Hong Kong Race Course Fire of 1918

Submitted by lizchater on Sat, 01/09/2010 - 23:44

Hi,

I've recently put together a small web page on the race course fire of 1918.  The direct link is

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sirpaulchater/fire-memorial-page.htm

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Submitted by
80sKid (not verified)
on
Sun, 01/10/2010 - 08:44

Hi Liz, great website. You may be interested to know a bit more about the memorial; it's one of Hong Kong's least known, neglected (and hard to find!) sights.

The memorial was originally built in 1922 on a small hill nearby named Coffee Garden Hill (named after 19th century plantations). The hill was levelled by the government in 1960 to built a sports stadium and the memorial shifted up the slopes. (The present stadium was rebuilt in the 1990s)

There was also a racing cemetery, the remains of which are still in the slopes nearby. Much of the fenced off area you see was used as a resettlement area from the 1950s and called Wesley Village. I've found a photo and will post it.

the government notes on grade II listings have more details on the memoiral here, just search for the name:
http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/Brief_Information_on_proposed_Grade_II_Items.pdf

here's a brief history of the are too by the royal asiatic society in 1982:
http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/44/4401521.pdf

Hope these are helpful to you

Thanks 80sKid.  I was in HK in September 2009 for the unveiling of the bust of Sir Paul Chater and I took some time out to go and fine the memorial.  You are right it is tucked away, but worth the climb and the visit.  Such a wonderful transquil place. 

My interest is because Sir Paul was chairman of the jockey club at the time of the fire, and he is still today the longest serving chairman of the Jockey Club from 1892-1926 - 34 years.

He was greatly moved by the plight of all those who lost their lives and tried very hard to help as many families as possible affected by the tragedy.

Thanks to a member of a local internet forum, I was informed that Mount Caroline Cemetery (Chinese name: 咖啡園墳場--Coffee Garden Cemetery) still exists.  I have never gone there, but it can be accessed from Broadwood Road, and I was told that the atmosphere is quite eerie and very quiet (i.e.  should not go alone).

The fire memorial was a part of the Mount Caroline Cemetery, but now the Hong Kong Stadium lies in-between.

The Far East Currents website has a detailed writeup of this incident.

There's a section of interest that talks about John Olson and Charles Warren. We've previously seen a press clipping suggesting members of the Olson family were in the stand on that day. But it turns out the connection was much more direct, as Olson & Warren actually owned several of the stands:

On that same morning, John Olson II, the son of a Swedish landowner and tavern manager, was at the race course to inspect “stands” No. 4, 5, and 6, the matsheds he owned with his business partners, J.J. Blake and Charles Warren, who was also Olson’s brother-in-law. Olson had hired the Chinese firm, Taz Hop, to construct the three structures in early February, but the crew of seventy workmen had only completed the work on the 24th. 

Four years earlier, Olson had complained in vain to the Clerk of the Course that adjoining matsheds, which stood three stories high, were too weak and had given way, compromising his own structures. 

In 1918 Olson instructed his workers to build only two story matsheds, but neglected to specify that supporting struts be driven into the ground. Instead the Taz Hop crew, as was tradition, lashed Olson’s stand to the adjoining structures that were being built at the same time.  

Olson did, however, order his contractors to put “double uprights” to reinforce the betting and refreshments counter on the bottom floor, expecting, as he stated later, “more of a crush at the counter” that year.

In No. 6, Olson also allowed the use of charcoal “chatties” for cooking by a Chinese vendor, M.Y. San, but instructed San to have three large barrels of water on the bottom floor, and eight full fire buckets on the upper floor.

Read the full document at: http://74.220.207.166/~macstudi/rexavier/PDFs/The%20Happy%20Valley%20Race%20Course%20Fire%20of%201918.pdf

Hi Liz,

Thanks for the information regarding my grandfather John Olson and his ownership of three matsheds at Happy Valley.

This is completely new territory to me. I knew that both he and my great grandfather - the landowner and tavern keeper you mention who was John 1 - liked a flutter but did not know they were so deeply involved.

The full document is really fascinating. Have had a quick read but just wanted to thank you for the info.

I will also file a grainy picture of what my cousin Jennifer Msslen and myself think may be my great grandfather, his Chinese wife and his eldest daughter Elizabeth Olson at the races!

Probably in one of their own matsheds. Incidentally why were they called matsheds? Also have you information regarding land once owned by my great grandfather?

Thanks again.

Sean

For the sake of completeness the link to the story of the Happy Valley Fire that Liz Chater has given has been updated.

On reading the China Mail report of the tragedy it was clear that it was NOT my grandfather, John Olson 2, who rescued the Portuguese boy but his partner J.J.Blake. This comes from the fifth and last day of the inquiry in March, 1918. Oddly though, Charles Warren was mentioned as being a partner in the ownership of matsheds 4, 5, and 6 I have found no report of his giving evidence to the inquiry so perhaps he was not there on the day of the fire.

R.E.Xavier who wrote the piece has since changed it to reflect this information. His site is at http://www.fareastcurrents.com/. I have also updated my own site, www.amanfromkarlshamn.com to reflect the information on the fire and the ownership of matsheds.

Sean

Hi Sean,

I think the government auctioned the rights to build the stands each year. So the Blake / Olson / Warren company would have won the auction and the rights to build and then charge access to their stands for a season.

The Public Works Department's annual report mentions the rental, but not who the renters were. Here's the relevant section from their report for 1915:

20. Sites for Booths at the Race Course. - A sum of $10,507 was realized by the letting of sites for the erection of booths and stands at Happy Valley during the Race Meeting.

Regards, David

Hi David,

My info regarding the length of time John 2 and his associates had matsheds at Happy Valley comes from evidence given to the inquiry and reported in The China Mail. There J.J.Blake states he had a licence for 13 years.

I would also point you to the credits in the piece by Roy Xavier in his article the link for which is in Liz's last post here on in Useful Links at www.amanfromKarlshamn.com

I will post the China Mail Page when I have send this. Not sure how to combine the two.

Regards,

Sean