As a result of the sudden cold wave which has swept Shanghai the beginning of ithe week and which was accompanied by severe frost. and very cold and strong northwesterly gale, the passengers who were outward bound for Japan ports and Vancouver had a most tying time, In the first place the tender Alexandra was to have left the Municipal Jetty at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday and by 9 a.m. all passengers, including upwards of 100 booked through to Vancouver and more than 50 for Japan, were on board. At that tinie it was blowing quite a gale and the temperature was low enough to be anything but pleasant. As the tender made her way down river, the cold and gale became far more severe, a very high "sea" running as the tender approached Woosung. The motion of the river on the journey down was so great that many of the passengers on board were severely seasick, and in addition, the spray from the, river, which the tender had to take on board to a very great extent in cutting through wind and tide, quickly becanie ice as it reached the decks and the clothing of the passengers.
Tus Hawser Snappep.
At Woostng there was a very high sea running and the wind there was far more forceful. An attempt was made to bring the tender alongside the outbound steamer on the windward side, but, this proving impossible, the tender was taken to the leo side, where eventually a stout hawser from the bow end was made fast, but before a stern-end hawser could be adjusted the forward rope snapped, with the result that the tender had to put off inimediately, for the safety of the passengers. It was then decided to retake the passengers to Shanghai and they arrived here about 12.30 p.m. on Sunday, showing by appearance their experience of the gale.
Té was announced that the tender would leave on Monday morning at nine o'clock, but in the meantime many intending passengers were bereft of rooms, the hotels being crowded, and many had to put up with such scanty accommodation as they could get, some having to share apartments.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.