442
Completion of water- works com- menced in
1889.
Water and Sewerage
other matters. On account of his advanced years and his other avocations, he- felt it impossible so to do, and I was appointed in his stead, to go out and arrange for the completion of the water-supply system, the necessary pipes for which had already been indented for from England. During my absence, however, Mr. PRICE had submitted a sewerage-scheme, prepared by Mr. F. COOPER, C.E., C.M.G.
I was also instructed to thoroughly investigate the same and prepare a final scheme for adoption.
8. On my arrival in 1889, I found that Mr. PRICE had retired and had been succeeded by Mr. S. BROWN, as Director of Public Works. Mr. COOPER, though originally appointed for sanitary works, was acting as Assistant to the Director of Public Works. My first work was to make arrangements for laying the distributary pipes, which were shortly to arrive from England, so that the benefits of the new water-supply might be realised as soon as possible.
9. The Government decided, for reasons that I need not now state, that the Departments Water and sewerage works were to be a separate and independent Department, under constituted Mr. F. COOPER, as Resident Engineer. It became, therefore, my duty to organise this newly-created Department. Stores and workshops were provided and a com- plete system of accounts was inaugurated. Mr. A. M. QUILL and afterwards Mr. CROOK were appointed Assistant Engineers in the new Department.
as an inde- pendent department.
Pipe-laying commenced in 1889.
Sewerage scheme
10. The work of laying the new mains, and of improving the old distributary system was carried on with vigour. Arrangements were also made for extending the water-supply to the Peak District, and to other districts above the level of the conduits. The water-supply of Kowloon was also studied.
11. At the same time, I examined the sewerage scheme, which had been pre- considered. pared by Mr. COOPER. Whilst approving in general terms Mr. COOPER's design, I made, after consultation with him, certain modifications, tending to simplification and economy. The revised Scheme was described in three reports which I sub- mitted to Government, doubtless after consideration and approval by the Sanitary Board, of which I was then a member. I believe that the plans of the whole sewerage system were not actually completed and submitted, during my stay in Hongkong, but all the leading lines of main sewers, such as those in Queen's Road, were studied by Mr. COOPER, and by myself. Mr. XAVIER, the only Officer of the Public Works Department, now in the service, who was with me in 1890, staters that the sewerage of the High Level District was commenced during my visit of 1890. Diameters, levels and gradients were determined, and the positions of the out-falls were fixed, in accordance with the Praya Reclamation, then commenced The complete plans were subsequently submitted to, and approved by ine after my return to England. Practically little or no sewerage-work was carried out, during my stay in Hongkong. I was appointed Consulting Engineer to the Water and Drainage Department.
Appointment of Mr. COOPER as Director of Public
Recommend-
and Sewerage
12. On the death of Mr. S. BROWN in 1891, the appointment of Director of Public Works was offered to Mr. COOPER. I was asked by the Colonial Office whether this arrangement was consistent with the efficient construction of the water- Works. and drainage-works, for which I was responsible as Consulting Engineer. Consider- ation to keep ing that the works had made good progress, and that the services of two expert the Water assistants were available, I replied that I saw no cause for withholding so important Departments promotion, from Mr. COOPER. I recommended, however, that the Water and separate. Drainage Departments should continue to be an Independent Department, Mr. COOPER being Director of Public Works and Resident Engineer, in order that, should Mr. COOPER be succeeded by an Engineer, not having the special qualifications, which he possessed in so eminent a degree, the Department might be again rendered inde- pendent, and placed under the direction of a competent Specialist.