The 1906 Hong Kong typhoon was a
tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depen ...
that hit Hong Kong on 18 September 1906. The natural disaster caused property damage exceeding a million pounds sterling, affected international trade,
and took the lives of around 15,000 people: about 5% of the then Hong Kong population (a total of 320,000 people).
Meteorological history
The Hong Kong Observatory recorded the 1906 typhoon as having a velocity of when the eye of the typhoon was distant and it had a wind force of 6
Bft taken as limit, about in diameter. The Royal Observatory had recorded the
1896 typhoon (29 July) with a velocity of when the eye of the typhoon was of distant, and with a wind force 6 taken as limit, about in diameter.
Preparations
![Hk1906typhoon3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Hk1906typhoon3.jpg)
The
Royal Observatory Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Observatory is a weather forecast agency of the government of Hong Kong. The Observatory forecasts the weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards. It also monitors and makes assessments on radiation levels in H ...
gave less than a thirty-minute warning of the typhoon, in which time it was already close to Hong Kong waters. A
black drum
The black drum (''Pogonias cromis''), also known as the drum or drummer, is a saltwater fish similar to its cousin, the red drum. It is in the genus '' Pogonias''. Though most specimens are generally found in the 5-30 lb (2–14 kg) ran ...
(an official warning to be issued for tropical cyclones from Hong Kong Observatory since 1884) was hoisted at 8:40 am, before the typhoon gun was fired for its harbour warning. By 9:00 am, the ferries had ceased to operate and quite a few of the foreign steamer captains and their sailors were stuck on land, unable to quickly reach their vessels to take any necessary precautions. The barometer showed a rapid drop from 29.74 inHg to 29.28 inHg between 8:00 am and 10:00 am, within two hours.
There were two reports from Shanghai observatory regarding an advance warning of the 1906 typhoon:
# Japanese observation from east of
Formosa (Taiwan) was said to have given the first warning of calamity by telegraph, calling 'Typhoon South of
Meiaco Sima'. It was dated 15 September 1906 (Saturday 11:30 am), three days in advance, moving towards the direction of Taiwan or China.
#
Sicawei Observatory () in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
further reported and based on extracts from logs of ship vessels, about a definitive track of the storm on 15 September (Saturday) and 16 September (Sunday) from the regions of Pacific Ocean and Taiwan, and the track was on 18 September (Tuesday). The 1906 typhoon formed in the southern part near
Bashi Channel
The Bashi Channel is a waterway between Y'Ami Island of the Philippines and Orchid Island of Taiwan. It is a part of the Luzon Strait in the Pacific Ocean. It is characterized by windy storms during the rainy period, June to December.
The Bash ...
from
WNW or
WbN, at a distance from the
China Sea
The China Seas consist of a series of marginal seas in the Western Pacific Ocean, around China. They are the major components signifying the transition from the continent of Asia to the Pacific Ocean.Pinxian Wang, Qianyu Li, Chun-Feng Li, ''Geolo ...
.
Impact
Within two hours of high tide, property damage occurred to the housing properties on the land and the shipping vessels in the port, and an estimated 4,000–10,000 lives might have been lost in the colony.
Hong Kong
![Hk1906typhoon4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Hk1906typhoon4.jpg)
Broken glass and roof tiles were thrown everywhere. Tree branches were torn and some trees were even uprooted. The tram lines on Hong Kong Island stopped operation when some of its electric wiring bars were obstructed. The
Peak Tram's service was also discontinued for two hours after 10 am, due to the signalling cables getting damaged and the track along
Bowen Road
Bowen Road () is a road from the Mid-Levels to Wong Nai Chung Gap of Hong Kong Island, on the slope above Central, Wan Chai and Happy Valley in Hong Kong. Bowen Road starts from Magazine Gap Road near the rail of Peak Tram and ends at the ju ...
being covered. The
Botanical Gardens
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
had their trees and flowering plants broken down while the glass house and the zoological department were intact among the havoc.
At
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
many warehouses, including those from
Jardine, Matheson & Co. and
Jebsen & Co. were unroofed and their main door and front walls were stripped out. The mat-shed roof covering from
Blake Pier,
Queen's Statue Wharf and
Star Ferry Wharf in the
Central District collapsed. The
bamboo scaffolding
Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. Scaffolds are widely used ...
structure for the, then-new,
General Post Office completely crashed to block the approaching road nearby. Similarly, the then-new
Supreme court building also had its site erection suffering from damage to its structure.
Offshore incidents
![Hk1906typhoon1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Hk1906typhoon1.jpg)
Along the
praya
Praya () was a term used in Colonial Hong Kong to refer to a promenade by the waterfront. The name comes from the Portuguese word ''praia'', which means "beach," but in China it came to mean a stone-faced waterfront road. In Hong Kong, it was ...
from West Point (
Sai Wan
Sai Wan, also known as Western district, or simply Western, is an area in Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong that corresponds to Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui, Belcher Bay and Kennedy Town. It formed part of the City of Victoria. West Point, a f ...
) to East Point (
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. Th ...
), many
sampans and
lighters
A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or ...
were damaged and broken down into pieces, the sea passage was obstructed by the floating objects from boat wreckage. Within two hours of the typhoon strike, some European and Chinese bystanders rescued more than 700 people that had fallen from the capsized boat at Wan Chai and East Point (Causeway Bay) areas. From the
Kowloon Wharf, the Docks to
Sham Shui Po
Sham Shui Po is an area of Kowloon, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei (). It is located in and is the namesake of the Sham Shui ...
waterfront, sampans and cargoes could not escape the damage and destruction, scattering down the praya. There were casualties in shipwrecks near Kowloon Star Ferry Wharf, such as from two river
steamers of
Kwangchow and Hong Kong, both sunk in the storm with crews and passengers aboard, causing the loss of 300–400 lives. The Wingchai ferry, heading for
Macao
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a po ...
with 200 passengers on board, was driven back by the typhoon and took refuge at
Stonecutters Island
Stonecutters Island or Ngong Shuen Chau is a former island in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Following land reclamation, it is now attached to the Kowloon Peninsula.
