Hongkong, 9th August, Just after closing my last letter the typhoon to which I referred as approach burst near the colony with great violent and wrought very considerable havoc, fi more than was expected when it began to blow, Below I give particulars, Another Typhoon.
Hongkong is suffering from a plethora of typhoons which may be all very well in their way in cleaning out the corners, Blowing away cobwebs, ete., but unfortunately one can have too much of a yood thing. The typhoon which visited us on Saturday last, the 2nd instant, was certainly the most severe we have had since the 10th November, 1900, which was the cause of great loss of life and much damage to the colony. But this was bad enough and the damage done more than sufficient to make us hold them in awe; and to give the police and others a bad ti collapses were numerous, the most seri being the fall of a house in Wanchai which buried beneath its ruins fifteen Chinese, nine of whom were killed and the remainder injured more or less seriously. Out at West Point three Chinese houses were blown down and five of the inmates and six were seriously injured. The coolie quarters belonging to the Pines," Peak Road, the residence of Mr. T. Cochrane, manager of the Chartered Bank, were knocked down by a part of an embankment falling against them and three coolies killed and two injured. Many other collapses and landslips occurred. Matshed and ticket-boxes of the Star Ferry were blown away. The rain fell in such torrents that the streets were flooded. The electric light too, suffered and several houses, including the Hongkong Club, were without light for some time and course the electric fans did not we: Peak also came in for its share, retaining walls and walls round tennis and croquet grounds being washed down by the volume! of water. The tramway was also damaged by land slips and big boulders falling across the line and gangs of coolies were at work day and night clearing it, but all Sunday those who had to go down were obliged to walk. Kowloon was flooded, matsheds wrecked, sampans and other craft damaged ete., but there was no loss of life. The harbour was a grand sight, with great waves dashing over the ships, all of which had steam up. The outward and homeward mails delayed their departure. Several steam launches were sunk or driven ashore. Oace thirty junks w re driven ashore; the steam launch Dou: las, owned by Messrs. Dougla<Lapraik and Ca. was sunk, also the Wo Lee ferryboat and the Hongkong Hotel launch driven ashore. The Shear-legs at the Cosmopolitan Docks' were blown down, one_ falling across) the deck of the Marie Jebsen without injuring anyone. The launch Heron, being to the Kowl on Wharf and Godown Company also sank. Many of the telephone wires also came to grief. Two days after the typhoon I have recounted passed on another was signalled somewhere off the Loochoos, but that, two, has passed on, giving us only a swish of its tail in the shape of rain squalls.
The King's Park.
After having been postponed three times on account of bad weather, the ceremony was performed yesterday by H. E. the Officer aministering th Government. The gustd of honour was supplied by the Hong-Kong Regiment under Major Berger, who presented arms on the arvisal of His xeellency. After cutting the sod H.E. placed it" into a wheelbarrow standing near, and then turning over the barrow threw out the sod, saying: "This is the first sod of the King's Park and I ask you nil to give thre+ cheers for King Edward the VIE" When the cheering had subsided Lady Gascoigne then planted a tree to commemorate the occasion, and was presented with a bisket of flowers by Miss Goodman, daughter of the Chief Justice and Chairman of the Coronation Comaii tee. As a memento of the ocesion Sir Win. Gaseo'gne has been asked accept a small silver wheelbarrow, which will be banded to him when finished, Gymkhana.
gymkhana held at Happy Valley on the 6th inst., womoted jointly by the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.