Different from the original design by the French, the ship administration at this time, whether it is ship design or construction guidance, has been completely borne by the China people. Engineers who returned from studying abroad decided to change the "Evergreen" gunboats and merchant ships into training ships and merchant ships. The specific scheme is to add a cabin with a length of 12.96m, a width of 5.44m and a height of 2.5m on the open deck of "Evergreen", with 10 rooms on the left and right sides for living. The living quarters of sailors and officers at the bow and stern of Wannianqing were transformed into cargo holds in a large area, increasing the cargo capacity by 2 10 tons. In addition, the steam engine and boiler of "Evergreen" were all dismantled and replaced with a new composite steam engine and two circular high-pressure boilers built by the ship administration. Others, such as the copper skin under the waterline, the mast plate on the mast, all the seams of the hull, copper nails and iron bolts, are all replaced. [66]
After the transformation, Evergreen was assigned to the national defense of Taiwan Province Province, transporting goods and personnel between the mainland and delivering letters. During this period, Wannianqing experienced the Sino-French War and was sent to Huwei, Taiwan Province Province to avoid disaster in Majiang. At the end of 1885, the "Evergreen" which had been in the water for 16 years returned to the ship administration for repairs due to the hurricane in Taiwan Province Province. 1886 returned to Taiwan Province Province after repairs. [67] No one can imagine that the move of "Evergreen" turned out to be a farewell to the birthplace.
1887 65438+1October18th, when passing through Shanghai, the "evergreen" docked at the anchorage about 8 miles southeast of Sha Tong lighthouse outside Wusongkou, waiting for the next day to enter the Huangpu River by tide. 19 at 6 o'clock in the morning, the river was foggy. Just when the pipeline of "Evergreen" ordered to anchor, some sailors suddenly heard the rumble of the engine in the fog in the distance, and "Evergreen" sounded the fog whistle to remind the ship to come. Unexpectedly, a ship with an "M" flag soon appeared in front of "Evergreen". Although the incoming ship is trying to avoid it, the distance is too close and the incoming ship is too fast. The bow slammed into the starboard side of the Evergreen, and the wooden hull of the Evergreen could not be lower than this impact and immediately sank into the water. /kloc-after 0/5, Fujian ship administration was the first.
Due to the sudden incident, the anchored evergreen failed to escape. After the ship sank, the sampan put down by Evergreen saved some people, and the "Nepal" ship of the British shipping company, which was in great trouble, also rushed to put down the sampan to save people. However, Evergreen sank too fast, and only 18 was rescued one after another. As for the pay and official documents, they were all submerged. [68]
Knowing the bad news, Guan Gong, the director of Guan, rushed to the scene to arrange meals, while arranging the rescued people, while leading foreign divers to try to salvage the bodies and pay the bank, and at the same time informed his boss Li Hongzhang and Taiwan Province Governor Liu Mingchuan. After being transferred by Li Hongzhang, the Prime Minister's yamen also learned about this major maritime accident and made extremely serious instructions. Gong, a famous foreign lawyer in Shanghai, took the survivors of the collision of the "Evergreen" as witnesses and hired a famous foreign lawyer in Shanghai to file a lawsuit with the British shipping company. [69]
More interestingly, the Nepalese ship that hit Evergreen at that time belonged to the British steamship company, which was called "British Laishen Company Ship" in China's historical materials, that is, a British merchant ship that came to Shanghai. However, in some modern works, Laishen was mistaken for "Shen Jing" and thought it was the name of a British company, saying that Evergreen was sunk by a ship of the British Shen Jing Steamship Company.
Shanghai was an important trading port at that time. According to the open treaties signed by the first and second Opium Wars, the Shanghai county magistrate has no right to accept lawsuits and cases involving contracting foreign countries, only consular jurisdiction. The lawsuit against British ships was accepted by the Supreme Court of China and Japan (H.B.M), a British judicial institution located in Shanghai.
China's official ship sank, with a huge number of victims, which attracted the attention of all walks of life in Shanghai and even the whole country. On February 2nd 1887, the trial of "Evergreen" started. Chinese and British lawyers debated in court for the first time. The British judge announced that the trial will be officially held on February 17, and Guan Dao member Gong will serve as a juror. Regarding the court debate that day, Beiyang Minister Li Hongzhang reported to the Prime Minister's yamen in concise language, "On the tenth day, the ship case of Evergreen was refuted by the lawyers of two companies in the British court, and it was straightforward." The short word "straightening" reveals infinite self-confidence.
After several rounds of trials, on March 2 1, 1887, the British judge made a judgment, "The speed of the ship' Youpu' in the fog reached 16 knots, and the rudder was erratic. The mistake is that' you stop' and' evergreen' blow the whistle, pull the signal and dock. This is the first successful foreign-related maritime lawsuit in modern China. [70]
The verdict announced that Shanghai was shaken and the Chinese community rushed to tell each other. At that time, Shanghai Dianshizhai Pictorial specially reported this matter. Although the headlines are concise, the excitement is beyond words. On the screen, Chinese and western people gathered in front of the British judge's office to watch the verdict announcement, and there were written comments on this photo report.
"On 26th, I went to La, and my ship Evergreen sank for Youbao Company. I want to go to court, but I have to be straight. Shanghai's daily newspaper is exhaustive, so there is no need to repeat it. However, it is not unreasonable to try to think about those who can win. Once upon a time, China was weak for a long time, and westerners cooperated with each other to beg me, so it was difficult, and the opportunity for self-improvement came into being in the near future. But westerners strive for profits, so countries are suspicious, unlike in the past, things are different, so they succeed. If it happened ten years ago, I might not be so arrogant ... ".
Evergreen can rest in peace with his eyes closed.
Selected from History of Modern Ships in China.
the Chen Dynasty