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Extract from letter from the War Office to Colonial Office.
WAR OFFICE,
SIR,
19th September, 1885.
In acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 4th ultimo, Mr. Secretary SMITH would draw attention to the concluding paragraphs of War Office letter of the 14th March last, (Hongkong 5, 1993,) which indicated that as the Imperial Government had recognised the necessity of providing a much more powerful and expensive Armament for Hongkong than was originally intended, so it would doubtless become necessary for the Colonial Government to increase correspondingly the vote for the works.
The moderate measure of defence originally made for the harbour of Hongkong by the Inspector General of Fortifications in his memorandum of 6th June, 1883, has, by the force of circumstances, and the urgent reiterated representations from the Colony, been developed into a very much larger scheme, which must result in a larger outlay.
Since the date of the War Office letter above referred to, the designs for the new works have been so far developed that it has become possible to arrive at an approximate estimate of their cost.
The original scheme of defence provided only for three new works, and for remounting eleven medium and three heavy guns in existing works, and the approximate estimate was :~~-~-
Stone Cutter West,
Belcher's Point,....
Quarry Point,
Remodelling gun emplacements in existing works for
new armaments,
.£13,400
15,000
15,800
11,425
£55,625
The new scheme of defence includes four new works and three new sites for single heavy guns, and, while omitting the works originally proposed at Quarry Point, it substitutes a complete defence of the Ly-ee-moon Channel. As before noted, the weight and power of the guns is so greatly increased that much more massive and costly foundations and emplacements have to be provided for them. The approximate estimate for the new works stands as follows:---
Stone Cutter West,
Stone Cutter West Central,
Belcher's Point,
Ly-ee-moon Defences,.
New Site for ten-inch gun Fly Point,
.£20,000
11,000
20,000
25,000
7,000
New Site for 9.2-inch gun Kowloon Dock,
4,000
New Site above Victoria,
4,000
Remodelling existing works for new armaments, Battery for defence of Minefield at Stone Cutter,
20,000
5,000
£116,000
Mr. Secretary SMITH wishes it, however, to be understood that this estimate is only approximate. Until the designs are all completed, and their cost worked out in detail at the Station, it will be impossible to give an exact estimate. No time will, however, be lost in obtaining this estimate; and the designs will be prepared with the strictest attention to economy of construction, as far as it may be com- patible with efficiency. In the meantime it is hoped that the Colony will con- tinue to provide such funds as may be necessary for carrying on the works.
.I have, &c.,
RALPH THOMPSON.
The Under Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.