No_1_1959 — Page 67

are com-

1 Typhoon Shelter Quarries: Production for the quarter

was as follows:

Biluminous

Materials

Crushed Stone

(tons)

using the harbour waters. So far, only Ha Hoi Pier) and the Yaumati Outfall Scheme is emptying (Tsing Yi Island). into the harbour waters but when the eight other Outfall Schemes

Contracts were let for the construction

Quarry pleted, pollution may become more evi- of Sok Kwu Wan Pier and the Demoli-

tion of N.K.P.P. No. 6 (Coal Yard Pier Hok Un (Mainland) 29,551 at Lai Chi Kok).

Mt. Butler (Island)

Total

dent.

ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL

OFFICE

The heavy vehicle repair programme and new vehicle body constructions kept the Mechanical Section under continuous pressure during the Quarter.

(tons)

12.050

34.820 64,371

12,991

25,04T

In this quarter, the Dredging Fleet dredged a total of 31,761 cu. yds.; the Marine Boring Barge sank 43 bores total- These figures show an increase over the ling 875 ft.; the Land Boring Gang sank last quarter's production of 26% in crush- 20 bores totalling 612 ft.; diving worked stone and 33% in bituminous amounted to 168 hours under water.

terials.

ma

average of

This has been a particularly heavy

WATERWORKS OFFICE The four public dumps under the con- quarter for the installation of illuminated

trol of this office received a total of The rainfall for each month of this traffic bollards by the Electrical Section

earth and building quarter has been considerably below the whilst at the same time, large electrical 209,500 cu. yds. of installations were involved in the wiring carried out a total of 2,755 tests.

debris, etc. The P.W.D. Laboratory average, and for the whole period was in of electric lighting systems at Tsuen

only approximately 30% of the (2.094 inches as against an average Wan Pumping Station and Tsuen Wan ROADS OFFICE Filtration Plant; perimeter security light-

7.043 inches). ing installations at Tsuen Wan Division- al Police Station, Police Rank and File

Quarters, Arsenal Yard,

Married

Good progress was

a very

made on

The consumption of water is steadily large amount of work during the quarter.

consump- The weather was exceptionally dry and increasing, the average daily and

tion (52.82 million gallons) showing there was nothing to delay the work ex- cept a failure in the supply of bitumen at increase of more than 11% over that for

the corresponding quarter last year. the extreme end of the year.

Chi Ma Wan Prison; street lighting in- stallation in Sections 3, 4 and 5 of Chai Wan Resettlement Estate and Path light- ing installations at Fu Tau Wat Reset- tlement Estate. In addition, the electric- al installation of various machinery and plant was completed.

an

The total quantity of water in storage on the 31st December, 1958, was 6,882.57 million gallons of which 2,839-76 million gallons were stored at Tai Lam Chung.

compares with a total of

date the previous year, a decrease 290.40 million gallons.

This

Special items of interest during the quarter were the completion of improve- to the junction of Peak Road/- ments Albany Road/Robinson Road; the widen- The Air Conditioning Section now ing and re-alignment of Clearwater Bay million gallons in storage on the taking advantage of the cold season to Road at Kai Tak Airport Terminal; the undertake maintenance on major plants reconstruction of Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry and to cope with the pressing demands Concourse only a small part of which

are

for new installations of air conditioning remains to be completed. and refrigerating plants and room coolers. No less than 32 room coolers were new- ly installed.

PORT WORKS OFFICE

Excavation was started for the widen- ing of Castle Peak Road from Kowloon to Tsuen Wan to provide dual carriage-

ways.

A diversion track was built for the

7.172.97

same

of.

Work continued on the cut-off trench for the dam of the Shek Pik Water Supply Scheme, but progress was ham- pered owing to the delay in arrival of four piling rigs from Iran. A contract was let for the construction of a 15-ft. During the quarter ending 31st Decem-

embankment along the line of the dam; ber, 1958, Works in Hand consisted of

this embankment is to provide a coun- Peak Tramway at Kennedy Road to per- terweight to the upward pressure caused 7 Reclamation Projects (Central, Kwun

mit the reconstruction of the existing Tong, Hung Hom, Cheung Sha Wan,

when grouting operations commence, and narrow bridge. Tong Mi Road and Peng made although the work is complicated. main body of the dam.

Very good progress was will eventually be Wan,

incorporated in the Chau Island, South), I Site Formation Contract (Kwun Tong), 5 Seawalls Work commenced on the construction of access roads, staff quarters and other (Hung Hom, Central, Tsuen Wan, Tong of the pedestrian subway under Con- buildings continued and some of the Mi Road, and Peng Chau Island, South), naught Road and is now well ahead of bungalows

are already occupied by ex- 2 Piers (Sok Kwu Wan Pier and Kei Ling schedule.

patriate specialist staff.

Tsuen

(Continued from Page 55)

shows

But, as Sir Harry pointed out today, ORIGINAL IDEA a review of progress in the glass industry

It was while he was helping his wife over the past half century

that with washing up after dinner one evening every improvement or labour saving device, in October, 1952, that the original Float every fundamental development, and Process came to Mr. Alastair Pilkington every reduction in cost has reduced the B.A., 39-year-old Technical Director. number of man hours required to produce a foot of glass and also, before long, increased and not reduced the total em- ployment in the industry

The Float Process will enable Pilking ton Brothers Limited, the sole producers of plate glass in the British Common. wealth, to increase production and become more competitive. The company's export trade, worth some 12 million in 1958, should expand in future years to the benefit of the country's balance of pay

ments.

Ultimately this outstanding invention will affect everyone who uses glass.

Its details are being announced through- out the world in eleven different languages

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER

Within a few weeks the first series of tests was started and these proved that both surfaces of the glass could be fire- finished by the new technique. It was a major advance.

A new plant was built for the second series of experiments and this produced a 12-inch ribbon of glass with an even bet ter surface, though nowhere near good enough to sell. After failing to make the progress hoped for with a third series of experiments, it was agreed that the process should be given the highest possible priority.

inches

The construction

wide ribbon of glass, which was considered necessary in examining for dis- tortion. A new

method of getting the glass to the surface of the metal was also devised to overcome a major problem.

When a report on the fourth experiment and samples of the glass produced were submitted to the Board of Directors, it was decided to go ahead with a full-scale production unit. From April 1955 work

on

the Float Process went on day and

night.

Throughout the seven years' development work the Float Process had maximum support in the way of money and man- power. The full technical resources of the company were at the disposal of the experimental team and all departments gave priority to its requirements.

Success was achieved in a remarkably short space of time when compared with A completely new plant was designed the periods spent over previous funda. and built in the space of three months at mental developments in the glass making a cost of £50,000. This produced a 30- industry.

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 1

63