CO129-348 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [7-10] — Page 269

Enclosure 1.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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32728

Public Works Offled 08

Hongkong,

4th July, 1908

Sir.

In reply to your letter No. 4690/1908 of the 27th ultimo,

I beg to report that I have male an inspection of Railway Bridges Nos. 4 and 7.

Bridge No. 4 The masonry of this bridge has been built to the springing level of the arches which will span the foot- paths of the future public road. The south-eastern abutuent is

cracked in two places, about 5 to 9 foot from each enl, where the

wing walls join it. The foundation of this abutment consists of

a block of cement concrete 13 feet wide and 6 feet thick, on top of which are two courses of footings, each 1 foot thick. The thickness of the abutment above ground level is 7 feet.

The material upon which the foundatiin rests is soft

clayey mud mixed with sand and chargel with water. To facili-

tate my inspection, the Chief Resident Engineer had hal a suall

pit sunk in close proximity to the abutment and to about the

depth of the bridge foundations. In this pit, a crowbar, about 1"

diameter, was, without special effort, pushel by a coolie a depth

of 3 feat into the ground, the coolie simply resting his weight

on it.

A pricker (apointel iron bar) was then tried in the pit

and, except when passing through thin layers of sand, was easily

pushed down a depth of 10 feet by 3 men. The entire process occupied about 10 minutes.

As the result of my inspection, I consider that, if the

bridge be carried to completion with its foundations as at

present, serious subsidences are bound to occur and its safety