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July 14, 1906.}
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
Dealing with the Colony's Extraordinary Public Works, the Hon. Mr. W. Chatham writes as follows concerning the undermentioned buildings
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Central Police Station,-This work was completed and handed over to the Police at the end of May. The additional accomodation afforded consists of two dormitories for Indian
Constables (18 beds each); two for European Constables (16 beds each); one for Lance Sergeants (5 beds), and two for Sergeants (2 beds each). There are also a library, a mess- room and a billiard-room and three small rooms for servants. A wide verandah extends along nearly the entire length of the northern front. The building is of red brick, plastered externally and internally to correspond with the old building of which it forms part. The floors of the rooms are laid with hardwood boarding on hardwood joists and of the verandah with cement concrete on rolled joists. All beams consist of steel rolled joists. The old roof principals, &c.. were used as far as possible and new ones provided where necessary. Several parts of the old building were strengthened in various ways to enable it to support the additional storey, and sundry small alterations in it were effected. The total expenditure under the vote was $33,000 and a further sum of $7,579 for the alterations and strengthening of the old building was charged to the vote " Miscellaneous Works."
Gunpowder Depot, Green Island. This work was practically completed at the close of the year. It included the formation of a site on the north-east side of Green Island. 1.13 acres in area, partly by excavating the hill and partly by reclaiming from the sea. To obviate
the risk of damage to shipping. &c., from an explosion of the contents of any of the magazines, the site has been protected on the seaward side by a rubble mound, 13 feet in height, faced with pitched slopes and extending into the hill at each end, the magazines being thus completely enclosed. Within the enclosure thus formed, four separate magazines have been built and, in order to limit the effects of an explosion, should one unfortunately occur, they have been separated from each other by mounds of earth 13 feet in height. Each magazine has a floor area of from 2,860 to 2,210 square feet and consists of an ordinary brick building. one storey in height, with tiled roof. The
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the requisite stone was obtained and set. The other portions of the building which are of brickwork, were, however, pushed the building was almost completed by the close forward with the result that the main part of of the year and most of it roofed in. A considerable amount of the external plastering was done, some of the floors laid and ceilings, which are of timber, fixed and most of the joinery was in readiness for fixing.
Law Courts. Here also great difficulty granite, especially during the earlier part of was experienced in obtaining a supply of the year, with the result that the progress of the work was slow. Owing to the Lumerous granite arches extending from the pillars of the colonnade to the main walls, it was not possible to proceed with the brickwork above the level of the first floor until these had been built and every effort was therefore made to get the granite-work pushed on. It may be mentioned that each of the stones in the pillars of the colonnade weighs from 21 to 3 tons and much careful dressing is necessary to adapt them for setting in the work. Much of the steelwork and concrete forming the first floor were laid early in the year, the internal walls having then reached such a level as to admit of this being done. By the close of the year nearly all the external walls were completed to the same level, the pillars of the colonnade were built to an average height of 16 feet and some of the arches were in progress. The average pumber of masons employed daily was 124. In addition to the stone
set in the work, 120 granite balusters were prepared, bringing the number of these ready for fixing up to 200.
Post Office. The contract for the founda- tions was nearly, but not quite completed, com- pletion being delayed by the undertaking of additional work. One of the principal items was the covering of the entire area of the base- ment with asphalt, which was also carried up the outside of the main walls, so as to prevent the percolation of tidal or subsoil water into the basement rooms, which are to be used for the storage of mails, etc. The asphalt was laid on a layer of lime concrete 12 inches thick and was covered with a layer of cement concrete 6 inches. the thickness of the asphalt being inch. also decided to make provision for a clock tower in the building and this necessitated
It was
some alterations and additional work in con-
nection with the foundations. This delayed the completion of the contract. The total number of piles driven has been 1808, of an average length of 44 feet 6 inches,
amount of preparatory work was carried out to enable a good supply to be obtained, a quantity of roughly-squared blocks being in readiness to transport to the site when it became available. Som, brick and plaster models of the principal parts of the stonework were also prepared.
Prison. It was not found possible to pro- ceed with this work, but a site in Kowloon, which was considered suitable, was selected. The proposal to erect a prison on Stonecutter's Island was finally abandoned in consequence of its being considered advisable to hand over the island entirely to the Military Authorities.
floors, which are of cement concrete, are covered with a layer of asphalt and the windows are protected with iron bars.