Fauna
The island once boasted at least three mating pairs of sulphur-crested co ...
and later drifted to the rocks; about twenty of those died.
A few local steamers were sunk outside the Hong Kong harbour. The
Mirs Bay
Mirs Bay (also known as Tai Pang Wan, Dapeng Wan, Dapeng Bay, or Mers Bay; ) is a bay in the northeast of Kat O and Sai Kung Peninsula of Hong Kong. The north and east shores are surrounded by Yantian and Dapeng New District of Shenzhen. Ping C ...
ferry (''Albatross'') sank near the
Ninepin islands, with 120 passengers dead. The Sam-chun ferry (''Ying Fat'') sank near
Kap Shui Mun
Kap Shui Mun () or Throat Gates (historically spelled Capsuimoon) is the channel between Lantau Island and Ma Wan in Hong Kong. It is part of major sea route along the coast of South China, from Victoria Harbour to the Pearl River. It joins nor ...
, with 100 passengers dead. A Macao steamer, ''Heungshan'', drifted to Sau-chau, near
Lantau Island
Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located West of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands ...
with 500 passengers on board, and was rescued the next day, with a few casualties. Another Macao steamer, ''Kinshan'', was grounded ashore near
Castle Peak. A third Macao steamer, ''Perseverance'', having discharged all its passengers at Chung Chow, sank upon its return and only one crew member survived.
It was estimated that nearly half of the Chinese boating population and their 5,000 licensed watercraft in the colony were struck in this natural disaster. Many people living in houseboats with their families in fishing villages along the coast were mostly affected. Once the typhoon abated, the police and military rescues began as they searched for the injured and retrieved the dead. The
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (), with a history dating back to 1870, is the oldest and largest charitable organisation in Hong Kong. It provides extensive education and community services through 194 service centres spread across Hong Kong. ...
, a charitable organisation, donated coffins for the burial of the corpses uncovered from the ruins and shipwrecks. There were said to be more than 1,500 unclaimed bodies by the end of September 1906.
Aftermath
![Hk1906typhoon2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Hk1906typhoon2.jpg)
The governor praised the deeds from many European and Chinese citizens to perform life-saving rescues, and agreed to develop an
early warning system
An early warning system is a warning system that can be implemented as a chain of information communication systems and comprises sensors, event detection and decision subsystems for early identification of hazards. They work together to forec ...
to be in place for the Hong Kong Observatory for future typhoon alerts. The governor reported they had received emergency relief funds from
overseas Chinese in San Francisco of
HK$
The Hong Kong dollar (, sign: HK$; code: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is subdivided into 100 cents or 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong and ...
10,000 and
local Chinese donations of HK$80,000 within just few days of the calamity, among many others, from the efforts of the Tung Wah Hospitals Group,
Po Leung Kuk
The Po Leung Kuk, founded as the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, is a charitable organisation in Hong Kong that provides support for orphaned children, education and other services.
History
In the late 19th century, abd ...
, and the District Watchmen Committee.
Initial contemporary reports estimated a loss of life of 'about 10,000',
and later reports suggest it was 16,000, or '5% of the 320,000-strong population in Hong Kong at that time'
The
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
military authority approved a team of 150 people to help the
colonial government clear up the wreckage in the port. Meanwhile, the 1906 typhoon had exerted a great blow and delay to the Hong Kong cargo shipping business, an estimated 2,983 fishing boats and 670 ocean-going vessels were broken up
and the wharf and warehouse facilities damaged, suffering from a million dollar loss.
A report of committee appointed to enquire whether earlier warning of the typhoon of 18 September 1906 could have been given to shipping was chaired by Sir
Henry Spencer Berkeley
Sir Henry Spencer Hardtman Berkeley (6 September 1851 – 30 September 1918
), was a barrister, Attorney General and Chief Justice of Fiji and Attorney-General of Hong Kong.
Early life
Berkeley was the third son of Thomas Berkeley Hardt ...
,
KC (
Hong Kong Attorney General, 1902–06) and together with three more members (
Lieutenant Butterworth of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, Mr Skottowe of
Eastern Extension Telegraph Co., and Captain Sommerville, Steamship Master of ), they met and gave their findings to the Hong Kong Governor on 23 October 1906. The committee reviewed the conflicting evidence, and reported that they did not find any indication of a typhoon approaching Hong Kong before 7.44 am on 18 September (Tuesday morning), and that warning by the hoisting of the Black Drum (indicating an existence of a typhoon to the east of the Hong Kong within 300 miles) on the Tuesday morning was performed as soon as possible.
See also
*
Joseph Hoare (bishop of Victoria)
*
French destroyer ''Fronde''
Notes
References
External links
Photo album from the British Army’s Royal Army Medical CorpsGwulo: Old Hong KongImages from the State Library of Victoria
{{Deadliest typhoons in Hong Kong
History of Hong Kong
1906
Events
January–February
* January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
1906
Events
January–February
* January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
1906
Events
January–February
* January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
1906 in Hong Kong
1906 in China
Pre-1940 Pacific typhoon seasons
1906 natural disasters
September 1906 events
1906 meteorology
1906 disasters in Asia