THE TYPHOON IN CHINA.-GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE OCCURRENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1503, 4 December 1874, Page 2

THE TYPHOON IN CHINA.-GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE OCCURRENCE.

A lady, well known in theatrical circles writing from Hong Kong to a relatives Sydney, gives the following as her experience of the typhoon :—" I have seen a ter able spectacle, and one which I shall never forget. Since we have been in China there has been a terrible typhoon, which haaspread devastation and ruin all over China. lam sure I could but feebly portray the disastrous effects a3 I have witnessed them. However I will make an attempt to give yon some idea —This time of year is when the breaking up of the monsoon or the change of the trade winds take place, and it generally ends in a typhoon ; but this has been the worst ever experienced. We were playing 'East Lynne' when the wind began to rise. This wai

about nine o'clock ; but it was not very bisth then. However, by degrees it grew worse and worse, till ■ at. last

each gust was followed by a crash of token

glass, and things falling about the theatre

behind the scenes. We played out the piece, and a farce afterwards, notwithstanding tie uproar going on. with the constant Jhowlinj of the wind and the crashing down of winder panes. I was too frightened to get into! chair to go home, for fear of the wind, and, therefore ran nearly all the way to the hotel This was only the commencement of the

typhoon ; and I little dreamt, wM/emaking light of the discomforts of the journey home, what the night would bring forth. Even when we were at supper, the wind; rushing through a broken window, was blowing the chairs along the floor I thoughtthatwassome" thing extraordinary, but when weittiredto

rest then the horrors commenced. We are

living in an immense hotel, "The Hongkong," which is three stories high, and contains quite a hundred rooms if not more.

We have three balconies going round the house floored with marble, and when £ tell you that the whole balcony rocked and j quivered from the top to the bottom yon can I imagine a little how much power the wind' had. We have an immense clock tower out- | side the budding. The clock was entirely destroyed, and the face hanging in shreds. However that was nothing. Once, dtiring the night, I beard a terrific gust which shook the building like a reed, and what I imagined was the shriek of the wind, was tie ory of the poor people who were drowning in the harbour, which is only a stone's throw from our hotel. The sea was washing up our street, bringing boats right up to the clock tower, along with life-buoys and debris of all kinds. When I got up in the morning I looked over the balcony and saw these things in the street, and could hardly believe it But you may imagine my horror when Mrs T told me of thefeatfu wrecks that had taken place —of vessels foundered and gone down witn their passenger^ ships taken up and hurled upon the shore, great blocks of stone from the wall which is built on the beach thrown about m all directions. I went down on the beach with Mr. and Mrs. T , and there, as far the eye could reach were vessels - complete wrecks. I saw two right in show with only the masts out of water, and their ropes blown to ribbons. There was of steamer floating side downwards. On so*. of the boats all the passengers were lost, f their bodies not recovered. I saw an* mense spar of one ship that had gone throf three brick walls, and was sticking outP other side right on the shore, in amongstt» houses. Houses were blown down, aW families buried beneath the ruins. I cann* describe all the horrors. Great trees wort torn up by the roots, and two or three bo»» that had just been waiting to start, andbw all their passengers on board, went down O the harbour All the piers and landing pl»^ with the exception of one, are destroyed) the stone wall round the beach blown » paces, and the stones sprinkled all over W place. Some of the drowned w'ereioundi» the debris on the beach, but only a few. lfl° next morning the bodies began to rise, aiw they are now on the beach being taken aW»y for interment; No one knows how « ships are. lost, but there are numoersimissirig. There was a beautiful avenue °\'xi^ along Queen's Road uprooted, and it »* | that it will take seven years to replace tnero* One immense cotton tree in front or theatre was blown down a few 1" after we passed under it going Jj? ' The front of the theatre was m^_ down, houses unroofed, and .* j,..^ vernor's residence damaged. The ca Shanghai is broken. I should have t£M down to see the wrecks to-day, as thei<b. are at work, but the bodies are bei^"^T^i ashore from different parts, and I coin . bear to see them. It seems think that in a few hours, and within ax locked harbour, such things $?ss#|lSf and that within a few yards of a Wfi'W should perish. Two gentlemen goin* beaC h the theatre to their house on tnj saw a steamer sinking just *£ fl reW . .;; door, and managed to save som3 of -W U| <J On c steamer ran into another and cntnt> & i, in two, and they both sunk in shore tap o£ ,/ I believe on one they had a hundrea. , Chinese passengers who were fasten* m ... hatches, so that they went down ,JK vessel. I saw one of the captains--™ 1 the only one saved from his morning, and heard him say Wffi to cut away from under ftra,'- »fe,%Sgs jump overboard. I > t i&. • tot It would take a.auire of _*_**■*'»- th« mtrnf -IweUUuta."--