tender arrived here bringing the survivors from the Chinese transport Wan Nien Ching. Frominformation we have collected, we learn that the transport came over from Formosa with a load of coals and some two hundred passengers, and on the afternoon the 19th she anchored three miles off Tungsha Lightship, which bore N.W. by N. 4N. The weather was foxy ut the time, and consequently the Cuptain considered it unadvisable to proceed. On the following morning, the fog having sufficiently lifted, preparations were made to proceed. AtG violock, Captain Damstrom was on the bridge, the second mate on deck, and the crew were forward getting up the anchor, A steamer's whistle was heard, then a mer's mast head light was tain Damsterom blew his whistle in responne, was strong westerly breezs blowing at the time, Almost immediately after the strange vessel's whistle was heard large ateamer, afterwards found to be the Ov,'a steamer Nepaul, crashed into the Wan Nien Ching, her straight stem tearing through the side and ripping her open -as fac in as her boilers with as much ease as if she was only " tea chest. The blow was struck about two feet forward of the funnel on the starboard side, and the after end of the starboard boiler was cut away, causing an immense escape of steam. Directly the accident happened, everybody was called on deck, The chief officer, Me. Low, came on deck in his sleeping clothes, thinking the vessel had deiftad and atruck the bottom. When he got on deck he could not seo the Nepaul owing to the great quantity of steam w! was coming Up out of the engine room. The second atkeitipra ro Urs PUNO Qbend, slceady Chinese passengers rushed to them, and swamped one of them, all the occupants but one being drowned. Mr, J. Hender-the Chief engineer, and Me. A.
second, were up, the li being gine room at the time the Nepaxt rau into them. he third engineer, Mr. HR. S, Grant, when he got on deck, saw the steamer and climbed up by the cable to hor forecastle, while others did the same, The Captain of the Nepaul, as soon as the accident happened, gave orders to lower the boats and despatch ho rescue, and they succeeded in number of people." It was found impossible to do anything with the boats of the transport, for when the crew attempted to low them the Chi sengers were pani stricken and rushed into them and completely filled them, #0, as the vessel was shallow water, it was thought best to leave the boats alone, for if they had been lowered, all the occupants would hare been drowned. As the vessel gradually sank, an operation which appears to have tal than half an hour, some of the people climbed up the ud yot on top of the deck houses, davits and any part of the vessel which was above water, but at the early hour of 6 a.m. many of the passengers were asleep below on the coals, of which the Wan Nien Ching had catho of some 350 tons, and i posed many of them were drown survivors were well treated by hoard the Nepaut, foreigners by th 18 were supplied with clothing from the slop cheat. It is fortunate that there was not miugh steam on the boilers of the transport at the time of the accident, otherwise there would possibly have been @ greater loss of life. The wreck now lies on 3} athom: One man drifted away in a boat and two others in another boat, but they were rescued. Another man hung on to one of the davits for a long time, and efforts were made to save him, but without success, A final effort wns made by the Captain, mate, Chinese pilot, and some more of the officers who were taken i of the Nepaul's bonta to the Wan Nien Ching's dingy which had gone adrift, bur before they could get to the vessel, the man had fallen off and was drowned. Six persons were picked up either dead or dying, and their bodies are now on board the Nepaul, Among those saved are two women, A high mandarin is anid to has been drowned. Many of the 200 odd passengers were on their way up to Shanghai for New Year, Ca Friday morning a telegram was sent from Guiziaf' to the effect that what appeared to be part of had floated past, and had disappeared the distaues, There was no one on it, This was probably the after house of the Wan Nien Ching, as it became detached from the wreck and flouted away, supposed that over eighty lives have been lost through the accident. ing Feng was to go out on Friday night to the wreck, Captain Alderton of the Nepaul has given the Customs the position of the wreck as 8 miles S.E. by S. $8. from Pungshu Light ship.
Friday morning the pilots on board the Syren saw the wreck of the Wan-nien ching with a number of papioos alongside, "Those they drove away wud hoisted the American the fore of the wreck. They also up ut the wreck, but as ority-six hours atter the vessel ight was out, Atnight they had It wns fortunate they did so, for the Wismar was not aware of the wreck till she saw the light, Had it not been for this light, ale would most probably have corns to grief. The pilots took it upon themselves w hoist the lamp, When he wreck on on an even reck on Satur-4 in one of the Armstrong entioued previously, all everything they had, and only one of them, the secund Bugi had his property insured, and that was qhe Marine Engtnvers' Insurance Company.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.