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Section No. 3.-Work on this section proceeded very satisfactorily especially during the latter half of the year, under contract No. 23 dated 4th March, 1895, entered into with Mr. TSANG KENG. 52,051 cubic yards of earth were filled into the reclamation, 19,605 cubic feet of granite ashlar was set in cement on the sea wall, 415 cubic yards of cement concrete put in as backing to the same, 1,151 cubic yards of rubble stone hand packing, 275 cubic yards of lime concrete laid in counterforts and foundations of Praya road, 657 cubic yards of granite ashlar in cement built in storm water drains.
Pipe drains were laid in this section and the roadways, footpaths, curbing, &c., well advanced towards completion. Three manholes were built, 219 gullies and gratings set, 14 ring bolts in new sea wall fixed complete. 1,298 cubic feet of granite from the old sea wall was taken up, cleaned and stacked on the Government land in front of the Sailors' Home.
Section No. 4.-Work on this section during the year was chiefly departmental and con- sisted in levelling the foundations of sea wall, and laying of concrete blocks of which about 237 lineal feet containing 8,243 cubic feet and weighing over 500 tons were set, some rubble stone backing was done and about 1,894 cubic yards of mud raised by the Dredger and dropped at sea outside Green Island. On the evening of the 7th March, a portion of the rubble stone foundations for a length of over 300 feet, while being weighted with 5,328 tons of concrete blocks, suddenly subsided to a depth of about 28 feet. This, though not the first accident of the sort that has occurred, was the most serious during the progress of the works. Some in- teresting photographs were taken the next morning, and from the appearance of the weight- ing blocks above water, it would seem that the rubble mound had slipped forward and down into a sub-marine ravine. Nothing further was done here during the year beyond lifting the weighting blocks, nearly all of which were recovered; a few were broken and are left below. The first course of blocks forming the sea wall had been set in position; it has not been possi- ble to recover them; they are so broken up as to be useless. It is believed that the mound has now reached a firm bottom where it can slip no further, and this year rubble will be deposited until the level is again brought up to the proper point.
Section No. 5.—The work on this section during the year consisted in the completion of the rubble mound. This work was done by Mr. TSANG KENG under contract No. 36 of 1896 and completed in June. 45,828 cubic yards of rubble was deposited, and the upper surface formed and levelled for the concrete blocks, a single course of which, extending over a length of 895 feet and weighing about 2,012 tons were set and backed up with hand packed rubble; a length of nearly 500 feet was then weighted in the usual manner departmentally.
Sections Nvs. 6 and 7.-Work on these sections has proceeded very satisfactorily during the year. The rubble mound opposite the Hotel, through which a gap had been left for boats, was completed to the proper level, levelled and weighted, and the first two courses of concrete blocks set in position. 24,110 cubic feet of granite ashlar in cement were built in the sea wall, landing piers, and storm-water drains. The temporary pitched embankment from the old Praya to Pottinger Street Pier was completed.
The total quantity of earth deposited during the year in the Reclamation, obtained from Kowloon, Causeway Bay and dredgings, was 274,103 cubic yards.
Murray Pier-Of solid granite ashlar masonry was completed and opened for use on the 16th September. Shortly afterwards a storm occurred, not quite of typhoon force, and it was found that seas broke over this pier to such an extent as to render it unapproachable by launches or boats, which was not the case with the open timber pier opposite Ice House Street.
A memorial on the subject signed by all the leading merchants in the city, as well as by those most intimately acquainted with shipping work in the harbour, protesting against the construction of solid piers and advocating the adoption of open steel or iron structures, was presented to His Excellency the Governor. After full consideration, and in accordance with professional advice, it was decided that work on the solid stone Government piers should be stopped and where possible open piers substituted. At the request of the Director of Public Works a representative Committee of those who had signed the memorial was appointed to consider with him and advise Government as to the position, form and dimension of Government piers from the New Praya.
This Committee met twice in 1897, and by their advice Pottinger Street Pier, which was in an advanced state of construction of a similar design to Murray Pier, was for good reasons proceeded with, and before the end of December was completed except the last course of granite and the coping. The design for Pedder's Street Pier was entirely altered, a solid stone base of considerable width recommended, and an open steel or iron pier 200 feet long by 40 feet wide ordered from England.
The completion of these two piers will absorb all the funds available for such work in 1898.