The week has been marked by two terrible disasters. On
the 18th Hong-kong was visited by a typhoon, which suddenly broke from the West without any warning—the failure of the Observatory to give notice of the approach of the storm is to be made the subject of a special inquiry—and wrought immense mischief on the shipping in the harbour. A great number of trading vessels and nearly all the lighters were sunk outright, H.M.S. 'Phoenix' was totally wrecked, and two French destroyers driven ashore, while the loss of native craft was immense, no fewer than five thousand Chinese having lost their lives. The other disaster occurred at Grantham late on Wednesday night, when the 8.45 express from King's Cross ran through the station instead of stopping, jumped a bridge, and rolled down an embankment, the wreckage immediately taking fire. Twelve persons were killed outright, and sixteen. were injured. It is difficult to resist the conclusion that an accident happened either to the engine or the brakes; but it is doubtful whether any complete explanation of the disaster will ever be forthcoming, as both the driver and fireman were killed. The broad facts remain that a train which should have stopped at Grantham ran through at forty miles an hour with the signals against it, and, travelling round a sharp curve, became derailed, with the result that one-half the passengers were either killed or injured.
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