APPALLING DISASTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19832, 30 December 1927, Page 6

APPALLING DISASTERS.

CHINESE JERRY BUILDERS. COLLAPSE OF STRUCTURES. ABOUT 173 LIVES LOST. SAD END TO WOMEN'S MEETING. [from ode own correspondent.] SHANGHAI, Nov. 5. The Chinese, especially those of the "returned student variety," are constantly demanding the rendition of the foreign settlement of Shanghai and are loud in their asservations that they could manage this "model settlement" equally as well as the "Imperialistic foreigner." The Chinese suburbs adjacent to the International Settlement of Shanghai have been formed into a Chinese municipality known as "Greater Shanghai," and those responsible for the government of this area are constantly affording additional jroof of the fact that their knowledge of the science of municipal engineering and administration is extremely slight. During tlie last four months, a bridge, a market and a tea-house, the two latter accompanied by appalling loss of life, have collapsed in the Greater Shanghai district. The centre span of the Markham Road Bridge, which connects the western district of Shanghai with the Chinese suburb of C'hapei, collapsed in July last. Two persons were injured, and tive Chinese were thrown into the Soochow Creek. There was quite a heavy traffic on the bridge when it started to collapse, but fortunately, the splintering of the wormeaten timbers gave a certain amount of warning, and Chinese pedestrians, handcarts and other traffic rushed hurriedly off the bridge. At the time of the occurrence, a large coal barge was passing under the bridge, and this was pinned beneath the wrecked timbers. None of the boatmen was hurt. Months before the bridge collapsed, the settlement authorities warned the Chinese that the bridge was not safe, they even offered to repair the bridge, but as this would mean that workmen from the International Settlement would be trespassing on Chinese soil, thus infringing •"China's sovereign rights," the Chinese refused to allow the necessary repairs to •be carried out; the result was the collapse of the centre span. The bridge has now been repaired by the Chinese, but all indications point to the fact that the repairs .were mostly of a patchwork nature. Market and a Tea Shop Collapse. A market in the. native city of Shanghai suddenly collapsed last August. At the time of tho collapse, it is estimated that between 2000 and 2500 Chinese, mostly pvomen, were in the market making their usual morning purchases of meat and [Vegetables. Without warning, the building toppled over with a resounding crash that could be heard half a mile away. The market is situated close to the French Concession and the French police immediately despatched trucks and ambulances to the spot to assist in the work of rescue. The Chinese Red Cross also rendered valuable assistance, thosa engaged in the work often risking their lives under, the timbers. I* is estimated that over 40 persons were killed outright. Approximately 50 were seriously injured, while hundreds received minor injuries. A report states that the foundations of the building, which was erected in 1922, were weak. A Chinese-built house, even inside the International Settlement —where all buildings must be constructed in accordance with the building regulations of the municipal council, and where a staff of foreign clerk.'i-of-works make daily inspections of all buildings under cpnStructioo —can hardly be termed "a tower of strength." IWhen these houses are constructed in Chinese territory, every house builder is a law unto himself only and building regulations and factors of safety are unknown. The Chinese tea shop, which collapsed last Saturday, was . a typical fcxample of the latter class.

Tragedy in a Restaurant. Some 800 to 700 Chinese women, employed in the silk industry, were holding & meetihg on the second floor of a Chinese restaurant with the object of forming a union of female silk filature workers. The building was a three-s'.oreyed brick structure erected about twenty years ago. The restaurant and tea shop occupied the ground floor, while the other floors were used for holding meetings. The meeting had been in progress only a short time, xvhen. without any warning, the second floor gave way and everyone was thrown to the first floor. The cross boams of the first floor could not support the added weight, the portion nearest the road collapsed, and the mass of tangled humanity were hurled to the ground. Fortunately both the roof and •walls of the building stood intact. At least ten waiters on the ground floor were killed outright as the mass of 25 tons of humanity fell, while tons of flooring joists, cross beams, etc., increased the death-roll. Two theories have been advanced as to the actual cause of the collapse. One is that a woman noticing a thin column of smoke rising from a stove on the ground floor, became alarmed and shouted, "Fire." Pandemonium reigned at once and every one rushed for the only stairway the building possessed, and the sud'en rush of all this weight to one point caused the collapse. The other theory is that the speaker, addressing the meeting, had emphasised a point favourable to the cause of the women and that those present showed their approval by clapping their hands and jumping up and down. This movement in unison, set the floor in vibration and proved too much for the cross beams, which had been inset into the wall only a short distance.

Over 300 Casualties. The Chinese Red Cross Hospital in the international settlement was immediately notified of the catastrophe, and stretcherbearers, nurses and doctors hurried to the scene. The Chapei Fire Brigade also responded to the call, and the gruesome work of extricating the dead, dying and injured from the mass of ruins began. It was indeed a difficult and gruesome task. The pile of bodies and fragments of wood were between 12ft. and 15ft. high, arms and legs protruded from the debris, some had their limbs severed from their bodies by falling timbers, others were crushed beyond recognition by the weight of crossbeams. Within a comparatively short time the streets in the vicinity were dotted with silent forms, as the dead were laid out in rows stretching for an entire block. It is estimated that 133 women were killed and some 200 more or less seriously injured, while hundreds of Chinese children have been rendered motherless by the catastrophe. The majority of the dead and injured were in extremely poor circumstances, and a fund has been started with the object of burying the dead and aiding the injured.