Directory_and_Chronicle_1900 — Page 628

SHANGHAI

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nearest to Rome in mean temperature, while the winter temperature of London and Shanghai are almost identical. In October and November there is generally dry, clear, and delightful weather, equal to that found in any part of the world; but when the winter has fairly set in the north-east winds are extremely cold and biting. On January 17th, 1878, the river was frozen over at Woosung. The heat during July and August is sometimes excessive, but generally lasts only a few days at a time. In late years very severe gales have become more frequent. The mean of the barometer in 1898 was 30.01 inches. The annual average of rainy days in Shanghai during eight years was 124, the annual rainfall 32.464 inches; 55 wet days occurred in winter, and 69 in summer; the heaviest shower was on the 24th October, 1875, when 7 inches fell in 3 hours. Earthquakes occasionally occur, but have not been known to inflict any serious injury.

DESCRIPTION

The streets of the English and French Settlements all run north and south and east and west, mostly for the whole length of both settlements, crossing each other at right angles. They were when first laid out twenty-two feet wide, but have since at very great expense been mostly made much wider. Notwithstanding the soft nature of the soil they are now kept in remarkably good order, at least the main thoroughfares. The Municipal Council now leases a stone quarry at Pingchino, in Chekiang, about 150 miles south-west of Shanghai, from which they obtain about 1,700 tons per year of the best stone for road making. Owing to the nature of the ground, expensive piling or concrete foundations are necessary before any foreign building can be erected, and all stone has to be brought from a long distance. The Soochow Creek, between the English Settlement and Hongkew, is now crossed by seven bridges, four of which are adapted for carriage traffic, and the French concession is connected with the other Settlement by eight bridges crossing the Yang-king-pang. It is proposed to culvert and fill in this Creek and to make a broad throughfare along its line. A report on the scheme is being drawn up. There are several good driving roads extending into the country, two leading to Sicawei, a distance of about six miles, and one to Jessfield by the banks of the Soochow Creek, for five miles. Another broad thoroughfare, Yangtsepoo Road, runs by the side of the river for five miles, which is intended ultimately to extend to Woosung. The termini of Jessfield Road and Yangtzepoo Road now mark the limits in their separate directions of the Foreign settlement. Several other roads have been proposed, but, although foreigners are prepared to pay high prices for the land, the opposition of the officials has hitherto prevented their construc- tion. Now, however, by the granting of the extension of the Settlements the Muni- cipal Council has the right to build and police roads in certain adjacent districts. At the time the Taipings approached Shanghai some roads for the passage of artillery were made by the British military authorities at the expense of the Chinese Govern- ment, one of them extending for seventeen miles into the country; but, excepting those close to the settlement, they have now been turned into ploughed fields. The foreshore in front of the settlement has been reclaimed, raised, turfed, and planted with shrubs and forms a delightful and spacious promenade. The trees planted some years ago having now attained a good height, and several more imposing buildings having been completed, the English and French Bunds form as magnificent a boulevard as any in the East.

Many foreign houses, nearly all of them with several mom of garden ground, have been, and more are still being, erected near the outside roads, especially on the Bubbling Well, Sicawei, and Sinza roads, which are the main outlets from the settlement, and from which most of the other roads branch off. These roads are planted with trees on both sides, forming fine avenues of about five miles in length. A small but well laid-out and admirably kept Public Garden was formed about 1868 on land recovered from the river in front of the British Consulate. It has been considerably extended in area by reclaiming the foreshore. A general Public Garden, intended for Chinese, eight mo in extent, by the bank of the Soochow Creek, was opened in December, 1890. There is a public conservatory well stocked with flowers and ferns. A Park measuring 364 by 216 feet is laid out in Hongkew. The Public Recreation Ground has also been thoroughly drained, turfed and laid-out, in spaces not devoted to sport, with flower-beds. These are all under the care of a public gardener, secured from Kew Gardens, in 1899.

Immense sums have been wasted in various attempts to drain the settlements, principally from the want of skilled direction; but the great difficulties in this matter, arising from the low lying and level nature of the ground, have now been fairly