CO129-578-5 Development of Whampoa Port 13-12-1938 - 11-5-1939 — Page 52

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the size of vessel which can enter the harbour); and third, of the area, population and natural resources of the hinter- land or area which naturally does business through the port, over connecting water ways, railroads, and highways.

It was demonstrated that the depth of water has

It was

a ma terial influence on the amount of business. also demonstrated that business decreased with increase of necessary river travel.. This method was found to be so sensitive as to indicate the effect of Shanghai's distance from the sea. Whampoa's business will always be influenced by the 90 mile river haul, but has evidently dominated by the shoals in the river channels. When these are properly dredged, the Canton-Whampoa ocean and coastal business

Her should be at least 15,000,000 vessel tons per year. populous tributary hinterland should increase this figure to some extent, compared with many other ports. She should grow to at least 17,500,000 eventually.

DEPTH AND WIDTH

One of the very important problems which has

been studied is that of the depth and width of the channels which should be provided between Whampoa and the sea.

More

the First

or less extensive shoals exist at three points, Bar, and the Lintin Bar. The first two are relatively short, together aggregating seven kilometers.

But the Lintin Bar

channel will have to be over forty kilometers in length

This fact

and will be one of the longest in the world. makes it imperative to keep the cost as low as possible

because it will be large in any event.

After prolonged study of all the boats in the world as listed in Lloyd's Register and then of all those which were reported as having visited Hong Kong from May 1, 1937 to August 1, it was decided to dredge the channel to a depth of 24 feet at low tide at the ocean end of the

Lintin Bar and to increase the depth to 25 feet at the

Whampoa end.