NAVAL YARD
(Contd.)
A letter dated March 7, 1890, signed by Vice-Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon, addressed to the Secretary of the Admiralty, gives in detail the whole discussion that had arisen between Major General Bevan Edwards, C.B., himself, and His Excellency the Governor. The Vice-Admiral also refers to the previous suggestion for the extension of the Praya across the seafront past the Naval and Military establishments as follows:
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"The extension of the Praya past the Naval Yard is rendered very difficult, expensive, and unsightly, and the scheme will probably be abandoned. In its place, the General proposes to move the Naval and Military establishments to Causeway Bay, with the offer to give the Navy everything the heart can desire in the way of space, buildings, camber, and even an Admiral's house, a club, and a recreation ground, the Colony taking over the present establishments and defraying all costs of removal."
He continues by stating that "there are unfortunately several strong objections on the part of the Navy to this scheme: one of the chief objections being that the anchorage at Causeway Bay would not be so desirable as the present one, also the distance from town, and the fact that Causeway Bay has an evil reputation for its insanitary conditions, which are not likely to be improved by an increase of population."
He continues to state that the Military authorities are in favour of moving for the sake of getting new barracks and bringing the troops more together, also "because there is no room in the present site for expansion of the garrison as contemplated. Unfortunately, with the barracks would go the War Department Stores, which are now close to the Naval Yard, and it would be more than inconvenient to send from the present anchorage to Causeway Bay for every item of war-like stores, from a 9.2-inch gun to a cleaning rod."
The Vice-Admiral adds that after fully discussing the scheme with the Governor, as far as the Navy is concerned, he could not recommend it. He mentions that the Governor had proposed, if the Colony should acquire the War Department property, to give to the Navy such ground as it might require adjoining the present site and to erect the necessary buildings, etc., for the Navy. The Navy were to give up the Kowloon depot, "which His Excellency foresees will sooner or later be a hindrance with the extension of the town now springing up at that place."
Evidently an early appreciation of the rapid growth of the mainland.
Vice-Admiral Salmon comments that this would partly commend itself to him, as not only would the Navy retain its central position with the sheltered anchorage close to the Naval Yard, but it would also be possible to move certain establishments from Kowloon to the central position. He also refers to the presence of two large rows of dwellings for Chinese close to the Ordnance Stores, and the danger which they would entail should the dwellings catch fire.
This property was eventually taken in by the Naval and Military establishments.
In a letter to Vice-Admiral Salmon on October 16, 1890, referring again to the proposal for removal of the Naval Yard from Hong Kong to Kowloon, while admitting the disadvantages of having two Navy Yards, one on either side of the harbour