116
113. Vaccine Institute.-This establishment was completed in March last and handed over to the Medical Department.
114. Additions to Government House.--The installation of the Electric Light and internal decoration of this building have been completed during the past year. The electric lighting and decoration of the Ball room was finished early in the year, the remainder of the work was postponed till the summer.
115. Telegraph Cable to Gap Rock.-Providing telegraphic communication between the City of Victoria and the Gap Rock Lighthouse involved the construction of 5.25 statute miles of land line, and the laying of 29.80 nautical miles of cable.
116. The land line constructed of galvanized iron wire No. 7. B.W.G. commencing at the Post Office is carried on iron poles along Pedder Street, the Praya, Zetland Street and Albert Road to the High-Level Tramway, then across Crown land on the west of the Tramway to Bowen Road, along the Bowen and Stanley Roads to Little Hongkong, and hence across Crown land to the Eastern Extension Telegraph Cable House at Deep Water Bay.
117. A connection is made with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Office for the convenience of testing. The test made on its completion gave the following results:
·
Insulation resistance 1 Megohm.
Conductivity resistance 67 Ohms.
118. The Cable connecting Deep Water Bay with Gap Rock is of the type known as type E (7-ton cable), the core being 130lbs. of gutta percha and 130lbs. of copper per knot protected by a brass ribbon, and was laid by the cable Steamer Store Nordiske.
Commencing from the Gap Rock the following lengths of cable were laid, viz. :—
25 fathoms covered with 10 iron wires No. 00. B.W.G.
50 fathoms covered with double covering of 10 iron wires Nos. 00 and 6. B.W.G. 50 fathoms covered with 10 iron wires Ño. '00. B.W.G. 29.68 miles covered with 10 iron wires No. 2. B.W.G.
making a total of 29.80 nautical miles and giving a slack of 2 p. c.
119. The test made on its completion at the Cable House, Deep Water Bay, gave the following results:- ་
Copper resistance 9.40 ohms per nautical mile 75°. Fah. Insulation resistance 2314.4 megohms per nautical mile. Inductive capacity .35 microfarads per nautical mile.
120. The whole of this work was done by the Eastern Extension and Great Northern Telegraph Companies and completed in March.
121. Morse Instruments are fixed to the terminals of the line at the Post Office and Gap Rock. 122. Gaol Extension.-The question of Gaol Extension was referred by His Excellency the Governor to a Special Committee in August last.
123. The Committee reported on the 15th November as to the best means of complying with the definite conditions laid down in the Secretary of State's despatch dated the 7th of July, 1892, and submitted detail plans of the proposed works.
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124. The despatch and Committee's report have already been published. (Sessional Paper T887.) 125. No expenditure on account of the proposed project has as yet been authorised.
126. Kowloon New Roads. (C.S.O. 39).-Detail plans and estimates were laid before a meeting of the Public Works Committee held on the 23rd of May for the construction of Des Voeux, Granville, Cameron, Carnarvon, East and Middle Roads, also for the construction of roads south of Inland Lots 525, 574, 609 and 442. These were unanimously approved and a contract (No. 19) was entered into with Mr. KUM LAM for carrying out the proposed works.
127. The roads when completed will give easy means of access to many of the new Inland Lots, and Des Voeux Road, 45 feet in width skirting the western shore of Hung Hom Bay, will doubtless be a popular resort for the residents in Kowloon.
128. During the year 400 lineal yards of the sea wall protecting Des Voeux Road have been completed and backed up to the formation level of the new road.
129. The improvements to East Road have been practically completed and the construction of Cameron, Carnarvon and Granville Roads has been commenced.
130. Re-construction of Governor's Peak Residence.-Detail plans and estimates have been prepared and tenders obtained for the preparation of a site immediately to the west of Mountain Lodge and for the erection of the new building.