Shortly after six p.m. on the, 6th inst. a motor house best belonging to merchant named Char Lai-fong was being taken along the Soochow Creek, and when between Kiangse! and Honan Roads the engines suddenly stopped. Fire immediately' broke out and in a few moments the little craft was ablaze, While the alarm was being sounded the s towed into mid-stream to possible spread flames to other craft, the crews of which were naturally in a high state of excitement. The boat, it appears was the property of the compradore! of Mesers. Jardine, Matheson & Ca. Ld., and with o view to its being sold, two foreigners and two or three ladies were making a trial trip. The run was practically at an end when the gasolene engine ex! ploded and caused the fire. As far as can be ascertained the foreigners escaped without injury, but a native was injured. He sprained his knee in jumping from the boat, and had to be taken to Shantung Road hospital, where he was detained.
The firemen had some difficulty in tackling their work, the hose having to be taken out on sampan The sampan men showed considerable nervousness in approaching the burning boat, and the firemen had {to drag the sampans up to her themselves, some of them wading up to the neck in water in order to do so. Half an hour elapsed before the flames were got under, and by "Ithat time the boat had suffered extensive damage.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.