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SUNDAY, JULY 17, 1977
EXPLOSIVES CONTRIBUTE TO MODERN HONG KONG DEVELOPMENT ******
MOVING MOUNTAINS TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME COMMON PRACTICE IN HONG KONG IN THE RACE TO KEEP PACE WITH THE EVER-INCREASING NEEDS FOR HOUSING, INDUSTRY AND RECREATION.
EVERY YEAR, BUILDERS CUT AND BLAST THEIR WAY THROUGH MILLIONS OF TONS OF SOLID ROCK, CARVING OUT NEW BUILDING SITES OR ROADS IN PREVIOUSLY INACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS IN THE QUEST FOR MORE LIVING AND BREATHING SPACE.
AT SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN NEW TOWNS, FOR EXAMPLE, HILLS ARE BEING FLATTENED OR CUT INTO TERRACES FOR MASSIVE HOUSING SCHEMES, AND ALONG THE CASTLE PEAK RANGE A HIGH-CAPACITY ROUTE IS BEING CARVED TO PROVIDE A FAST LINK BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND TSUEN WAN,
IN KOWLOON, ENGINEERS HAVE ALREADY BLASTED A SECOND TUNNEL THROUGH LION ROCK AND WORK IS ALSO IN PROGRESS ON ANOTHER TWIN-TUBE ROAD TUNNEL THROUGH THE HEART OF MIDDLE GAP BETWEEN THE 426-METRE PEAKS OF MOUNT CAMERON AND MOUNT NICHOLSON.
WHEN COMPLETED IN 1980, THE TUNNEL WILL PROVIDE A THREE- MINUTE LINK BETWEEN HAPPY VALLEY AND ABERDEEN AND WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE SOME 4,800 VEHICLES PER HOUR.
TUNNELL ING AND EXCAVATION OF HILLSIDES IS MAINLY CARRIED OUT BY DRILLING HOLES IN SOLID ROCK USING PNEUMATIC JACK-HAMMERS OR LARGER TRACK MOUNTED CRAWLER DRILLS, THE HOLES THEN BEING CHARGED WITH EXPLOSIVE, STEMMED AND DETONATED.
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THE QUANTITY OF EXPLOSIVES USED MAY VARY FROM A FEW POUNDS TO SEVERAL TONS IN ONE BLAST AND SOME SITES MAY FIRE SEVERAL BLASTS IN ONE DAY.
THE MAN IN OVERALL CONTROL OF EXPLOSIVES IN HONG KONG IS MR. GEORGE RANSON. CHIEF EXPLOSIVES OFFICER OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S MINES DIVISION, WHO HAS BEEN DEALING WITH ALL TYPES OF COMMERCIAL EXPLOSIVES FOR SOME 15 YEARS AND IS KEENLY AWARE OF THE IR IMMENSE CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE BUILDING OF MODERN HONG KONG.
MOST PEOPLE, HE SAID, HAD A NATURAL FEAR OF EXPLOSIVES MAINLY BECAUSE OF A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS.
+ IN FACT IN THE HANDS OF EXPERIENCED MEN PRACTISED IN ACCEPTABLE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES, EXPLOSIVES CAN BE USED AND CONTROLLED TO PERFORM SPECIFIC TASKS ACCURATELY AND SAFELY EVEN
IN THE HEART OF A CITY.
/+EXPLOSIVES