In that year the Gemini and Sagittarius were ordered Home by the British Government. He sent them to the New Engineering Works te have repairs done costing over 60,000, and the steamers were sent to Saigon and loaded with rice for France. Three other boats followed, all to assist in the war, he being glad"to assist even though the losses were enormous. Two of the vessels were destroyed by submarines and one was lost on the run between France and England. The Peregrine was also lost, and he thus suffered enormous capital loss without being able to get a copper of it back.
The Lindsay Moller, the Ralph Moller and the Wallowra (in which Messrs. Burkill had an interest), were then taken over by the Hongkong Government, and his business became stagnant, he having no more tonnage. He then decided to build two steamers, and contracted with the Kiangnan' Dock to build the Shanghai No, 2, for which he was to pay $650,000, and also the Nancy Moller, for which he paid $475,000 cash. "The two ships were delivered and were supposed to be classified coming along. Bureau Veritas. On her maiden} voyage, however, the Shanghai No,|he had a small limited com-2 had to be beached in the Shanghai river, being absolutely unseaworthy, and they were all thankful she. had not gone out to sea, as she would have perished. The Nancy Moller was also unfortunate on her maiden trip, there being a blow-out -of the boiler tubes as she was entering Hongkong. One man was killed and several injured and the boat had to be brought back to Shanghai, These two boats, representing ax Wvestment of §1,000,000, were laid up at Kiangnan for over six months. Excellent time charters had been fixed up for both vessels, covering their value, but permission had to be given tothe charterers to cancel them. On the question of a claim for damages being raised, the matter was amicably settled, $250,000 Leing paid in cash, the Shanghai No. 2 being handed back to the builders, and the Nancy Moller being retained. By this time, said Mr. Moller, the market was down, he could make nothing out of the vessels, and they had to be written down to a very normal value,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.