This morning (17th), shortly before eight o'clock, one of the mu jus collisions which have ever occurred in Hongkong Harbour took place between the Glen Line steamer Glenfruin (Captain Norman) and the Netherlands India Steam Navigation Cos steamer Camorta (Captain Oreille). The circumstances of the collision, so far as we have been able to ascertain up to the present, are briefly as follows. The Glen-frum, bound for London, with a full cargo, is harbour, and pr ing principally of tea, left her buoy
along the fairway towards Green When she had got a little to the Messrs, Jardine, Mutheson & Ca. wharf, so we are informed, the Camorta cum out from the wharf, atid ran into the ide of the Glenfruin, almost amid-1g hor tu heol over slightly, and inflicting very serious damage. The water immodintely rushed into the engine-room and stoke-lolo of the Glowfruin, and in a fow minutes the fires were put out and the Glenfruin was rendered helpless. Capt. Norman, soving how matters stond, decided to run his vessel ashore, and with tance of several launches beached h shortly after eight o'clock, in Belcher's Bay, just in front of the Praya Wall, facing' the Glass Co.'s work. Almost mediately after, she settled down by the stern, which in now completely submerged, and her main deck is covered as far as the front of the engine room. Her stern is in four fathoms of water, and her bow in tro and a half fathoms. She is resting mud bottom, and has a slight list to starboard. At present it is impossible to form any idea as to whether the task of raising Ler will be very difficult or not. No ons was injured, and the crew, with the exc tion of the Captain, have saved their effects, The damage sustained by the Camorta not of so serious a nature, but we understand hor bows are stove in and her stem broken, She went across to the Cosmopolitan Dock immediately after the collision, and the work of discharging her cargo of sugar, preparatory to docking her, was at once begun.
The treasure on board the Glenfruin, amounting to $50,000, has been landed, and a number of cargo boats and one or two large lighters are now alongside the steamer unloading her cargo of tes.
We have since learned that the Glenfruin was under steam, and her own engi worked, until she was beached at Belcber's Bay. The hole cut in her port side extends eleven fest from top to bottom, with width of five feet at the bottom and three feet at the top, penetrating to the bunkers. When the collision occurred the engines of the Glenfruin had been reversed, and she vain going aatorn, on board the Glenpeni ae bound for Singa-jo six European passengers who were
pore and London, have, we hear, taken up quarters at the hotels for the crew atill remain on board to i cargo, nearly a thou ye already been discharged. probable that the vessel may be raised and dooked within a week or ten days if the weather proves propitious The Glenfruin is a vessel of 2696 tous gross, is 360 for long, and her engines are of 580 horse power. She was built in 1880.
The Camorte, also built in 1880, is an iron steamer of 1,891 to long, CANTON, The Imperial High Commissioner for Coast Defence, Peng Vu-lin, who has beau ailing for some time, has been granted three months' sick leave by the Eimperor in response to ini addressed by him to the Throne. Excellency will leave here shortly for his native place in Hunan, The "Provincial Treasurer of Hunan, Kung by name, formerly here, has been dismissed from his post on account of making an exorbitant charge for ammunition recently bought by lim for the Government. His squeeze was discovered, nud he has paid the penalty. I wonder how many of the mandarins would offices if all their peculti Magist just arrived here and made application to the Viceroy to be degraded. it seem this jased one allowed—or probably his underlings did ea for a cousideration—ton prisoners to escape from gaol, and Magistrate has only been able to recapture two of them. Hence in the dust hw prostrates his noble form humbly calls for the infliction of " penalty, hoping thereby to soften the blow. of the who lately 1 ative place, before setting out on his mission, has returned, and started feom hero on the 17th instant for the Kwangei border, where he will meet the Krench Commissioners.
Lhe perils that attend the uso of matshed r, to set them in a blaze, and there ways time for a great concourse of people to make their way out without being burned. This has happend before, and a fresh instance of the danger of these fragile erections is furnished by an incident occurred on the Gth in n the Ting Yuen district, about eighty miles from here. A theatrical performance was going on in the usual mat structure, and the building was crowded with an eager audience, when a fire broke out in " swell gambling tached, through sumo of the gamblerasmoking. "Che material being dry, the flames literally devoured the whole erection, spreading around it so fast that only portion of the persons inside had time to tear their way out, and no less than 173 persous—men, woman, and children,—were burned to death,' while numbers more were injured. actors managed to canape unhurt,—Duily Press or, 2ist October.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.