Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 1377

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SINGAPORE

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nce (Chapter 149) now controls all the wharves and commercial drydocks Singapore, their premises being about a mile to the westward of the

There are 14,834 lineal feet of wharves, including the Empire Dock (24 acres). his, 7,677 feet have a depth of 33 feet and over, L.W.O.S.T., while 4,026 feet have pth of 30 feet. There is storage capacity for about 334,000 tons of cargo and 180,000 tons of coal, the stocks of the latter being chiefly Natal, Welsh, Indian Japanese although a variety of coal supplies from local sources such as Borneo, atra, Labuan and Sarawak are generally available. A mechanical coal handling t is in use on a part of the reconstructed and extended West Wharf. The plant ists of a land discharging plant capable of handling 200 tons of coal per hour, or tons per day of 9 hours, allowing for normal stoppages. Land and floating kering plants are also available, each unit being able to bunker at the rate of 100 per hour. With the use of the floating bunkering unit vessels can be bunkered ny berth, simultaneously whilst working cargo on the wharf. The Board owns m tugs with complete fire and salvage equipment, sheer legs with lifting capacity 0 tons, cranes, 14 miles of railway connected with the Federated Malay States ways system, launches, lighters and other appliances for the expeditious hand- of cargo. Connections to the Board's pipe lines enable ships to be bunkered 1 fuel oil and Diesel oil at the rate of 500 tons per hour from private installations he Board's premises. There is an up-to-date plant for the bulk handling of palm which is stored in eight 500-ton tanks, and an installations for storing 193,000 ons of latex and for handling this comodity in bulk. The Board operates five docks one of which (The King's Dock) is divided by an intermediate caisson into docks of 486 and 325 feet each, its equipment including a 30-ton electric travelling The machine shops are capable of effecting ship and machinery repairs to sels of the largest class, and castings and forgings of the largest size can be made the Board's premises. The power of electric motors driving the machinery used the Board exceeds 500 K.W. The Crown Agents for the Colonies, London, act as Board's agents in England.

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The characteristic features of the climate of Singapore are uniform perature, high humidity and copious rainfall. The variation of tem- rature throughout the year is very small and the excessively high tempera- res found in continental tropical areas are never experienced.

The average annual rainfall is 95 inches. December is the wettest month th a little over 10 inches while February, May, June, July and September e the drier months with between 6 and 7 inches. Rainfalls on the average

half the days in the year.

Ordinarily, temperatures range from 75°F in the early morning to 86°→→ °F during the heat of the day. Temperatures below 70°F are rare and bove 90o comparatively infrequent.

Severe storms are experienced in Singapore known as "Sumatras"; these e violent squalls which occur usually during the night or in the early orning approaching from W or SW; they are usually accompanied by hunder and lightning and torrential rain. Local thunderstorms occur requently at midday or during the afternoon and though accompanied by

ery heavy rain do not usually last for more than an hour.

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The SW monsoon does not affect Singapore. Land and sea breezes rominent although from November to March, the winds are predominantly Northerly or Northeasterly and from June to August predominantly South

r Southeasterly.

Although the days are hot and on account of the high humidity somewhat pppressive, the nights are almost always reasonably cool, and it rarely hap- pens that refreshing sleep is not obtained. The effect of the heat and humidity, without seasonal change, is however cumulative, and after a

after a few years a change to a bracing climate becomes imperative for Europeans if health is to be maintained.

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