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| Warehouse of Douglas, Cass & Co |
As early as 1870, Pi-a-tou was already home to Jardine Matheson & Co, followed by Milisch & Co and Dodd & Co. Records show that a Mr Hankard leased from 紀化三 in 1894 the whole area complete with paddy fields, orchards, and cottages at an annual rent of 2,400 yuan.
Douglas Lapraik & Co was established in 1884 and re-organized as Lapraik, Cass & Co in 1893. In 1897, it became the agent for Shell Transport & Trading Co (established in 1902). On Sep 1, 1909, Shell leased the land in perpetuity from the gov't and joined force with Rising Sun Petroleum Co, the latter was established in Japan in 1900 with a branch office in Taiwan opened in 1910. The Shell - Rising Sun Petroleum Co started operation in Tamsui in 1911, and on May 27, 1912, the company leased its company site also in perpetuity.
The Rising Sun Petroleum Co transported its oil by train to other cities in Taiwan. There were three tanks, a 60-ton sedimentation tank, a 1,200-ton kerosene storage tank, and a 2,500-ton oil storage tank. On the company campus, there were oil pumps, warehouses, and a residence for the caretakers. Oil arrived in Tamsui via possibly oil tankers and then pumped into the tanks through steel pipelines. The operation was halted by the Japanese Colonial Gov't in April 1944 in preparation for the war then rapidly advancing from the Philippines. And on Oct 12, the site was in fact attacked by F6F Hellcats based on carrier USS Intrepid.
Source: Chih-yuan Chang, The historic preservation and rebirth of the Shell Oil Company storage in Tamsui, Taiwan. PhD Thesis, Graduate School of Design, National Yunlin Univ of Sci and Tech, 2007
Yeah, I remember the Shell Oil Company well. As the matter of fact, the shell looks like broom to the local people, they call it as ”掃手牌石油公司”
回覆刪除ChoSan
Only a true Tamsui-lang knows this name! And the company sold 臭油, not 煤油.
回覆刪除On 12:00 Sep.19th 1925, 2 Italian pilots arrived at Tansui on their sea-plane, it was a short stay for long long way from Rome thru Australia to Japan.
回覆刪除I read the book [Un volo di 55.000 chilometri] written by pilot Francesco del Pinedo, you can see Tansui issue on page 181-194.
They checked and repaired engine then supplied petrol, then flied to Shanghai on the morning of 21th.
I think this was done at Rising Oil, because all support given by Shell Oil, not by Italian government.
Do you have any information about this visit to Tansui?
from yosh3
I am unsure if gasoline was available at the Rising Sun, since they sold mostly kerosene. The Italians could be supplied by the military stationed nearby at Shell's request. I'll check with the Township historian to see if any records of the visit by these Italians. Thanks.
回覆刪除Hi Yoshi3,
回覆刪除Yes, according to Mr 曾令毅, the pilot was Francesco de Pindo and the accompanying machinist was Ernesto Companelli. They arrived on September 18 on Savoia S-16, and left on the 21st for Kagoshima. They started their journey from Rome on April 21.
Hi EyeDoc,
回覆刪除Thanks for referring to 曾令毅先生.
I found their route map from Rome to Japan then back to Rome;
http://www.altomareblu.com/un-aviatore-molto-marinaio-cte-francesco-de-pinedo/
They had left Tansui to Shanghai not to Kagoshima.
I want to know where they stayed, Shell's lodge or British consulate or ???
at that time Italia had not consulate at Tansui.
Indeed the map did indicate a stop-over in Shanghai on their way to Kagoshima. Mr 曾's report is here:
回覆刪除http://www.th.gov.tw/files/taiwan63_2/0632_4.pdf
Reference sources are listed under Table 1 (p 148). One of which may have info on where they stayed during the brief visit. My guess is the KoKaiDo 公會堂, a very comfortable place for local dignitaries and of course VIPs such as these Italians.
Hi Yosh3,
回覆刪除Thank you for the additional info which I will pass along to Mr 曾. As to 公會堂, it was managed by a Japanese lady, Harada Yoku. The Italians might have stayed in its western style building. For more on 公會堂 see:
http://danshuihistory.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post_31.html