Richards, an officer of the esse ahead of the Tung cately passed the 'Asia, said he did not hear the Empress reply to the Tungshing's second short blast. On looking round he saw the Tungshing across to starboard, while the Empress liner did not' alter her cause to starboard. Very shortly after he heard three distinct short blasts from the Tungching, she altering her course to starboard the whole until collision occurred. The Empress was not at this time steering a mid-river course but towards the Shanghai shore. Witners could see distinctly that she inclined towards the Shanghai side.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.