696874-1874-Typhoon-Reports-of-Damages-and-Loss-of-Life-caused-by- — Page 7

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 17TH OCTOBER, 1874.

577

Markets. The six principal markets of Victoria have experienced the fate of other buildings, in some cases, having their roofs untiled, in others as in the Central market, having portions of their outer walls blown in, or so shattered as to require rebuilding.

Public Schools.-The insecure foundations of the Central School, made manifest by the earthquake of five months ago, have become still more so since the typhoon. Portions of the roof have come away from the walls, and these have got slightly out of the perpendicular. A part of the tiling over the western Class Room has been stripped off, and some damage done to doors and windows. As it is contemplated at no distant date to erect a new School with increased accommodation, it will not be necessary, in regard to the Central School to go to greater expense than will suffice to maintain it Three out of the four other Public Schools of the City have in safety for a year or two to come. escaped with trifling damages, but the fourth one, i. e., Syingpoon School, has lost the roof off its western front.

The Police Courts have been partly unroofed, and the eastern verandahs laid in ruins. Harbour Master's Office.-The unsheltered site of this public office, which is only 50 feet away from the Praya wall, exposed it to two dangers, and it has come through the ordeal much better than . could have been expected. While the gale was stripping off the roofing, the sea that had At one time there were five feet of water in knocked down the Praya was battering against its walls.

the basement, and the breakers were sending their spray over its roof. In spite of this, the damage is surprisingly small, being limited to portions of the roof which are untiled and to doors and windows which are shattered and unhinged. The meteorological station was however entirely swept away, and not a trace of the instruments remains. The Harbour Officers' quarters have been very much shaken, and the tower over the building will have to be pulled down, as it is injured beyond repair.

The Clock Tower was much shaken, and the dials of the town clock were blown in and shattered

to pieces.

The Pokfoolum Reservoir, which was full before the typhoon, had the water lifted out of it in sheets. and hurled over the embankment. The embankment has not suffered material damage, the ballast on the inner slope was washed away, but has since been replaced. The guage basin and outlet pipe was so choked with ballast and sand, that the water supply to the City had to be cut off for a day to allow the outlet works to be cleaned and repaired.

Victoria Peak Buildings.-I do not think the Governor will require any information of me in regard to Mountain Lodge, since His Excellency passed the memorable night of the 23rd inside that house while it was being reduced to its present melancholy condition. The Aid-de-camp's bungalow has been so destroyed as to be no longer tenantable, and it will therefore have to be pulled down. The Pavilion or Public Officers' quarters, a wooden frame house, had one of its sides knocked in, and the tiling stripped off the roof. The new Sanitarium recently finished was also partially unroofed and lost several doors and windows. The Signal Station on the summit of Victoria Peak, has likewise been seriously injured, and will have to be rebuilt.

The Light Houses at Cape D'Aguilar and Green Island have not been seriously damaged. The Keeper's dwellings were partially unroofed.

The

Of the different Public buildings not Government offices, the Cathedral seems to have fared best, owing to its sheltered position against the irresistible power of the North-East wind. The Presbyterian Church was partially unroofed as also the Roman Catholic Cathedral. St. Joseph's Church in Garden Road was laid in ruins, two of its walls having been knocked down almost to the ground. pediment of the City Hall was blown over and completely crushed the front portico of that building. Some of the Barracks and other buildings belonging to the Military Authorities in the village of Stanley were blown down, and are now like the village itself a heap of ruins.

The City presents altogether a truly distressing sight, and it will be a long time before it recovers its normal state.

But the typhoon has not been without its lessons, for it has shown us how inadequate to cope against the fury of the wind is the style of building which the Colony has adopted. It may perhaps, on the other hand, not without truth, be said that the occurrence of the 23rd was unprecedented in the history of Hongkong, and that its effects could not therefore have been provided against or mitigated.

I will shortly have the honour to submit, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, estimates of the cost of restoring the Public buildings to their former condition.

No time has however been lost in the work of re-roofing the more important buildings, lest a sudden storm of rain should increase the damage already done.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

J. M. PRICE, Surveyor General.

The Honorable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,

Colonial Secretary,

HONGKONG.