182
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
Enclosure 1:
REPORT by the Surveyor-General on the Progress of the Department, 1852,
Surveyor-General's Office, Victoria, February 14, 1853.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to submit my annual report upon the progress of my department for the year 1852, for the information of His Excellency the Governor.
During the last year no changes have been made in the department, and with the exception of the temporary assistance of three sappers, the general duties of its members have been of a similar nature to that of the previous year.
The Government having decided upon the erection of Government House from the designs prepared by me for that work, and adequate assistance not existing in the department for its effective supervision, the services of three sappers (a carpenter, bricklayer, and stonemason) were placed at my disposal. I have found them of great assistance, and they have in general been steady and well-behaved, but I experienced considerable inconvenience from the repeated changes of them which took place in the earlier part of the work; this was, I understand, unavoidable, the men being required for military duty, and in one or two instances were changed for improper conduct. I have much satisfaction, however, in stating that for some months past the Commanding Royal Engineer has left them stationary, and placed a corporal in charge, which is a great advantage.
The work has apparently proceeded rather slowly, but this is naturally the case where a large quantity of material has to be cut and prepared before it can be built in; in addition to this, the arching of the whole of the basement occupied a considerable period and required great care and attention.
In my report upon public works I have detailed the plans I have adopted for the preservation of the timber and the due ventilation of the building; it is therefore unnecessary for me to recapitulate it; suffice it to say, that my best energies shall be exerted to render the whole building as perfect a specimen of work as the means at my disposal will enable me to effect, and I trust that in ten months from the present date the building and offices connected with it will be finished, and so that it may be fit for occupation in the beginning of April 1854.
At the gaol buildings I have been unable to obtain the assistance of any sappers, which is to be regretted, as some portions of the work require constant attention, which I am naturally unable to give with the other services demanding my attention. I, however, manage to visit the buildings regularly, and if possible twice a day, and have much pleasure in stating that the work is progressing properly and the contractors are giving satisfaction.
The Chinese overseer and the three department coolies have been employed during the year in the usual manner in attendance upon me as chain men for surveying or other purposes, in the ordinary small repairs which are demanded to the roads, streets, &c., and as I have no foreman or clerk of works, I make them overseers on contract works in the formation of roads; in these services I find them very useful, and they have given perfect satisfaction during the year.
Most of the civil buildings under my charge have been repaired as satisfactorily as circumstances would admit, and others requiring it have been postponed awaiting instructions as to the necessity for the upholding of them or not; these are the police stations near the Albany Godowns and at East Point or Leighton's Godowns, both of which are in a very dilapidated state indeed.
Several defects appear in the Court House, particularly in the outer cornice, the crowning or projecting member of which has unfortunately been formed with wood plastered in cement, and the whole being covered up, the leakages therein, and want of ventilation have caused much of the woodwork to decay; the cement has fallen down in two or three places, and I fear it will be necessary to reconstruct all that portion of the defective part; I have, however, delayed making a full report of the particular circumstances and the necessary expense of the repairs until I have made some further examinations upon the effects produced on these parts by the rain, a sufficiency of which has not fallen to show what I require.
In the Lower Bazaar much of my time in the early part of the year was occupied in superintending the erection of the new houses after the fire, and much as I desired to instil into the Chinese the great advantage to be derived from a more careful manner of erecting their houses, the prevention of the contact of timbers, and the benefit that would accrue to them in future years by the substitution of stone in place of wood so plentifully used, the erection of arches and other means of supporting floors or walls, that although they appear to have been fully alive to these circumstances they would not carry them into effect, as they were in such a hurry to finish the dwellings that it was with the utmost difficulty I could compel them to build as directed, particularly with solid walls; indeed several I had summarily to pull down, and throughout the whole district every means was tried to deceive me and scamp work, which certainly it was more to their advantage than to mine to have properly constructed.
