Directory_and_Chronicle_1923 — Page 754

SHANGHAI

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Government in April, 1912. The scheme was put into operation on May 15th, 1912, and Mr. von Heidenstam's project is now well advanced. A new parallel jetty on the eastern side of the former Outer Bar, training-works in the Upper River, and the dredging of some 7,000,000 cubic yards, mostly at convexes and in the Astræa Channel, have already been executed. The former Outer and Inner Bars, where only 16 and 14 feet of water were available in 1907, have thus been eliminated, and the shallowest reach in the whole river is now over 24 feet deep over a width of 600 feet in the narrowest places. In 1915 and 1916 the narrow reach at the Chinese City at Nantao was widened by dredging, and a new bund, which is later to Towards the end be lined with pontoons and godowns, created for the Chinese City. of 1916 the Board acquired the first installation of its own dredging plant, consisting of one powerful bucket dredger, one pumping plant for pumping dredged material from the barges into reclaimings ashore, and several sets of tugs and barges to form the necessary transport fleet. A second, smaller, unit is also completed, and two large grab-dredgers have been added. Many riparian reclamations have been, and are being, executed by the Board for frontagers. Detailed hydrographic observa- tions of the river are made continuously and an investigation of the Yangtsze estuary has been carried out. The income of the Board through the new tax amounted to some 780,000 taels during 1920, and the work is now proceeding satisfactorily. end of 1921, Mr. von Heidenstam's project, started in 1912, was practically completed, at a cost of about five million Taels, as against the estimate of six millions.

At the

Mr. von Heidenstam and two eminent consulting hydraulic engineers, at home, in a report entitled "The Future Development of the Shanghai Harbour," dated April, 1918, and addressed to the Board, strongly urged an investigation of the possibilities of developing Shanghai as a first-class port for deep draught steamers. The Consultative Board and the various Chambers of Commerce gave their whole-hearted support to the proposal of these engineers, and a full and complete investigation of the technical factors of further developing Shanghai as a first class port was carried out by the Board during 1919-1921. The programme included the investigation of all possible solutions and the submission of the results to an International Committee of Harbour Experts. Several reports on physical and engineering data were issued by the Conservancy Board, including a statistical survey ("The Port of Shanghai") and many valuable reports on the hydrology of the Yangtsze estuary and Hangchow Bay, as well as a series of maps of the approaches to the Port. Several schemes for the development of the harbour were also drawn up and presented to the conference of the Harbour Experts.

The Committee, which met at Shanghai in October, 1921, arrived at a definite con- clusion an i submitted a report to the Whangpoo Conservancy Board containing their final recommendation for the future development of the Shanghai Harbour both with regard to navigational accommodation and terminal facilities. They advised that the approaches to Shanghai through the South Channel of the Yangtsze should be deepened by dredging so as to accommodate within a few years ships with a draft of 33 feet. Furthermore, they recommended that public quays and moorings should be provided with a commercial dock on the left bank of the Whangpoo as near Shanghai as practicable, and mail steamer accommodation near the mouth of the river, also on the left bank. The Committee recommended the expansion of the present Board into a Harbour Board with more extended powers in order to carry out the proposed works and to administrate the port as a whole. The recommendations of the Committee

have now been forwarded to the authorities concerned.

Under the control of the Coast-Lighting department of the Maritime Customs, and out of the tonnage dues provided in the original treaties with China, tho approaches from the sea to Shanghai are now well lighted and buoyed, and the dangers of the continually shifting banks and shoals well guarded against. Lighthouses have been erected, served by powerful lights, at West Volcano, Shaweishan, North Saddle, Bonham and Steep Islands, Pehyu-shan, Gutzlaff and Woosung, and there are two lightships in the entrance of the River Yangtsze. In this respect the interests of the shipping frequenting the port have been well considered, and the entire installation takes a high rank amongst similar undertakings elsewhere. The same department has also inaugurated a system of buoys and lighting on the Yangtsze as far as Hankow, The northern six hundred miles above Woosung, suited to present requirements. anouth of the "South Branch" of the Yangtsze, which serves as the main passage for coasting steamers from Shanghai to the northern ports, has also been carefully surveyed and buoyed and lighted by the same authority.