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F
324
From the Tai Wai River to the North End of
Taipo Station Yard is the critical portion of the
line exposed as it is to the sea. The alignment
here has been most carefully looked into and the
Grading arranged so that the banks and cuttings almost
equslise. There is a great d ́al of rock on this portion
of the line, but it is not of so hard a nature as
might be expected from the look of the hills.
of the cuttings are scarped out of the hill side
which ought to be done fairly cheaply.
Most
I have allowed a good deal of pitching on the
slopes of those banks where exposed to the waves.
I propose to pitch all banks up to a reduced level of
212.00 1.3. 12 ft. abors Ordinary Low Water. Only in
a very few places is the Bank founded below low water
and then the position is not such as would expose
the bank to a very long reach.
Some of the Earthwork from Taipo to the frontier
was done by the Public Works Department before my
arrival. Nearly all the banks are made from BorzOW
pits, but the rates at which the work was let by
petty contract were "ery large. However His Excellency
Sir Matthew Nathan decided that I should continue
at the same rates as he looked upon it as a breach
of contract to close down the works and start afresh.
This accounts for the soft excavation in Paddy land
eas
being booked at $13/- per thousand cubic feet. The cost of some Earthwork on the old alignment near
Taipo is included in this amount,
There are 4 tunnels estimated for. The large one
under Beacon Hill is the Chief work on the line. The
estimate
ar