The want of money, jealousies, and other matters have delayed the construction of the proposed strand road, so very essential a feature in the new plan of the district, as affording access to the sea in case of fire, and giving the police a more effective control over the nests of boats and pirates formerly congregating in the mat sheds and hovels at the
182
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
Enclosure 1:
REPORT by the Surveyor-General on the Progress of the Department, 1852,
Surveyor-General's Office, Victoria, February 14, 1853.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to submit any annual report upon the progress of my depart- ment for the year 1852, for the information of his Excellency the Governor,iskuus. -
During the last year no changes have been made in the department, and with the exception of the temporary assistance of three sappers; the general duties of its members have been of a similar nature with that of the previous year...
The Government having decided upon the erection of Government House from the designs prepared by me for that work, and adequate assistance not existing in the department for its effective supervision, the services of three sappers (A carpenter, bricklayer, and 'stonemason,) were placed at my disposal. Thave found them of great assistance, and they have in general been steady and well-behaved, but I experienced considerable inconvenience from the repeated changes of them which took place in the earlier part of the work; this was I understand unavoidable, the inen being required for military duty, and in one or two instances were changed: for. improper conductşil have!bnuchrísatisfaction, however, in. stating that for some months. past the Commanding, Royal Engineer has left them stationary, and placed a corporal in charge, which is a great advantage.momt met
The work has apparently proceeded rather slowly, but this is naturally the case where a large quantity of inaterial has to be cut and prepared before it can be built în; in addition to this, the arching of the whole of the basement occupied a considerable period and required great care and attention.
In ny report upon public works I have detailed the plans I have adopted for the preservation of the timber and the due ventilation of the building, it is therefore unneces- sary for me to recapitulate it; suffice it to say, that any best energies shall be exerted to render the whole building as perfect a specimen of work, as the means, at my disposal will enable me to effect, and trust that in ten months from the present date the 'building and offices connected with it will be finished, and so that it may be fit for occupation in the beginning of April 1854.
"
+
At the gaol buildings I have been unable to obtain the assistance of any sappers, which is to be regretted, as some portions of the work require constant attention, which I am naturally unable to give with the other services demanding my attention. I, however, manage to visit the buildings regularly, and if possible twice a day, and have much pleasure in stating that the work is progressing properly and the contractors: giving satisfaction.
The Chinese overseer and the three department coolies have been employed during the year in the usual manner in attendance upon me as chain men for surveying or other purposes, in the ordinary small repairs which are, demanded to the ronds, streets, &c., and as I have no foreman or clerk of works, I make them overseers on contract works in the formation of roads; in these services I find them very useful, and they have given perfect satisfaction during the year,
'
Most of the civil buildings under my charge have been repaired as satisfactorily as circumstances would admit, and others requiring it have been postponed awaiting instruc- tions as to the necessity for the upholding of them or not; these are the police stations near the Albany Godowns and at East Point or Leighton's Godowns, both of which are in a very dilapidated state indeed.
Several defects appear in the Court House, particularly in the outer cornice, the crowning or projecting member of which has unfortunately been formed with wood plastered in cement, and the whole being covered up, the leakages therein, and want of ventilation have caused much of the woodwork to decay; the cement has fallen down in two or three places, and I fear it will be necessary to reconstruct all that portion of the defective part; I have, however, delayed making a full report of the particular circum- stances and the necessary expense of the repairs until I have made some further exami- nations upon the effects produced on these parts by the rain a sufliciency of which not having fallen to show what I require.
In the Lower Bazaar much of my time in the early part of the year was occupied in superintending the erection of the new houses after the fire, and. much as I desired to instil into the Chinese the great advantage to be derived from a niore, careful inanner of erecting their houses, the prevention of the contact of timbers, and the benefit that would accrue to them in future years by the substitution of stone in place of wood so plentifully used, the erection of archies and other means of supporting floors' or walls, that although they appear to have been fully alive to these circumstances they would not carry them into effect, as they were in such a hurry to finish the dwellings that it was with the utmost difliculty I could compel them to build as directed, particularly with solid walls; indeed several I had summarily to pull down, and throughout the whole district every means was tried to deceive me and scamp work, which certainly it was more to their advantage than to mine to have properly constructed.
The want of money, jealousies, and other matters have delayed the construction of the proposed strand road, so very essential a feature in the new plan of the district, as afford- ing access to the sea in case of fire, and giving the police a more effective control over the nests of boats and pirates formerly congregating in the mat sheds and hovels at the
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.