The worst typhoon in twelve years, according to old inhabitants, was that which struck Hongkong during Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last week, puting business practically at a standstill and filling the local journals with pictirresque news. One of the mostly widely felt effects was the breaking-down of the electric power supply, which continued from the forenoon till 6.30 pan. on Thursday.
The signals were first hoisted on Tuesday, and before four o'clock on the afternoon of that day, the typhoon was reported 300 miles south-east of the colony. By 9.45 next morning it had' moved to the south; by Wednesday night it was nearly due south, but moving westward. All day Wednesday rain fell in torrents. At noon on Thurstay the barometer was still falling and the typhoon increased in severity. Ships in harbour took up still more sheltered positions when possible the Kowloon ferry service ceased running at 1 p.m, and many residents were cut off from home and friends. The Shawmut dragged her moorings and went ashore near the Kowloon dock, but was released next day. The same experience befell the U. 8. survey-ship Pathfinder. The Manila cargo steamer Zaliro got adrift, collided with the Douglas Company's buoy, but after several narrow escapes made Stonccutters' Island shelter. alrendy reported by telegraph, the P.
1 steamers each way wore delayed in general suspension of business, A number of Chinese craft wore lost on the Canton river, but timely warning by the Observatory enabled very many to take shelter. The typhoon began to subside on Friday morning and business was grad ually resumed.
Ashore the most serious damage was done by the collapse of several houses in Ming On Lane and Bridge Stroot. An old Chinese lady was killed in one of the houses. © Many" walls, verandahs, and chimneys were blown down; at the residence of Mrs. Henderson, on the Peak, tower collapsed and wrecked two bedrooms. The race-course was flooded, with the result that the gymkhana had to be postponed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.