CO129-448 - Governor Sir May - 1918 [4-6] — Page 133

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110.

C.O

131

33983

REC

The 11 JUL 18

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG. 24th April, 1918.

Despatches.

Sir.

Sa-

177.

Secretary of State - No.166 of

19th May, 1917.

on Secretary of State - No.166 of 26th July, 1917. Gar

340314

With reference to the despatches noted

in the margin, I have the honour to

inform you that the Peak Tramways Co.,

Ltd., have applied for certain privil-

eges in connection with a proposal to effect some improvements in their line, principally for the purpose of increasing the safety of their passengers by eliminating certain apparatus known as the "depressors". The "depressors" are necessitated by a sudden change which occurs in the gradient of the line some distance below the

upper terminus, Without the "depressors", the steel-wire rope, by means of which the cars are hauled up or let down,

sways up and down to an abnormal extent, rendering it

impossible for passengers to enter or leave the cars at

one of the intermediate stations known as Plantation Road

Station. The "depressors" themselves consist of small

trollies, which are retained in position by suitable arrange-

ments at the point where the sudden change in gradient

occurs but which are pushed in front of the cars when, in

ascending, they pass the point in question. On several

Occasions recently, there have been narrow escapes from

serious accidents owing to the depressor trolley getting

underneath the ascending car and partially derailing it,

2.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

WALTER LONG, M, P.,

&C...

&C.