Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 896

868

SHANGHAI

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 33 hours. The mean degree of humidity is from 77 in the winter to 80 in the summer months.

DESCRIPTION

The streets of the British and French Settlements all run north and south and east and west, mostly for the whole length of both, 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 kept in remarkably good order, at least the main thoroughfares. In consequence of the introduction of trams the whole track of the Maloo, one mile in length, has been laid with Jarrah hardwood blocks, and the section of Nanking Road, between Kiangse Road and the Bund has been so paved in its entire width. The Municipal Council now leases FL stone quarry at Pingchiao, in Chekiang, about 150 miles south-west of Shanghai, from which they obtained 60,286 tons of good stone, and 1,805 tons of rotten stone and decomposed sand and stone for road-making in 1909. Owing to the nature of the ground, expensive piling or concrete foundations are necessary before any building over one story in height can be erected, and all stone has to be brought from a long distance. The Soochow Creek, between the British Settlement and Hongkew, is now crossed by seven bridges, six 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. A new steel bridge over the mouth of the Soochow Creek was completed in 1908, replacing the wooden “Garden Bridge" erected in 1873. It has two equal spans of 171' 2", the width is 60 feet with a carriage way of 36 feet 9 inches; the gradient of the approaches is 1 in 37; the headway above high-water from 6' 6" to 11". It has been proposed to culvert and fill in the Creek between the General and French Settlements 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, with an extensi on measuring some thirteen miles to the extreme limits of the Shanghai hegin district. A scheme for the construction of a road from Sicawei to the hills, eighteen miles, has been sanctioned, and marked out, but owing to official obstruction it has not yet been commenced Another broad thoroughfare, Yangtzepoo Road, runs by the side of the river for five miles, which it 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. The land for a new road from Sicawci to Jessfield was acquired in 1995. 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 myle by the British military authorities at the expense of the Chinese Govern- ment, one of them exten'ling 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 anl spacious promena le. The trees planted some years ago having now attained a good height, and several more imposing buildings having been completed, the English and French Bands form as magnificent a boulevard as any in the East.

Many foreign houses, some 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 Roals, which are the main outlets from the settlement, and from which most