n Norwegian seaman and one
Chinese-to rescue the crew. While
the storm was at its height they
volunteered to improvise lifeline
with rope at the pier-head and to
carry it out to the sinking vessel.
At this moment, twelve of the off,
GERS and crew OF the ship could be
seen on the poop deck. The next
The crew carried overheard, clung to
Wreckage, but a strong tide carried
the men to their doom. Appalling
casualties were averted by the Manila
observatory's timely warning last
night of the approach of the typhoon.
Three typhoons visited Hong Kong
harbor last month. the worst occur
ring July 81. when all shipping was
threatened by the raging storm. At
that time the giant waves washed the
steel piers at kowloon. just across
the channel on the mainland. The
KOwloon wall also was partly sub
merged. Comparatively little damage
was done, owing to the fact that the
government observatory had issued
early warnings.
In August. last year. a terrific
typhoon struck the Chinese coast be-
tween Annoy and Swatow and left
heavy trail of damage in it's wake.
1t was estimated the death toll at
Swatow was 10000, most of the vic
tins being natives.
Another typhoon swept the south
east coast in the early part of Septem-
ber, the same year, resulting in the
deaths of approximately 5000. That
typhoon was accompanied by a tidal
a W afIrh hieyI,