Directory_and_Chronicle_1906 — Page 812

SHANGHAI

683

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 fre- quent. The mean of the barometer is from 29.76 in the third to 30.26 inches in the first quarter. The annual average of rainy days in Shanghai during eight years was 124; 55 wet days occurred in winter, and 69 in summer; the annual rainfall averages 43.46 inches, 13.77 in winter and 29.68 in summer; the heaviest shower was on the 24th Octo- ber, 1875, when 7 inches fell in 3 hours. The mean degree of humidity is from 77 in the winter to 80 in the summer months. 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. Under the new Regulations. power to compel the sale of land required for public purposes has been secured. Not- withstanding the soft nature of the soil the roads are now kept in remarkably good order, at least the inain thoroughfares. The Municipal Council now leases a stone quarry at Pingchino, in Chekiang, about 150 miles south-west of Shanghai, from which they obtained about 42,135 tons of good stone and 5,170 tons decomposed sand and stone for road making in 1904. 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 Yangking-pang. Six new bridges were erected in 1901 to connect the extended Settlements. It is proposed to culvert and fill in the Creek between the General and French and to make a broad throughfare along its line, but the scheme is in abeyance. 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. A scheme for the construction of a road from Sicawei to the hills, eighteen miles, has been sanctioned and there is every prospect of its soon being made. Another broad thoroughfare, Yangtsepoo Road, runs by the side of the river for five miles, which it is intended ulti- mately 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 mow 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, and a farther extension by diverting the Soochow Creek is now contemplated.. A general Public Garden, intended for Chinese, eight mow in extent, by the bank of the Soochow Creek, was opened in December, 1890. There is a public conservatory