Q 4
Bridges.
In building a Railway especially in a mountainous country the expenditure under this heading is almost invariably under-estimated. It is impossible even on a year's survey to decide what bridges are necessary to carry the water off and it therefore happens that many minor bridges are converted into major bridges and in places new minor bridges added. It very seldom happens that a bridge can be cut out altogether.
In the present case it will be noticed that there will be a large increase under the sub-head of major bridges. This is due to the fact that the number of major bridges has been increased and excess so caused will not be covered by the saving on those originally estimated for.
Under the heading major bridges, only two remain to be started, namely, Gascoigne Road Bridge in Kowloon Station Yard and a large River Bridge near Taipo. The first of these has been very much increased in size above that estimated for and the excess expenditure amounts to $40,000 on this bridge alone. This bridge carries Des Voeux and Gascoigne Roads over the Railway and will be put in hand soon. The increase in size referred to is necessitated by the fact that to avoid a right angle bend these roads must form junction on the bridge. The River Bridge at Taipo will also be started in the near future. It has been decided to put this bridge in the bed of the present river instead of diverting the river through a new channel. This will add considerably to the cost as the foundations will have to be on wells sunk about 25 feet into the bed of the river.
The cracks in the bridges near Kowloon caused by the under-ground movements started when the heavy banks approached some of the bridges may cause a slight excess in the money required under this sub-head. I do not anticipate any serious expenditure from this cause except in the case of Bridge No. 8, a four span arch bridge on a high bank in the Kowloon Tsai Valley. This bridge was standing practically complete for nearly six months before the bank approached. The matter is now in the hands of the Consulting Engineers but as the movement of the banks on either side is still considerable it may be necessary to dismantle the bridge and carry the foundations down on wells to the rock which is between thirty and forty feet below ground.
The bridge across San Chun River has been altered from that originally estimated for. The ironwork is now being made for double line girders in order to carry a double line at the junction between the two sections.
The saving under minor bridges will I hope be about $66,000. The saving is due to a certain extent to the fact that bridges have been altered from minor to major owing to the spans being increased. Against this must be put the fact that several bridges have been added for future road extensions near Taipo as well as for waterways. There still remains to be started a bridge to carry a new road over cutting No. 1 running between Hung Hom and the Steam Laundry. This cannot be begun until the work on the cutting is further advanced. Very little now remains to be done on other minor bridges.
In almost every case the foundations of both major and minor bridges proved more difficult than usual. The labour was very bad especially the kind of labour required to put the timber in the excavation. A large amount of piling had to be done as well as pumping which was very costly, as owing to the bad climate it was extremely difficult to keep good fitters and such skilled labour on the work.
The bridges on the Fan Ling Sub-division which however were chiefly minor, cost more than I originally estimated owing to want of facilities for transport and the fact that the local labour proved itself entirely unable to do the work. Coolies had to be imported and matsheds built for them. It was also decided to burn bricks locally with coal as the ordinary Canton brick was not good enough for the purpose and stone was not available. Very good bricks were burnt but the cost was great, but not so great as imported stone. Indians had to be brought from India to load and fire the kilns as the Chinese did not know how.
There is a slight excess shown in culverts but again it is impossible to judge the future expenditure. The villager who owns land near the line of Railway has a habit of saying nothing if the Railway bank cuts off the irrigation water from his land. In one or two cases he has waited for two years and then asked that all his land should be bought. The methods of irrigation are very complicated and it is sometimes difficult to determine whether or no the Railway bank really cuts off the water.
Telegraph.
Under the main head of Telegraphs some work was done during the year. The posts were put in place for about five miles at the Northern end of the line.