357
Military Authorities as if has been of late by the Naval uses, and the interest of these two Departments in the abatement of the evil has become identical; it is evident therefore that this is peculiarly a case in which combined action with the Colonial Government would result to the advantage of the three.
17. The project for a proposed new Praya Reclamation abreast of the Admiralty and Ordnance Reservations, designed in 1874 under the auspices of His Excellency the Governor, provides an efficient remedy no less for the silting of the Military Nullah than for that of the Naval foreshore, and as in this project it was, and is still proposed to deal with the Nullah mouth in the manner now alluded to in the last lines of paragraph 6 of the Commanding Royal Engineer's Memorandum, it is inferred that no professional difference of opinion will arise on this point, and that therefore the concurrence and material cooperation of the Military Authorities will be facilitated. The concurrence of the Naval Authorities is already assured and Vice-Admiral Ryder in his Despatch to the Governor, of the 10th of January last, goes so far as to express his fears that great inconvenience will accrue to the Naval Service "if the scheme for completing the Praya is not carried out promptly.”
18. As I am satisfied that no scheme can be elaborated for dealing in a satisfactory manner with this matter, other than the one referred to, I have the honour to recommend that, in reply to the Memorandum of the Commanding Royal Engineer, the Colonial Government Reclamation Project be laid before that officer for his inspection and consideration, and that the cooperation of the Military Authorities therein be formally invited.
19. The Colonial and Naval Departments being in accord not only as to the general design of the new Project, but also as to all the minor details of construction affecting Naval interests, there appears to be no need for a professional Board to assemble for the purpose of elaborating any fresh scheme until the one in question has first been considered, and the recommendation in preceding paragraph will therefore, I think, fully cover the request of the Commanding Royal Engineer.
20. It would be premature here to enter at any length into the details of the proposed work, and it will suffice to explain that the general plan, herewith submitted, provides for one long sweep of sea wall unbroken by any rectangular projections liable to impede tidal action or promote the deposit of silt. The masonry of the sea-wall will be ashlar in cement backed by concrete, and the material for the construction of the embankment behind it, will be taken as much as possible from the sea bottom in front, so as to increase the depth of approach to the new Praya. The reclamations abreast of the different Government premises fall naturally to the possession of the Departments which are owners of the same. Those accruing to the War Department will contain an aggregate area of no less than four acres, as shown (coloured yellow) in the Plan. The level and spacious quadrangle thus formed opposite North Barracks, alone greatly exceeding the dimensions of the present Military Parade Ground in Hongkong, especially as regards length, thereby enabling a full regiment to parade on it without any inconvenience. In reference to the Plan, I should add that, although it shows the Saluting Battery transferred to the front of the proposed new roadway it is hoped that the necessity for this protuberance may be avoided by the selection of some other suitable site. This point however is one which can only be decided by the Military Authorities. The general plan once acquiesced in, minor points, such as sites for boundary walls or right of way to the sea across the new road could no doubt be satisfactorily arranged.
21. It remains but to consider to what extent each of the three Departments is interested in so desirable an improvement, and what share of the burden may be fairly assigned to them respectively in its realization. The Commanding Royal Engineer is of opinion that the War Department is the chief sufferer from the existing insanitary state of affairs. In this I fully concur and it seems to me that from a health point of view and in the interests of the Troops it would be impossible to lay too great a stress on the importance of doing away with the noxious mud flat or foreshore visible at low tides behind the North Barracks, and of removing the stagnant ponds and offensive accumulations at the nullah mouth which form the subject of the Commanding Royal Engineer's complaint. Further to the East in the vicinity of the Military Hospital and the Arsenal Yard, the Military are equally interested in the reclamation of the same offensive black-mud foreshores the disappearance of which would undoubtedly improve the salubrity of the neighbourhood so thickly inhabited as it is by the Garrison. As regards the Admiralty, their interest is limited to the preservation of the Naval Yard which must eventually end by losing its raison d'être unless stops are taken to avert the fate which awaits it. The Colonial Government is interested in the Project to the extent of attaining a new thoroughfare which will ease the unceasing native and foreign traffic that teems through Queen's Road Central between the Military Parade Ground and the Plaza or Cricket Ground for it is to be noted that although Victoria is a city of nearly one hundred thousand inhabitants, it is strangled at its waist, there being at this particular point but one single public channel of communication between its East and West halves owing to the unfortunate interposition of the Military Lands in its very centre, debarring the formation of new streets. It is indeed impossible to imagine that there can exist a similar instance in the world of so large and populous a city in so deplorable a plight from causes so apparently remediable.
22. The share of interest to the three Departments in the proposed reclamation once decided, the logical inference is that their contributions towards its cost would be in the same ratio.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed,) J. M. PRICE,
Surveyor General,
357
Military Authorities as if has been of late by the Naval uses, and the interest of these two Departments in the abatement of the evil lms become identical; it is evident therefore that this is peculiarly a case in which combined action with the Colonial Government would result to the advantage of the three.
