272
THE RONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
of the vote, Judicial and Legal Departments, D.-Land Registry Office, Personal Emolu- ments, for the following items:—
New Territori-s.
Allowance to Passed Cadet acting as Assistant Land Officer, (from 3rd
April to 1st July, 1908),
Exchange Compensation,
Total,
THE BUILDING COLLAPSE AT
YAUMATI.
ARCHITECT COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.
$296.55 Before Mr. J. H. Kemp, sitting as coroner, 192.92 and Mezers. F. Austin, Hugh Dinning and G. G. Catobiok (jarors), the inquiry concerning $489.47 | the deaths of six Ühinese, who were killed as the result of a collapse at 38, Portland Street, Yanmeti, during the typhoon of 27-28th July, was continued.
KOWLOON CRICKET CLUB.
The annual general meeting of the members of the Kowloon Cricket Club was held on Oct.
15th in the Club Pavilion. Mr. H. T. Richard- son presided over a good attendance.
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report and balance sheet and, in doing congratulated the members on factory position of the olub.
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The report was adopted.
the satis-
The election of office-bearers resulted as follows: President, Mr. H. N. Mody; vice- president, Mr. W. Stewart; captain of the cricket team, Mr. S. Lightfoot; vice-captain, Mr. J. P. Robinson; captain of the hockey team, Mr. C. W, Jefferies; hom. secretary, Mr. T. Chee; hon. treasurer, Mr. F. P. Shroff, Committee Messrs. Mead, Menagb, Smith, Clelland, Jefferies, Harvey, Neilson, and Robinson.
On the suggestion of Mr. CHAPPLE, it was agreed that the retiring Chairman be appointed honorary vice president, and votes of thanks were awarded the retiring committee and obairman, sa well as the bon. secretary and treasurer.
The report stated: Gentlemen, In presen- ting their annual report and statement of scoounts for the year ending 31st August, 1908, the Committee feel that there is considerable cause for satisfaction at the result of the year's The Club has been placed on a working. sounder financial basis than for a long time past. The Committee decided that the time had arrived when the Club should possess some more permanent structure, and thanks to the great interest shown by our President, Mr H. N. Mody and our Chairman Mr Richardson and members, they were able to complete the present pavilion, ad that they were justified in this undertaking is amply shown in the increased attendance and the number of new members enrolled. Out of the issue of 200 Debentures, 18 have been taken up.
The Committee desire to record their thanks to H. E Sir Frederick Lugard, K.C.M.G., for having kindly attended on the 11th July to open the Building, and to all those members and others who have made various gifts to the Club, and to Messrs. Stewart and Libeaud for the attention given by them during the construction of the building.
The ground is in a better condition than in the past, the cricket pitch has been returfed and water has been laid on, which materially assists in the ground work. The Committee sanctioned (with the approval of the Govern ment) the lying by the Amateur Athletic As- sociation of a cinder track; this has greatly improved the appearance of the_ground and should tend to popularise sport in Kowloon.
repre-
The Secretary of State for India has appoint ed Mr. J. B. Brunyate to be the Indian sentative on the International Opium Commis- sion which assembles at Shanghai in January
next.
It will interest philatelists to know that the following surcharged stamps were put into circulation in Siam from the 28th ult :-Five atta red stamp surcharged to four atts, Twenty-four atts blue to two atts; and Ten atta blue to nine atts. Two hundred thousand of the first have been printed; five hundred thousand of the second; and one hundred and fifty thousand of the last named variety. It will thus be seen that there are, says the Bangkok Times, plenty of Burcharged stamps for collectors. The postal authorities anticipate a big demand for the new surcharges for dispatch by the forthcoming English mail. Our contemporay understands that more surcharges are templated.
сод
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Mr. F. B. L. Bowley, Crown Solicitor, re- presented the Crown, and Mr. H. J. Gedge (of Mesara. Johnson, Stokes and Master) appeared
on behalf of Mesars Palmer and Turner, the architects.
Works, recalled, was cross-examined by Mr. Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, Director of Public Gedge. He stated the lime generally produced in Hongkong was not good unless it was looked after. Lime procured by the burning of shells or coral, such as used here, was not the best. The Government had not given up the testing of mortar because they found there were so many different results to tests that it was The Public Works absolutely unreliable.
tested mortar. Department still
Witness explained the method of testing, and said he had The mortar in the building every faith in it. in question was to be one of lime to one of red earth. Witness had visited the building. He B&W that the bricks were clean.
Bain washing on the external walls ought to soften the mortar. It might do so temporarily, but should get hard again. Witnees was not aware that there were 20 double courses of bricks counting from the ground up to the first floor of the flank wall, and that they were properly bonded with the exception of three.
I'll put it to you that the bonding of the blue bricks in that wall is absolutely perfect ?-I didn't come to that conclusion on my examina-
tion.
Did you examine it carefully ?—I had a good look at it.
