Buildings (4) Continuation,
83
The
No permission was obtained for this alteration. The general impression to be obtained from the owner's evidence was that the architect's plans had been almost ignored in the erection of the new storey.
The contractor corroborated the evidence of the
Wholesale alterations, he said, had been made in the plans, on the instruction of the owner.
ozmer.
The architect repeated the evidence he had given at the first inquiry, but went into much greater detail.
I do not propose to deal with any more of the evidence but in to-morrow's article, the Magistrate's findings and subsequent events connected with the collapse will be dealt with.
BUILDINGS (5).
EARLY HONGKONG BUILDING
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The Colony to-day has so many big buildings and several (such as the new Hongkong Bank) of such fine proportions, incorporating massive steel framework and thousands of tons of concrete, that it is as well to visualise the early years, when Chinese masons and carpenters with a little supervision, rapidly built the city of Victoria. Within three years or so, a number of substantial buildings had been erected of which a few such as Jardine's old godowns and the former "taipan's house" (now in Lee Gardens) still stand. Others have been demolished or like the "Gap Bungalow" at Jardine's Look-out) are now in picturesque ruins.
One of the most interesting of the old buildings only recently set down for demolition, and known as "The Albany" was erected in 1844 as quarters for senior Civil Servants. Murray Barracks, and the General's house are still in use. In their day these various structures were almost pretentious in size and style.
Some idea of this rapid change from barrenness to a well-laid-out city (but not by any means a mushroom growth) is given in early chronicles written mainly by visitors. Some have already been quoted in this series but two or three other sources might be tapped for early impressions.
A good deal of this old history is enshrined in pictures in the Chater Collection, and Mr. James Orange, in his valuable catalogue of the collection, had summarised,