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95. Royal Square.-It may be useful to record here that the old building which had been used as an office in connection with the Praya Reclamation work and was latterly occupied by some of the Public Works Department staff was demolished in the beginning of the year, a sum of $100 being received for the materials. The statue of His late Majesty, King Edward VII, was then moved to its permanent position adjoining the Central Avenue and a bamboo fence was erected to enclose an area, which was laid out and turfed by the Botanical and Forestry Department, corresponding with the Northern plot of garden belonging to the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. The area between the new plot and the Hongkong Club, which had been occupied as a contractor's yard in connection with the erection of the new Post Office, was vacated and cleared of matsheds and building materials at the close of the year.
96. Mongkoktsui Breakwater-Harbour of Refuge for Small Craft. The dredging of the foundation trenches for the breakwater and jetty was completed by the end of January. The total quantity of material dredged, consisting of clay and mud, amounted to 362,600 cubic yards (hopper measurement).
On the completion of the dredging, the "St. Enoch" placed in the hands of the Government Marine Surveyor for some minor repairs which had been left unfinished by the Taikoo Shipyard Co. when overhauling the vessel in 1909 and, on the 1st March, was laid up and placed under the charge of the Harbour Master.
Tenders for the construction of the Breakwater and contingent works were called for on the 21st June, eight European and four Chinese firms of contractors being invited to tender. The Contract was awarded to Messrs. Him Tai, whose tender amounted to $2,018,002.54 and the contract documents were signed on the 27th October.
The Contract comprises the construction of the following works:-
(i.) A detached rubble mound breakwater 3,338 feet in length, faced above Ordnance Datum on the outer slope and platform with concrete blocks and on the inner slope with coursed granite pitching.
(ii) A masonry jetty at the Southern entrance to the refuge, projecting a distance of 450 feet from the sea-wall at the Western end of Saigon Street.
(iii) A reclamation to the South of Kowloon Marine Lot No. 32 terminating in a pierhead at the Northern entrance to the refuge and covering the rocky shoal adjoining that entrance.
The first guide pile for defining the area within which stone is to be deposited to form the breakwater was driven on the 23rd November and the first load of stone was deposited on the 22nd December. In all, 112 guide piles were driven up to the close of the year.
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