Proceeding, witness said Messrs. Butterfield and Swire did excellent work in building. The 26 houses in question were completed before the 1906 typhoon, and withstood that. The wails Ordinance then in force. If they had not been blown down were built in accordance with the
so, they would not have been passed.
You said the thickness of walls was increased by a subsequent Ordinance ?—Yes.
That has nothing to do with these houses ?. No.
Well, I can't make out why you mentioned it It has nothing to do with my clients?— No, further than that, in common with the other architects, they opposed the proposition for the thickness of walls.”
I suppose, as a matter of fact, you mentioned it as an exouse for the Government not having found out before that the walls were not thick enough ?—No.
there was only one building inspector. Don't you In your evidence you stated that, in 1902,
culpable for having only one inspector to do the consider the Gaveramsat or your Department whole work of the Colony!-I certainly think it was impossible for one inspector to exercise efficient supervision over the building operations.
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Don't you think it was culpable of the Government or your department not having proper supervision?—I should hardly say it was culpable; perhaps it was an error of judgment. Governor or the Colonial Secretary -1 can't Was it ever brought to the notice of the
tell you prior to my own occupation of the office I now hold.
But after that?—After that it was.
Was it pointed out that typhoons would occur in the Colony, that buildings would collapse, and that more competent supervision should be had ?—I did not represent it quite in that manner. I said the inspecting staff was inadequate, and should be increased.
You say the Government, because they did not employ a sufficient number of building inspectors, called on the architects to do their work for them P-Not to do Government work, but their own work.
What about the Ordinance, does it not become a faros ----I don't see it,
The Ordinance mys buildings should be
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[October 17, 1908.
inspected P---The Ordinance certainly “makm provision for inspection.
Do you think an architect inspecting. 26 houses should notios every different bit of bonding and mortar P—I won't go so far as that. You don't expect an architect to sit on the works and do nothing else but inspect ?—No.
Mustan architect not rely to a great extent on the loyalty and bona fides of his foreman or overseer ?—He ought to.
Is it extremely difficult to get good overseers P-It is very seldom you can pick tham up locally.
of
And is it not very difficult to get good work out Chinese contractors?—It certainly involved a good deal of trouble, as a rule.
And, unless they are watched the whole time. they pat bad material into a work?—it is extremely probable,
When your proof was taken by the Crown was it pointed out that some excuse would be necessary as to Mr. Tooker's oɔnduct ?
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Mr. Bowley objected to the question. Mr. Gedge-I submit the question is perfectly order, but I'll put it in another way. When you found these buildings had collapsed, and-" found that: Mr. Tooker had granted a certificate, you saw that some excuse would have to be given for Mr. Tooker's conduct ?—No.
Either the certificate ought to be given, or it ought not to be given P-I presume that is a correct statement.
Now Sir, don't you think that that certifi. oste was properly given at the time by Mr. Tooker, and that the building was properly built P-Ion't say the building was properly built, but I think Mr. Tooker was justified in giving the certificate.
Mr. C. W. Jeffries, assistant at the Observa- tory, said in cross-examination that it wa quite possible the wind was travelling at 90 miles an hour in the typhoon of 27-28th July, Some of the instruments at the Observatory had seen a lot of service.
Mr. A. Denison, architect and engineer, deposed to having carried on business in Hongkong for the last 27 years. On 18th October witness inspected the fank wall of 35 Portland Street, and examined the bonding. From
the top of the mound 10 the level of the first floor there were forty courses. From the level of the first foor to the level of the second the wall wu
floor
also appeared to be properly bonded. verandah side the brickwork on the ground floor was not quite so good, and there were five or six sourses without bonding, Witness thought many of the cracks in the first party wall had been caused by the collapse. He thought the wind probably got into the houses by the front wall of 35 feet falling in. He did not consider this front wall would have fallen ualem it had been, blown down by the typhoon. Witness thought the wind was concentrated on this blook by reason of its situation and the open spson to the south east. Lime mortar in this Colony was not as the lime was obtained from burnt shells; in good he could be obtained in England
England it was obtained from limestona. Witness did not And it possible to get building works properly supervised here. Directly the architect's back was turned the Chinese brick- layer would commence doing cheap work.
properly bonded right through. The the
Hare
What class of foreman is procurable ?--- Generally a seaman out of work.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bowley, witness said the qual commission charged by architects on Chinese houses was 24 per cent. Fair one part red earth, as good as any mortor used mortar could be made out of one part lime and
in Hongkong.
A juror asked if it would not be posible to obtain independent and expert evi enos regard. ing the bonding of these walls.
His Worship-It would be very hard to my in ace of this kind what would be independent evidence.
Mr Bowley-I submit the evidence of the Building Authority is absolutely independent.
His Worship-What the juror means is that there are two contradictory statements and he would like to have athird,
Mr Bowley-I should like to point out that. the evidence given by the Building Authorit,'s witnesson is really against their own interests, because it lays them open to the obvious ratort 'that it is their fault.
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