88
through rice fields, was from 10 to 12 cts. per cub. yd, the cost increasing as to height of embankment, coming up to 18 or. 20. cts. in some of the highest. These prices obtained on the main line after the completion of the branch. The cost of rock excavation run from 60 cts. on the softer sandstones to $1.40 on hard trap per cub. yd.
Piles cost from 25 to 35 cts. per lin. ft. accord- ing as they were. 25 or 50 long. The piles used were Chinese pine brought many hundreds of miles from the headwaters of the North and West Rivers. This wood is very poor-some- thing like basswood but is the best available and answers fairly well for pile foundations, but great care has to be used in driving to avoid breaking. A diameter of from 14 to 16 ins. at the butt is about the extreme size that is obtainable. The driving cost about $2 each. At the larger bridges steam drivers were used and at the smaller ones hand drivers. The hand drivers were handmade and operated with a whim. One of the drivers was. fitted with a treadmill arrangement for raising the hammer, and it was found that the same number of coolies would drive twice as many piles by this method in a day as by hand, and the manner of working appealed to them more strongly than raising the hammer by turning
a crank,
*
Concrete for bridge foundations were com- posed of 1 part cement, 3 parts sand, and 5 parts broken stone. This cost in places from $10 to $14 per cub. yd.. exclusive of cost of cofferdams when used, which added from $1 to $2 per cub. yd. The cement used was the "Green Island brand which is one of the best cements in the Orient and very satisfactory to use on account of its uniformity. Sand of a most excellent quality was found in the immediate neigh- bourhood while the broken stone came from the North River and cost about $2 per cub. yd.
Oregon Pine was used for forms, false work, etc., and cost in Canton $70 per 1000 ft.
ROLLING STOCK.
|
The rolling stock is all of American mike. Eight second-hand locomotives of the Manhattan Elevated Railroad were bought for $3,000 gold each, and sent out for temporary and construc- tion purposes. The standard locomotives weigh about 80 tons complete and were built by the Pittsburg Locomotive Works. Two of them are in use now and they are very common-sense and up-to-date machines. Twenty 40-ton flatcars were sent out before the branch was completed and it
*THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
company began to get short and only a limited amount could be expended monthly. It was very unfortunate that these 12 ms, could not have been finished and put into operation, as they would have added very materially to the receipts of the company. On these 12 ⋅ ms. there was one through cut which was about of a mile in length and at the summit 50 ft, deep, and contained 112,000 cub. yds. of material. A small industrial railway was used to haul the material in this cut to make the embank- ments on either end. The extreme haul was 3,000 ft. and the cost was 25c. a yd. The bridges on this section were all small and single spans. At Ko Tong 15 6-ft. spans were to be put in. Foundations had not been built at the time of the closing down of the work but the spins were made and in the yard of the Wong Sha, or Canton terminal,
When the Canton-Samshui division was put in operation all the locomotive drivers were for- eigners with Chinese, firemen. Within a year from the date of opening all the foreigners had been replaced by the native firemen and only one foreign expert driver retained to have general supervision over the rolling stock and teach new men. The same thing was done in handing the steam pile drivers. At first the crew was made up of foreigners who were soon replaced with Chinese. This applied through all the work, and when construction was suspended there was very little needed of skilled foreign foremen, as Chinese skilled workmen had been developed in all lines.
EXCISE OFFICER MURDERED.
TKAGEDY IN THE NEW TERRITORY.
A disquieting ramour was in circulation in the city on the 3rd February which on being investigated proved to have its foundation in the fact that the Chief Excise Officer of the Opium Farm in the New Territory had been done to death in circumstances which pointed to murder. The deceased, Mr. Chau Beng; had proved most energetic official, chan, who had come from Singapore and
stationed at Taipo, and while it is conjectured that murder was not the aim of the assailants, but rather robbery, it would seem that they had been induced to more violent measures than
they had anticipated.
was
So far as can be ascertained, a party of armed robbers entered the matsifed occupied by Mr.
[ February 5, 1906.
HONGKONG BENEVOLENT
SOCIETY:
ANNUAL MEETING,
The 16th annual meeting of the Hongkong Benevolent Society was held at the City Hall on the 3rd February, when the Hon. Mr. H. E. Pollock presided over a fair attendance..
