DESTRUCTIVE TYPHOON.

West Coast Times, Issue 681, 29 November 1867, Page 2

DESTRUCTIVE TYPHOON.

We take the following abridged particulars from the " Overland China Mail " of September 27 :—": — " It is not often that a typhoon of . greater violence than that of the Btli and 9th ' has visited this port — at least within the memory of present residents. We record tho chief incidents which occurred within the range of the Harbor-Master's jurisdiction — the wrecks and damages amounting to tho following totals : — Sank (exclusive of yachts) — one barque, one schooner, two waterboats, ono chop. Wrecked — one ship, three barques, two schooners, nud'the Government junk. Of other damages eight vessels are seriously injured, while an immense number have, I more or less, " cotne to grief." There are no means of accurately estimating the los 3of native junks and native life, but however great it may have been in the harbor and neighborhood of Hong Kong, there is reason to believe that the number of lives sacrificed at sea is, in proportion, far greater. The typhoon which virtually commenced about 9 p.m. on the Bth gave sufficient warning of its approach. The afternoon sky betokened wind, and at about 7 p.m. a tremendous gust swept over the town, accompanied by a pelting rain. It was not, however, till nearly 10 o'clock that the storm burst in all its fury. The first to suffer were the native boats, numbers of whose crews would have been drowned but for the exertions of the water police, who did everything in their power to to afford help. As the night wore on tho force of the wind rose yet higher, and numbers of vessels either sank or were wrecked and seriously injured. To commence with- the former, the Minerva, Spanish barque, sank in mid- channel, just ahead of the United States' ship Hartford. Her crew were, with one exception (the steward) saved. They were picked up by the boats of the Hartford, whose men shewed every possible attention to the half drowned sailors, who had been ono and a half hours in tho water before being rescued. The Ethel, barque, has lost her foremast and bowsprit and sustained other damage ; the M. W. Sassis al«o injured, and the Maria Ross is dismasted. The Eagle, American schooner, also sank, the crew being saved. She ran into the Undine and foundered almost immediately. The crew jumped on to the Undine, but the captain missed his footing and fell between the two vessels. Strange to say he contrived to reach the steamer wharf with a life-buoy — how, is a mystery — and is safe and well. Two water boats belonging to Messrs Bowra and Co. have also sank, and several of their crews were drowned. The chop of Mr Mitchell, carpenter, also sanV. Tho vessels driven on shore at Kowloon are, so far as we can yet learn, the Danish schooner Maria, tho two vessels having their rigging locked together and both were much damaged. The British barques Omar Pasha, Canton, and Fortitude, and the ship Aden, are also ashore, and the unfortunate Government junk Proposterous has run on shore, and is little more than a wreck, at Kowloon. The British chips Regina, the Wartburg, Young Greek, Senator Webb, Bengal and Heather Bell, were jammed together ahead of the Fort William, and most of them were seriously damaged. • The steamer Lintin and tho police junk at Sowkewan have both been clean swept, while an immense number of junks have been wrecked or have foundered. Off the village of Yo-ma-ti an immense number of sampans were lost, and seven or eight junks arc on shore at SowLewan. Several yachts have sunk. On shore, on both sides of the harbor, much damage has occurred. Great fears were entertained for tho safety of H.JI.S. Pearl which left on the morning of the Bth, and tho Agamemnon steamer, which vessel appears to have bad weather specially to her share. The fears for both wcro happily rolieved; the Pearl returned safe to port, but damaged, and tho Agamemnon was subsequently spoken with all safe, fur out of tho southern influence of the typhoon.