The str. Ching Hsin, owned by a Chinese company, was destroyed by fire in the early hours of Sunday day. The vessel lay in the Arsenal reach near Kiangnan Dock, and a sergeant of the River Police on patrol] about 2.30 a.m. saw that an outbreak of fire had occurred on board. He tole-phoned to Kiangnan Dock and, failing to get a reply, returned to. the Police hulk to report. The Assistant Harbour Master and river policemen took the Customs fire float up river, arriving on the scene at about 4.15, at which time the vessel, one built of wood, was ablaze fore and, aft. Every effort was made to check the outbreak, but by daylight the ship was practically gutted and in serious danger of sinking owing to the! quantity of water in her. The fire float continued working for several hours afterwards,—_ alternately pumping out and on, and on Sun. day afternoon men from the Kiangnan Dock took charge of the' ruined hull and beached it above the Arsenal to save it from sinking in the fairway. 7 Tt is understood that the Chinese owners of the Ching Hsin stopped insuring-her when the vessel was laid up a couple of months ago. The crew, on board at the time of the outbreak, have stated that they were awakened by the smoke and! crackling of flames. As to the cause of the fire, they are credited with the statement that there was a lamp burning in the com-' pradore's cabin, and probably the jamp had been "capsized by a cat, as a window was left open.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.