The Archive · 1923

Captain William Henry Lunt

We very much regret to have to announce the death of another of the leading men of the older school in China, one, moreover, who was well known to almost every one who has been out here a few years and who was genuinely respected by all—Gaptain William Henry Lunt, who, perhaps as much as anyone, has been responsible for the building up of the leading Chinese shipping company on the coast, the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company. The fact that this concern, with all the difficulties it is constantly encountering, maintains such a high standard of efficiency is largely due to the influence of Captain Lunt as Marine Superintendent, His death took place on Sunday morning, at his residence, 92 Vu-yuen Road. Usually a very active man, he had not been seen about much for a long time, owing to illness which continued even after a long trip to the United States.

Captain Lunt was born in Salem, setts, on November 24, 1848. The family settled in New England in 1634 and his early boyhood was spent in the stirring days of the Civil War. He was too young himself to serve, but his father fought with the Northern forces. Capt. Lunt went to sea in 1865, sailing from Boston and New York in the clipper ships, and making the voyage to China around Cape Horn. He arrived in Shanghai in May, 1872, as second officer of the American ship Cashmere, which had on board, as part of her cargo, the parts of the river steamer Nanking, which was later named the Kiangfoo and is still running on the Yangtze under the flag of the China Merchants' 8. N. Ca., but, after being fitted up in those early days, she flew the house flag of Russell & Ca., managers of the Shanghai Steam Navigation Ca.

Capt. Lunt joined Russell & Ca. in 1872 and remained in their ships until the fleet was sold to the China Merchants' S. N. Ca. in March, 1879. He went to the new company as Chief Officer, obtained his command in 1881, and remained afloat until June, 1910, when he was transferred to the office of the Marine Superintendent. He was

Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.

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