Report on the damage to Goverment House
caused by tummelling.
Government House was erected in the year 1852 on a sloping
site situated above and overlooking the Harbour of Hong Kong.
Low
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The sub-soil is of loose granulated consistency laving a very
co-efficient of friction and containing isolated grani te
boulders dispersed at wide intervals.
The building is two stories in height with a semi basement
under the front half and is constructed of soft Canton blue brick
The foundations walls jointed in shell lime mortar of poor quality.
consist of large blocks of rough dressed granite, the floors are of
hardwood joists and the roof is supported on king post trusses laid
with Chinese roll tiles and coated with successive layers of tar.
During November 1940 tumels were excavated into the hill side below the house for the purpose of forming air raid shelters and at the same time a gallery twelve feet wide was excavated at a depth of thirty six feet below the foundations under the length of the main
front wall of the building.
On 7th November slight structural cracks appeared in the brick archies of the basement and by the 19th November these had extended and additional diagonal fractures had appeared in the main
front wall and the adjoining cross walls.
This damage was reported as being attributal to tummelling operations and arrangements were made for a daily inspection of the building. Plumb lines and bench marks were established to enable
measurements to be made of further movement.
Subsequent observations revealed that the main front wall of the building was moving in a forward and downward direction and until
the fractures 22nd January 1941 when tummelling operations ceased continued to expand and the secondary stresses set up by the movement resulted in considerable additionl dage to the weak fabric of the
building.
On this date it was considered that the verandah and front
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Private notes are available after approval.