CO129-430 - Others & Individuals - 1915 — Page 149

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Question.

PORTS AND HARBOURS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE:

Aden,

Bombay.

12. What extra charges for See answer to question 11 (1) (a). An extra charge of from two to

the maintenance-

(a) of the entrance and

approach channel,

(b) in the case of en- closed docks, of the entrance lock, if any, to such important dock or docks, (c) of

the principal berths

would be involved as a result of these improve- ments?

(Note-Where detailed es- timates have not already been prepared only approximate Bg- ares are desired.)

13. State any additional par-

ticulars necessary to show the existing and contem- plated capacity of the port

(a) in general,

(b) for the accommoda- tion of vessels of large size and deep draught. (Note-In answer to this

question brief details should be given of im- portant schemes of im- provement now in pro- grews or in contempla tion, and of their estimated cost, in so iar as they have not been given in reply to Question 11.)

three lakhs of rupees (13,3331. to 20,000Z) would be involved annually for the maintenance of the increased depth by dredging.

Calcutta.

No extra expenditure would be incurred in dredging as the existing port dredging plant (this plant is separate and distinct from the river ap- proaches dredging plant) is capable of cutting the greater depthe.

(a) and (b) There are 13 mooring It is under contemplation to A new berth in the Kidderpore

buoys in the mooring basin.

giving 26 berths. Of these two berths are dredged to

33 ft. to 34 ft. (I.S.L.W.), the rest 30 ft. to 31 ft. There are no docks in Aden; all vessels discharge in the stream and goods are conveyed to the varions whurves by lighters.

extend the eastern harbour wall of the Alexandra Dock up to the entrance of the Victoria Dock, thus pro- viding an additional length of about 3,000 ft. of wall with a depth of 28 ft. (L.W.O.S.T.). A communica+ tion passage between Alex- andra and Victoria Docks having a depth of water the same as the former dock and providing four additional

500 ft. berths is to be còn. structed.

¦

docks for general produce with a frontage of 500 ft. has just been completed (August 1915), and brought into use. New docks will shortly be commenced and in the com-

I

pleted scheme there will be !! four riverside jetties and 40 berthe inside the docks. The jetties, which will be com- İ pleted on the 31st October 1916, wil Accommodate vessel: 600 ft. in length and of 40 ft. dranght.

The construction of the en-

trance to the new docks will be commenced shortly and the berths inside will be made as required. There will be one entrance divided into two lengths of 560 and 660 ft.; the width will be 90 ft.; the depth on sill 32 ft. 6 in. below lowest low water. The Kiraţ entrance will be con. structed so as to permit of I second adjacent entrance being made, if required. having a depth on all of 35 ft. 6 ins. below lowest low water. The docks will pro- vide for vessels up to a draught of 40 ft.

Colombo.

INDIA AND THE EASTERN COLONIES.

Hong Kong.

The maintenance charges would not be The Government propose dredging and

increased to any extent.

See previus replica. It may be meu- tioned that the total atea of the harbour inside the breakwater is 607

words.

deepening the approach to the Kowloon Wharves, the cost of which will amount to about $10,000 = 3,704. This is the only charge for such work ' imposed on the Government as yet. A depth of 30 ft. at extreme low water will he provided. No other dredging or deepening is at present contem plated.

Singapore.

144 87-

At Singapore the substitution of perman- nent masonry quays for the hitherto existing timber wharves should result in a material reduction of the present maintenance charges.

No dredging is required alongside these

quays.

Up to the present time (1915), the See answer to questions 5 and 11.

whole of the accommodation pro-

vided for shipping in the way of piers, wharves, and warehouses has been the outcome of private enter- prise. The moorings in the harbour have also been laid down by the various steamship companies. The excellent supply of lighters and cargo hoats available enable shipment and discharge of cargo to be more rapidly performed in the stream than at wharves, and as the bulk of cargo is transhipment cargo, no loss of time is i experienced by reason of the discharge from lighters and godowns, io the majority of cases.

The only barbour works hitherto under- taken by the Government comprise two harbours of refuge for the protec- tion of small craft during typhoons, which have been formed by enclosing the waters of two natural bays with breakwaters. The first Was con- structed in 1883 on the Hong Kong side of the barbour at a cost of $96,400. The breakwater forming it eneloses an area of about 57 acres, most of which is dry at extreme low water, the maximum depth available being 10 feet., The second has just been completed (August 1915) on the Kowloon side of the harbour at a coat of about $2,170,000. The breakwater in this case encloses an area of 169 acres, with a depth varying from 12 to 18 ft. at extreme low water. Until October 1911, when a railway con- necting Canton with Kowloon Point was opened to traffic, no railway facili. ties of any kind existed at Hong Kong. The area of the colony is much to small to justify the construction of i

railway for Colonial purposes only and, until the Chinese Government could be persuaded to join in a scheme for constructing a railway from Kowloon to Canton, no facilities for conveying goods by rail could be provided. Owing to difficulties with the Chinese Customs and other authorities, the quantity of goods transported by rail is even now purely nominal, the trade between Hong Kong and China being still almost entirely water-borne. Moreover, the railway at prevent extends only to Canton.

When a system of railways is constructed in China, and transport by rail becomes more general, aa must be the case in course of time, a new set' of conditions will arise which will necessitate the establishment in Hong Kong of Government wharves and warehouses operated in conjunction with the Tailway, which is Government property. Facilities exist for the construction of piers and wharves, but no definite scheme has as yet been devised. It will, however, be possible to provide a number of berths with a depth of 30 to 40 ft, at low water.

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