1872). The steamship Glendarrock and the barque Parame also collided in the harbour (December 7, 1876). In consequence of the explosion of the superheater of the river-steamer Kinshan (June, 1876), by which a passenger was killed, two engineers of the steamer were charged with manslaughter and tried in Supreme Court, but they were found not guilty.
The severest disaster that ever befell the Colony of Hongkong (since July, 1841) was caused by a typhoon of unprecedented suddenness and power. It commenced on the evening of 22nd September, 1874, when small boats were still plying on the harbour, and was at its height shortly after midnight. The tide was exceptionally high at the time and an earthquake appears to have occurred whilst the typhoon was raging. On the morning of 23rd September, 1874, the town looked as if it had undergone a terrific bombardment. Thousands of houses were unroofed, hundreds of European and Chinese dwellings were in ruins, large trees had been torn out by the roots and hurled to a distance, most of the streets were impassable, being obstructed with fallen trees, roof timber, window frames and mounds of soil thrown up by the bursting of drains. Business was at a complete standstill for several days. The Praya was covered with wrecked sampans and the debris of junks and ships, whilst in every direction dead bodies were seen floating about or scattered along the ruins of what was once the Praya wall. Thirty-five foreign vessels, trusting in their anchors, were wrecked or badly injured. Over 2,000 lives were lost in the harbour within the space of about six hours, during which time the screams of Chinese in distress on the water were heard by residents, on the upper levels of the town, to rise above the terrific din of the storm. The Hospital-ship Meanee, the only ship in harbour which held on to her anchors, had her four anchors twisted into one mass of tangled iron, the photograph of which is a curious sight. Special attraction for sightseers, who came out in thousands to view the havoc which had been wrought, was afforded by two steamers, the Leonore and the Albay, wrecked on the Praya wall near Victoria wharf, and the Pacific mail-steamer Alaska,