or were
The Chairman read the annual report sub- mitted by the ladies of the committee. At the outset the ladies expressed their thanks to all who had assisted in carrying out, the work of the Society during the past year. In that period 22 cases were brought under the notice of the committee and in 17 of these assistance was given. Other cases, numbering over 40, were assisted through the Rey. J. H. France, who had rendered considerable service to the Society by investigating cases and helping such as were deserving, the Society placing $15 per month at his disposal for this purpose. Employ- ment was found in the Colony for some of the applicants and passages paid for others to various places where they had friends o likely to find employment. The Society paid for the support and education of four orphans at the Diocesan Girls' School every month in 1905. One had now finished her education and had obtained employment in the Colony as nursemaid. Two girls had been supported at the Italian Convent for the year; one boy at the French Convent; and one girl partly supported at Miss Johnstone's. As the funds of the Society were at a very low ebb in October Major Chapman kindly consented to the pro- ceeds taken at one of the Volunteer concerts kindness of many people and firms, who gener- being given to the Society. Through the ously gave their services and help, and to the committee supporting the concert the funds were increased by the large amount of $1,095. During the year Mrs. Robertson resigned her place on the committee owing to ill-health, and Mrs. Dickson had since acted as president, Lady Berkeley continuing as vice-president. Mrs. Hoare left the Colony during the year, and Mrs. Johnson was elected on the committee in her place. The following ladies retire in rotation from the committee: Mrs. Hickling, Mrs. Stewart, Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Swan. The two former offered themselves for re-election;
leaving the Colony.
mre
was necessary to transform these into temporary Chau Beng-chan in the early hours of Saturday Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Swan résign, as they were passenger coaches. This was done by the use of rough Oregon Pine, boarding them up half way, putting on a roof covered with P. & B." roofing, and furnished with four long benches running lengthwise of the coach. The first class coaches were the same except the benches were either covered with Canton matting or replaced with bamboo chairs and had Canton matting.on the floors,
The next step was the conversion of boxcars into passenger coaches which was performed by putting in benches and cutting two small windows on either side. After a few months first, second and third-class coaches were sent out, also baggage cars.
morning. As he had weapons there it is evident they must have taken him unawares, and it is even suggested that there must have been some complicity between his servants and the robbers before they could have gained admission to the matshed. At any rate, when the police were apprised of the occurrence, and Sergeant Lander proceeded to the place, he found Mr. Chau Beng-chan dead, amid many signs of a struggle. It was probably the stout resistance offered that resulted in the fatal deed being perpetrated by the miscreants, who in their haste to escape want off leaving bundle of loot they had prepared. The police authorities at Hongkong were communicated with, and in the afternoon the police launch proceeded to Taipo and took the necessary steps in the circumstances. The four robbers, with the two chair coolies who were in the employ of the deceased, have disappeared,
the
This branch commenced to pay after the first month that it was put in operation. The in- crease in volume of passenger traffic was steady for 15 months, when very nearly the maximum was reached. Since then the increase has been slow. The receipts of this line average from
It is stated that within the last few days six $50,000 to $60,000 per month, and the operating native excise officers have rosigned because they expenses are about 25 per cent. This makes a very creditable showing for Mr. Lind, the ef- feared inpending trouble, and the Opium Farmer ficient traffic manager. An express freight basis of the opinion that the criminals are likely to been established which is growing in popularity,
be found among the gangs of smugglers. and which is sure eventually to get all traffic in valuable cargo, such as specie, silks, tea, etc. It will be sometime, if ever, before this line will do a large freight business for waterways are everywhere and afford a cheap, if slow, means of transportation, and time is no object to the average Chinaman in his common everyday affairs.
THE MAIN LINE,
Construction was begun on the main line in January, 1904, and entirely suspended in October of the same year. During this time 12 ms. were practically completed from Canton fo Ko Tong, with the exception of laying the This work was not rails over, the last 6 ms. prosecuted vigorously as the money of the
The plague total stands at three. During the week ending Jan. 27th, five cases of smallpox were notified, two being fatal. One was a Singhalese, the other four were Chinese.
Viceroy Chang Chih-tung has detailed three battalions of the reorganised Hupeh provincial army to act as guards to the Peking-Hankow Railway, from Hankow to the southern banks of the Yellow River. From the northern banks of that river to Peking the Viceroys and Governors of the provinces through which the line passes will detail each a battalion or so to act as guards of his particular section.
The CHAIRMAN, having given details of the cases of relief, said it would be seen that the Society had done a great deal of work and would have done inore if they had had the funds at their disposal. He should like to see people subscribe to the funds of the Society and assist them in their work, because all who had offices in the city knew that men often came in for assistance and were given money in order to be got rid of. He objected most strongly to indiscriminate charity and indeed to charity at all to anyone who was able to work. It would be better, in his opinion, if people instead of giving money themselves were to contribute to the Society and then refer all cases to it. they could be sure that By doing so each case would be properly investigated and dealt with on its merits (applause): The accounts showed that they had carried forward $988.03 from last year, and had afforded relief to the extent of $2,388.54, but had it not been for the large sum, $1,095, received through the Volunteer concert they would have a serious deficit to face. He, therefore, appealed to the general public to come forward and support the Society, which he might say was urgently in need of funds. Regarding the Destitutes Relief Scheme members would remember resolution which was passed at last. annual meeting by which it was decided to adopt His Excellency the Governor's proposal tein- porarily for a term of not less than a year until the Government had drawn up some scheme to do away with the difficulty. His Excellency had written to say that he wished to continue his subscription and hoped that other guarantors would do the same, at least, during the coming year. From this it would be seen that the Government had evidently not yet been able to draw up any satisfactory