contract for the superstructure was entered into Access to the depot is gained through an ex-
with Messrs. Sang Lee & Co. on the 1st August. amination room, formed in the enclosing rubble
A quarry from which saitable stone could be mound, from which covered ways extend to the obtained for the work was selected at Ngau Tau various magazines. The floors of the examina-Kok, in New Kowloon, and a considerable tion roof and covered ways are also finished with a layer of asphalt. A temporary pier has been erected for landing or shipping explosives and will be replaced by a permanent at an early data. From the depot, a path leads to the quarters for the officer-in-charge and guard, which are about 100 yards distant and protected by an intervening spur of the bill. The quarters contain rooms for the officer-in- charge, one room for an assistant and another for an office, whilst accommodation is provided in separate buildings for 8 boatmen, an Indian Sergeant and 4 Indian Constables. The establishment of the gunpowder depot and and signalling station on Green Island, in addition to the lighthouse, necessitated the residence of a number of men there and the e question of water supply had therefore to be considered. After examination of the possible sources, it was decided to construct a tank to collect some small springs which issue from the cutting made in levelling the site of the depot, A manual pump and line of piping will enable the water to be raised to a tank on the hill at such a level as to supply all the quarters by gravitation, except the signalman's, which are on the summit, 200 feet above sea level. The cost of this work is being defrayed out of the vote "Miscellaneous Water Works”.
Harbour Office-Progress on this work was much retarded by the difficulty experienced in obtaining the granite necessary for the completion of the principal from of the ground storey and it was not until November that all
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WORK UNDER THE BUIL DING ORDINANCE.
Under this heading the D.P.W. reports:- with the Pablic Health and Buildings Ordinance As the result of a more extended acquaintance of 1903, the plans submitted by architects have been generally in accordance with its provisions; but applications for a modification of one or more of these are very, numerous and, as nearly all snob applications have to be referred to the Conacil, the carrying out of the new Ordinance Sanitary Board as well as to the Governor in involves a great deal more work than the old.
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Plans. Plans were deposited during the year for 35 European and 164 Chinese houses, us against 56 European and 156 Chinese houses in 1904. The diminution in the number of new build- ings for which plans were deposited indicates a depression in building operations, though there was a large increase in the number of plans for the alteration or extension of existing buildings This increase is, however, in great measure due to the enforcement by the officers of Sanitary Board of these provisions of the new Ordinance which require the opening out of back-yards or the enlargement or insertion of windows in existing houses. No damage of importance caused to buildings by typhoons or rainstorms during the year. Much attention was given to the quality of the mortar used in the erection of the various buildings which were in progress with the result that, out of 29 samples taken, 7 were found to be deficient in lime. Prosecutions were success- fully instituted in all these cases and resulted in the infliction of fines amounting to $1,700. It is hoped that these prosecutions will, have a salutary effect in improving the quality of the mortar used throughout the Colony. The Naval Yard Extension and Messrs. Butterfield & Swire's Shipyard Works were in progress throughout the year. In the wall and tidal basin were practically completed. case of the former, the reclamation, outer quay and substantial progress was made with the the buildings connected with the scheme were construction of the graving dock. Several of
in progress, some delay being caused in the case ing just as the excavation for the pump-wells, of the pump-house by the failure of the timber-
In the case of the Shipyard Worke, the about 70 feet in depth, was nearly completed. reclamation and levelling of the site made good progress and the inner portion of the graving dock was completed; work on the entrance, for which a very heavy cofferdam was required, being in active progress by the close of the year,
THE NEW LOAD LINE.
Perhaps it is not generally known that as the result of the new Board of Trade rules an
innovation is being carried out which may have far reaching effects on British shipping. Load lines are being adjusted to allow of the desper loading of vessels, an alteration which was necessary in the interests of owners by reason of the changes which had gradually taken place in the construction of vessels since the previous regulations were framed about twenty years ago, and under this arrangement the British mercan tile tonnage will be materially increased. But this does not necessarily apply to Hongkong.
As Mr. James MacDonald, Government Volunteer Headquarters. The erection of Marine Surveyor," informed our representative, new Volunteer Headquarters, which has long there will be no change in the statistics of been under consideration, was undertaken in Hongkong. The statistics of the first port in June. It was at one time proposed to erect the world are based on the gross registered the necessary buildings at Happy Valley im- tonnage of the ships entering and clearing, mediately to the north of the Golf Club House, and the only alteration will be that vessels, and designs for this were prepared, but the by being allowed to
load deeper, can the proposal was ultimately abandoned in favour carry more cargo. The gross registered of the site of the old building at the corner of tonnage will course remain the same. Garden and Lower Albert Roads. The old Proceeding, Mr. MacDonald explained that building was practirely taken down, only some a new type of vessel, the shelter deck typa, of the basement walls being made use had established itself since the load line of in connection with the erection of was first introduced. These ships are allowed the new one. Fair progress was made with the to load much deeper than they were formerly, work, the walls being generally 6 feet above the under the revised regulations, while the spar level of the drill-hall floor, the concreting of deck vessels, to a smaller extent, are permitted which was completed. The cost of the | to do the same. So that practically it is these building is being defrayed principally two types of vessel that benefit. When the from funds in the possession of the Volunteer rules came into operation, owners at home cabled Corps, the Government contributing a sum of to their agents abroad to have the load lines of $5,000 only.
their ships altered, but in one case, that of the