4
in the junk channel, and at the same time diminishing the water in the ship channel, It is highly probable that the time will come when the ship channel is no longer navigable, and the junk channel not yet open. It may be assumed that Shanghai may will be cut off from the sea for about a year. On the other hand, what is to become of the river if, in spite of the proposed dams or sink-works in the ship channel, the ebb current should not be deflected towards the junk channel, but should circumvent the dams or sink-work laterally, only still more tearing down its bank? We all know how easily the alluvial soil in those parts is moved and dissolved. If a harder obstacle is placed in the river, the latter will circumvent it, as it has done with the defence works, and will turn against its banks. In case that should happen, we should for a very long time have a disturbed navigable course, for to get the "zinkstuks" heavily loaded with stones out of the water again will certainly not be an easy task.
In the article of the "North China Daily News" of the 27th August, 1906, it is said, under "Restraining Works"; "The ship channel is, of course, far deeper than the bars, and the restraining works for the purpose of turning the stream gradually into the junk channel will not in any way impede navigation." That is to say, the ship channel is first to be filled up to the height of the bar. We should then have a bar of the length of the ship channel. It is quite possible for steamers to pass a short bar at a favourable time, but it is impossible to pass so long a stretch of river; with so little water underneath, a ship would no longer obey the helm, and injuries to ships would be unavoidable. But what of the whole question, after it has been found that the inner bar has disappeared or is in course of disappearing? To-day, therefore, there would no longer be any question of filling up to the height of the bar, but only of creating an entirely new and long bar. If to-day the outer bar is removed, then the way as far as Shanghai will be free for large vessels until the completion of this work,
From what has been said it appears necessary that M. de Rijke should give a more detailed explanation, so that it may be possible to see what shape his project has taken on at present, and whether the assumptions on which the foregoing remarks have been based, and which take into consideration the information hitherto available, will hold good also in future. If that is the case, or if the answer does not show that a fundamental alteration of the original project removing the doubts advanced above has taken place, or if it is not possible to obtain an answer without delay, it appears best, in view of the doubtful success, the exceedingly high expenditure, and the steadily improving navigable course (of the ship channel) for the present only to remove the outer bar, and to cease working on Gough Island until all apprehensions shall have been cleared away. By this temporary stopping of the work on Gough Island the result of the whole undertaking will, technically, in no way be jeopardized or prejudiced.
But if these things are allowed to go on, a good navigable course will, without the least immediate gain, be unnecessarily exposed to the greatest danger—a navigable course the perfecting of which would be feasible within the limits of an expenditure by no means unreasonable.
(Signed)
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
H. SCHNELLHOSS,
Memorandum by German Shipping Firms at Shanghai.
WE, the Undersigned, representing the largest German shipping interest in Shanghai, respectfully beg to submit to the Imperial German Consulate-General the following:
The chart of the Whangpoo River, published of late by the Whangpoo River Conservancy Board, and the Quarterly Reports of this Board, as well as recent soundings, show that the Whangpoo River during the last few years has continually improved, and this, indeed, to such an extent that the so-called "Inner Bar" has almost disappeared, and that there is to-day from the arsenal to the mouth of the river a uniform depth of at least 18 feet at lowest water level; in other words, the result which the work now commenced by the River Conservancy tries to achieve is already almost in existence.
M. de Rijke's scheme, as far as we know, intends to close up the present fairway—the so-called "Ship Channel"—and to open in place of it the "Junk Channel," which is at present entirely silted up. If we now compare the opinion and inferences given by M. de Rijke in his earlier Report with the findings given in the Quarterly Reports about the present state of the river, there is, no doubt, reason for grave misgivings, viz., that by the execution of the present scheme the shipping on the Whangpoo might possibly be endangered most seriously.
We beg to give some extracts from M. de Rijke's Report and the Quarterly Reports referring also to the new chart:—
Extracts from the Report to the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce on the Water Approaches to Shanghai, by J. de Rijke. Dated, Tokio, the 10th January, 1898.
Ship Channel Decreasing.
§ XXXV.
Page 12. "The Ship Channel, through which every sea vessel has still to pass, is decreasing very perceptibly, as can be seen from the cross sections."
§ XXXVI
"It is plain that the Ship Channel at its upper end has everything in its favour for the ebb current to enter it, but by the increasing deposits in its lower end the ebb cannot make its way through...
Page 13. "The greater quantity of ebb water flows down along the much wider and more capacious Junk Channel.
"The passage (over the inner bar) might still be kept open for another period, but it should be borne in mind that all the while the general deterioration of the river is going on at an increased rate, and that the Ship Channel is steadily losing in depth and width and in power to maintain itself.
"So much is now perfectly clear that in case this section of the river has to be improved by regulating works, by which to form one uniform channel instead of the two, that channel must be the Junk Channel, and not the other, the Ship Channel."
Page 43. To regulate properly the barrier reach between Kajow and Pheasant Point to one uniform channel, i.e., without interfering too much with the present navigation, and what is of still greater importance, without causing further obstructions to the tide, is not at all an easy work, nor can this be done in a hurry; there is, however, one thing that promises to facilitate this greatly, viz., the natural tendency, already existing, of the main currents to follow the Junk Channel.”
Extracts from the Quarterly Reports of the Whangpoo Conservancy Board, showing the present state of the Whangpoo.
The Depth all along Ship Channel has much increased, Junk Channel is blocked by increased silting.
(See Quarterly Reports of the Whangpoo Conservancy Board.)
November 9, 1906.
"The extraordinary ebb from flooded lagoons and long-continued high water in the Yang-tsze, beating back the flood tide, has had a bad effect on the Junk Channel—the proposed future fairway, causing it to silt up, while the Ship Channel, which will later on be gradually shoaled, has deepened; this, it is feared, means increased expenditure at a future date."
January 26, 1907.
"The depth of water in the river generally has greatly increased owing to the heavy rains, remarked on last quarter, washing out the channel (Ship Channel), and consequently defence work has proved more difficult. Gough Island reach, where some of the largest works have to be made, has grown much deeper, and the shallowing of the Ship Channel will be much more expensive than at first estimated."
April 20, 1907.
Early in January, when the flood tides entering the river were regaining strength and finding Junk Channel blocked by increased silting.
some increase of depth on the inner bar are very satisfactory,
"A resounding of Gough Island reach shows that the depth all along Ship Channel has increased, while Junk Channel has shallowed.
Compared with previous surveys, the general conditions of the river's mouth and the outer bar is much better than before."