17. The project for a proposed new Praya Reclamation abreast of the Admiralty and Ordnance Reservations, designed in 1874 under the auspices of His Excellency the Governor, provides an efficient remedy no less for the silting of the Military Nullal than for that of the Naval foreshore, and as in this project it was, and is still proposed to deal with the Nullah mouth in the manner now alluded to in the last lines of paragraph 6 of the Commanding Royal Engineer's Memorandum, it is inferred that no professional difference of opinion will arise on this point, and that therefore the concurrence and material cooperation of the Military Authorities will be facilitated. The concurrence of the Naval Authorities is already assured and Vice-Admiral Ryder in his Despatch to the Governor, of the 10th of January last, goes so far as to express his fears that great inconvenience will accrue to the Naval Service "if the scheme for completing the Praya is not carried out promptly.”
18. As I am satisfied that no scheme can be elaborated for dealing in a satisfactory mauner with this matter, other than the one referred to, I have the honour to recommend that, in reply to the Memorandum of the Cominanding Royal Engineer, the Colonial Government Reclamation Project be laid before that officer for his inspection and consideration, and that the cooperation of the Military Authorities therein be formally invited.
19. The Colonial and Naval Departments being in accord not only as to the general design of the new Project, but also as to all the minor details of construction affecting Naval interests, there appears to be no need for a professional Board to assemble for the purpose of elaborating any fresh scheme until the one in question las first been considered, and the recommendation in preceding paragraph will therefore, I think, fully cover the request of the Commanding Royal Engineer.
20. It would be premature here to enter at any length into the details of the proposed work, and it will suffice to explain that the general plan, herewith submitted, provides for one long sweep of sea wall unbroken by any rectangular projections liable to impede tidal action or promote the deposit of silt. The masonry of the sea-wall will be ashlar in cement backed by concrete, and the material for the construction of the embankment behind it, will be taken as much as possible from the sea bottom in front, so as to increase the depth of approach to the new Praya. The reclamations abreast of the different Government premises fall naturally to the possession of the Departments which are owners of the same. Those accruing to the War Department will contain an aggregate area of no less than four acres, as shewn (coloured yellow) in the Plan. The level and spacious quadrangle thus formed opposite North Barracks, alone greatly exceeding the dimensions of the present Military Parade Ground in Hongkong, especially us regards length, thereby enabling a full regiment to parade on it without. any incou- venience. In reference to the Plan, I should add that, although it shows the Saluting Battery transferred to the front of the proposed new roadway it is hoped that the necessity for this protuberance may be avoided by the selection of some other suitable site. This point however is one which can only be decided by the Military Authorities. The general plan once acquiesced in, minor points, such as sites for boundary walls or right of way to the sea across the new road could no doubt be satisfactorily arranged.
21. It remains but to consider to what extent each of the three Departments is interested in so desirable an improvement, and what share of the burden may be fairly assigned to them respectively in its realization. The Commanding Royal Engineer is of opinion that the War Department is the chief suffurer from the
existing insanitary state of affairs. In this I fully concur and it seems to me that from a health point of view and in the interests of the Troops it would be impos- sible to lay too great a stress on the importance of doing away with the noxious mud flat or foreshore visible at low tides behind the North Barracks, and of remo- ving the staguant ponds and offensive accumulations at the nullah mouth which form the subject of the Commanding Royal Engineer's complaint. Further to the East in the vicinity of the Military Hospital and the Arsenal Yard, the Military are equally interested in the reclamation of the same offensive black-mud foreshores the disappearnce of which would unquestionally improve the salubrity of the neighbourhood so thickly inhabited as it is by the Garrison. As regards the Ad- miralty, their interest is limited to the preservation of the Naval Yard which must eventually end by losing its raison d'être unless stops are taken to avert the fate which awaits it. The Colonial Government is interested in the Project to the extent of attaining a new thoroughfare which will ease the unceasing native and foreign traffic that teems through Queen's Road Central between the Military Parade Ground and the Plaza or Cricket Ground for it is to be noted that although Victoria is a city of nearly one hundred thousand inhabitants, it is strangled at its waist, there being at this particular point but one single public channel of commu- nication between its East and West halves owing to the unfortunate interposition of the Military Lands in its very centre, debarring the formation of new streets. It is indeed impossible to imagine that there can exist a similar instance in the world of so large and populous a city in so deplorable a plight from causes so apparently remediable.
22. The share of interest to the three Departments in the proposed reclama- tion once decided, the logical inference is that their contributions towards its cost would be in the same ratio.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed,) J. M. PRICE,
Surveyor General,
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