On October 13, Mr. Scott related, a party of two foreigners, including himself, and some Chinese, were sent to repair a beacon situated about 35 miles off Taku Bar. One foreigner was left in charge of the lights, tender, which anchored near the beacon, while Mr. Scott and a party of Chinese proceeded to the sand bar, where the beacon stood, to effect repairs.
Suddenly a gale blew up and a boat put off from the strip towards the lights tender carrying a party of Chinese. Later the boat was to return to the bar to pick up the rest of the party, who were continuing with the work. The storm, however, increased in intensity and the tremendous seas which were running at the time made it absolutely impossible for the small vessel to reach the tender, In spite of gallant efforts by the Chinese crew the vessel was buffeted by the surf and eventually thrown back on to the bar.
"Things then began to get too dangerous for the tender to stay where she was," continued Mr. Scott, "and she pulled up anchors and went to the south side of the small island, a few miles away from the party. We anticipated that she would come as near as she could, but as we had changed our position in order to see the vessel, we were subjected to horrible exposure," he added.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.