News of one of the most terrible accidents which has happened on the Yangtze has just reached Hankow. 'The Fairy Peach, a passenger Taunch, left Hankow on the evening of the' Ist. for Hsinti and Loshan. Hainti is 120 miles from Hankow and Loshan atour 10 miles further. She carried about 500 passengers and a good deal of cargo. None of the survivors seem to know what] happened, but about 6 p.m. on December 2 the Iaunch turned turtle! when she was well out in the stream.
Thirteen passengers, two of the crew and three teaboys kept afloat till they were rescued by small boats.
It is rumoured that others were saved as the sunk suddenly in deep water. The generals. owners of cargo which was shiped from Hankow are laying claims against the owners of the launch on the ground that the accident] was due to overcrowding, but as none of these launches keep senger lists the identity of most of those who were drowned will never De known, It is now some weeks since the trafic on the Kin Han railway was supposed to be resumed deputation of merchants from various important points on the} me has arrived in Hankow to point out that the end of the year is] approaching, and there are huge quantities of goods waiting to be Drought down, But as fast ax the merchants assemble trucks, these fare taken by the military under] various pleas. It is said that many are used as sleeping quarters. is also said that there are 50,000] tons of freight awalting transport] and that the merchants are anxious to get this on the market before the annual settlement of accounts, Big Fire Above Mankow A huge fire at Manchia-teng hou it is estimated that 463} above Hunkow has destroyed 139
families are left without shelter Just as the inclement weather beins, Such accidents seem to add] 40 the general feeling of unrest, Martial law has been proclaimed] again on the river and ix enforced against all small craft from mid night to 5 am, and the Garrison Commander announces that martial Jaw will be enforced without warning as necessary in the Chinese city. The police are evidently eomibing the city for undesirables} before the Generalissimo arrives. Ten persons have been exacted 20 far this week.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.