CO129-193 - Governor Hennessy - 1881 [5-7] — Page 377

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

Unfortunately,

Chat Belmont is a very badly built house. It stands not upon firm solid natural ground, but upon an artificially heaped bank of large boulders covered with a superficial layer of made earth. The structure has to make matters worse, without proper foundations such as are required by our statutes, and it is riddled in every direction with cracks and "settlements" which as they appeared have been plastered over and concreted by wash cement from time to time.

The made earth upon which the house stands became easily melted and washed down into the great hollows and cavities existing between the boulders below, and before the great storm was over, cracks had begun to appear from the sinking of the foundations which were only 4 or 5 inches deep instead of being 4 or 5 feet or more, as they should have been to impart any stability to the walls.

Instead of at once examining his premises and endeavouring to ascertain the source of the mischief,

Page 373

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2026-05-22 10:59:29 · NVIDIA / meta/llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct
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Unfortunately, Chat Belmont is a very badly built house. It stands not upon firm solid natural ground, but upon an artificially heaped bank of large boulders covered with a superficial layer of made earth. The structure has to make matters worse, without proper foundations such as are required by our statutes, and it is riddled in every direction with cracks and "settlements" which as they appeared have been plastered over and concreted by wash cement from time to time. The made earth upon which the house stands became easily melted and washed down into the great hollows and cavities existing between the boulders below, and before the great storm was over, cracks had begun to appear from the sinking of the foundations which were only 4 or 5 inches deep instead of being 4 or 5 feet or more, as they should have been to impart any stability to the walls. Instead of at once examining his premises and endeavouring to ascertain the source of the mischief, Page 373
Baseline (Original)
༢་ unforkmately Chat Belmont is a very badly built house. It slands not upon form solid natural prosund- but upow au artificially heade baskik of Faze round boulden Covered bith a Experficial layers of Made Earth. The Shuchure has to make mullers worse, to proper foundations such as are required by our Elatutes, and it is riddled in in Tolay direction with cracks and "Settlements" which as they appeared have been plastered over and concrated by wash Clow 373 - wach from time to hire. The made Earth upson which the honse Elands became Easily melted and wacked_ down into the gerah hollows between and cavities Existing the boulders below, and before the Great Elori was cree Cracks had begun to appian. from the dunking of the foundations which were only 4 or 5 inches deep inflacio In hew of being 4 ons feel or hurd, as they should have brow to impart anything the Stability to the walls. In hew of at once Exam- -ming his prennero and Endeavouring to ascertain the Source of the musching, F
2026-05-22 10:59:29 · Baseline
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༢་

unforkmately

Chat Belmont is a very badly built house. It slands not

upon form solid natural

prosund- but

upow

au

artificially heade baskik of

Faze

round boulden Covered

bith a Experficial layers of

Made Earth. The Shuchure

has to make mullers worse,

to proper foundations such

as are

required by our Elatutes,

and it is riddled in

in Tolay

direction with cracks and

"Settlements" which as

they

appeared have been plastered

over and concrated by

wash

Clow

373

- wach from time to hire.

The made Earth upson which the honse Elands became

Easily melted and wacked_ down into the gerah hollows

between

and cavities Existing the boulders below, and before

the Great Elori was cree Cracks had begun to appian. from the dunking of the foundations which were only

4 or 5 inches deep inflacio In hew of being 4 ons feel or

hurd, as

they should have

brow to impart anything the

Stability to the walls.

In hew of at once Exam- -ming his prennero and Endeavouring to ascertain the Source of the musching,

F

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