Hong Kong Macau Ferry Wharf (second generation) after 1908 typhoon

Klaus
Tue, 01/04/2022 - 21:29
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Obviously after a typhoon, but unfortunately neither date nor location given (also not on MMIS).

Update: Canton Wharf (2nd gen.) after the 1908 typhoon (see comments below).

Brick office partly damaged and one of the iron sheds with circular roof has been destroyed.

Source: This image came from Flickr, see https://flickr.com/photo.gne?id=964517738

Date picture taken
28 Jul 1908
Tags
Ferry pier
typhoon
Image from Flickr
pier
Author(s)
cheung_samfung
Gallery
1900s Hong Kong
Shows place(s)
Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steamboat Co. Wharf / Canton Wharf (second generation) [1900-c.1958]
Shows event(s)
1908 Typhoon

Comments

The year should be correct. I think the photo shows the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Wharf as viewed here Not sure, may be related to the aftermath of the S. S. Hankow fire. 

Agree with Hong Kong Macau Ferry Wharf, the shape of the window fits. Possibly not after the fire as there are not ships visible at all. 

I think this photo was taken later than 1906, though not much later as the men in the photo have their hair tied in a queue, dating the scene to 1911 or earlier.

At the entrance to the wharf there were two small buildings, one on each side, and an entrance archway between them:

HKCMS wharf entrance
HKCMS wharf entrance, by Admin

On the photos we have of the 1906 Hankow fire, the buildings are still standing:

C133_Hankow_after_fire,_Oct._1906
C133_Hankow_after_fire,_Oct._1906, by Klaus

But in the main photo at the top of this page, the left building has collapsed into a pile of rubble, and the right building has several large cracks that suggest it will soon collapse too. Here's an enlargement of that part of the photo:

Damage to HKCMS wharf entrance
Damage to HKCMS wharf entrance, by Admin

So this was likely taken after a typhoon in 1907-1910, and marks the end of the ornate entrance. The replacement entrance was much plainer:

1910 Canton wharf
1910 Canton wharf, by simtang

This is an interesting coincidence. I tried to identify the wharf on this post. Therefore I compared several photos of the second generation Canton Wharf. One of the photos (the one David cropped) didn't fit into the series of photos from 1906.  It's not only the debris at the left side, but also the number of windows at the stone building. On the this photo we see two, on others 3 (although one seems to be damaged). The debris seems to be in quite a distance to the main building, possibly didn't belong to it.

I'm not sure any more if this is the Canton Wharf at all.

Following-up on David's observations.

The ornate entrance survived the 1906 typhoon and S.S. Hankow fire but not the 1908 typhoon event on 27-28 July.

"...... a sort of Titanic struggle took place between a huge steel lighter belonging to the Blue Funnel Line and the wharf of the Hong Kong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company. The lighter was the Eurus, and having broken away from its moorings it drifted towards the wharf. Overturning a junk in the way, the ponderous lighter pounded and pounded at the wharf till it entirely demolished one of the brick offices, badly damaged the wharf itself, and smashed the other brick office on the opposite side so badly that it will have to be rebuilt. This wharf was nearly put out of action entirely by the lighter before the vessel itself went down by the stern. It now stands low in the air, its snout covered with tiles and bricks, as if gloating over the damage it wrought before it finally succumbed itself."

China Mail 28 July 1908.

The main photo shows the damage caused by the 1908 typhoon event to the Canton-Macao Steamer Wharf.

 

Thank you David and moddsey for your detective work. I will correct date and event.

There is an interesting detail in the HK government report referred to in the 1908 typhoon event entry:

Canton and Macao Steamboat Pier damaged at shore by lighters, outer iron shed destroyed.

Indeed, this can be seen on the photo.