Directory_and_Chronicle_1940 — Page 873

HONGKONG

DOCKS AND SHIPBUILDING YARDS

A487

Excellent dock accommodation and shipbuilding facilities exist in the Colony. The Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd., a British Company, in- corporated under the Hongkong Companies Ordinance 1865, on the 11th Octo- ber, 1866, has three extensive establishments. The principal establishment and Head Office is situated at Kowloon Docks, Hung Hom, one known as Cosmopo- litan Dock at Tai Kok Tsui, and two Dry Docks at Aberdeen, on the south side of Hongkong Island. The establishments of this Company are fitted with all the best and latest appliances for engineering and shipbuilding work. No. 1 Dock at Kowloon can accommodate the largest vessel in H.M. Navy on the China Station, and also the largest merchant vessel calling at Hongkong. The Docks and Slips are of the following dimensions:-

KOWLOON DOCKS, HUNG HOM—

No. 1 (Admiralty) Dock-700 feet in length, 95 feet in breadth at entrance at top and 88 feet at bottom, and 30 feet depth of water over sill at ordinary spring tides.

No. 2 Dock-Length on keel blocks, 371 feet; breadth at entrance, 74 feet; depth of water over sill at ordinary spring tides, 14 feet.

Patent Slips, No. 1-Length on keel blocks 240 feet; breadth at entrance 60 feet; depth on the blocks 14 feet.

No. 2-Length on keel blocks 230 feet; breadth at entrance 60 feet; depth of water on the blocks at ordinary spring tides, 12 feet. TAI KOK TSUI

Cosmopolitan Dock-Length on keel blocks, 466 feet; breadth at en- trance 85 feet 6 inches; depth of water over sill at ordinary spring tides, 20 feet.

ABERDEEN-

Hope Dock-Length on keel blocks, 430 feet; breadth at entrance, 84 feet; depth of water over sill at ordinary spring tides, 23 feet.

Lamont Dock-Length on keel blocks, 333 feet; breadth at entrance, 64 feet; depth of water over sill at ordinary spring tides, 16 feet.

The Sheers at Hung Hom are capable of lifting 100 tons and the depth. of water alongside is 24 ft. 6 ins. at low tide. There are nine building berths at Hung Hom ranging from 450 ft. to 900 ft. and the Dock is capable of build- ing vessels up to 700 ft. in length.

TAIKOO -In 1908 docks constructed by the Taikoo Dockyard and En- gineering Co., Ltd., at Quarry Bay, just inside Lyeemun Pass, were completed. The dock has been built to British Admiralty requirements, and has been designed to permit of further increasing its length should it become necessary at some future time to do so. The dimensions of the dock are: 787 feet ex- treme length; 750 feet on the blocks; 120 feet wide at coping; 77 feet 6 inches wide at bottom; 88 feet width of entrance at top; 82 feet width of entrance at bottom; 34 feet 6 inches depth over centre of sill at high spring tides; 31 feet depth over sides of sill at H.W.O.S.T. A feature of the dock is the caisson, of the box-sliding type, weighing 400 tons and electrically controlled.

There are three slipways:

No. 1 Slipway is 1,030 feet long and 80 feet wide, capable of taking steamers up to 335 feet long having a displacement of 3,000 tons.

No. 2 Slipway is 1,053 feet long and 60 feet wide, capable of taking steamers up to 370 feet long having a displacement of 4,000 tons.

No. 3 Slipway is 993 feet long by 60 feet wide, capable of taking steamers up to 300 feet long having a displacement of 2,000 tons.

The building yard is 500 feet long, and 500 feet wide, and has been equipped with a view to the construction of passenger and cargo vessels, turbine