937
SHIPBUILDING
As would be expected, the shipping industry of the Colony goes a long way back, and a reminder of this is provided by the following correspondents
"Nautilus". "At one time there existed at West Point what was then known as a Patent Slip. This belonged to Mr. J. McDonald and was built sometime in the year 1867. The Slip was situated upon his property adjacent to the Gas Works. Two jetties projected some 200 feet from the Praya wall and stood 25 feet apart. Between these jetties an inclined plane was erected, upon which rested a wooden platform. The inclined plane continued from the edge of the water across the Praya for 340 feet, as far as the workshops of Mr. McDonald in his ship-wrights yard."
Supplementing the above, I find that Hongkong's shipbuilding industry goes right back to the very early years. The first ship to be built here was the s.s. Celestial, of 80 tons, which was launched in February, 1843, by Captain Lamont at his patent slip at East Point. By 1848, from 15 to 30 European vessels were annually registered in the Colony, and Hongkong's place as an important seaport of the Far East was assured.
It is interesting to find how much of the history of this Colony is preserved in its old street names, even when the features responsible for the naming, or the people commemorated, have passed entirely out of the recollection. Thus we find an obscure private side-street in the Jardine's Bazaar neighbourhood named Lamont's Lane. So that doughty pioneer of Hongkong shipbuilders seems to have had his memory preserved: and naturally we visualise this lane running down towards the spot at East Point where he had his patent slip.
Searching further, we find it recorded that the private company which afterwards became the H.K. and Whampoa Dock Co. Ltd. (Kowloon Docks) took over (in the Fifties) the two large docks at Aberdeen (Hongkong) which had been constructed originally for one John Lamont - evidently that same pioneer of local dockyards. Some day, perhaps, we may have a monument erected to his memory. Meanwhile, if any of my shipping readers can give me further information about him, I shall be glad to have it.
The patent slip owned by J. McDonald may or may not have been the foundation of what came to be known later as Captain Sands' slip, at West Point, also acquired (in the early Eighties) by the H.K. and Whampoa Dock Co.
Here again nautical readers of this column might help.
A correspondent kindly follows up yesterday's comment on Captain Lamont (21-7-33)
937
SHIPBUILDING
As would be expected, the shipping industry of the Colony goes a long way back, and a reminder of this is provided by the following correspondents
"Nautilus". "At one time there existed at West Point what was then known as a Patent Slip. This belonged to Mr. J. McDonald and was built sometime in the year 1867. The Slip was situated upon his property adjacent to the Gas Works. Two jetties projected some 200 feet from the Praya wall and stood 25 feet apart. Between these jetties an inclined plane was erected, upon which rested a wooden platform. The inclined plane continued from the edge of the water across the Praya for 340 feet, as far as the workshops of Mr.Mo Donald in his ship-wrights yard."
Supplementing the above, I find that Hongkong's shipbuilding industry goes right back to the very early years. The first ship to be built here was the s.s. Celestial,
of 80 tons, which was launched in February, 1843, by Velestial,
a
Captain Lamont at his petent slip at East Point. By 1848, from 15 to 30-European vessels were annually registered in the Colony, and Hongkong's place as an important seaport of the Far Best was assured.
!
It is interesting to find how much of the history? of this Colony is preserved in its old street names, even when the features responsible for the naming, or the people com- memorated, have passed entirely out of the recollection. Thus we find an obscure private side-street in the Jardine's. Bazaar neighbourhood named Lamont's Lane. So that doughty pioneer of Hongkong shipbuilders seems to have had his memory preserved: and naturally we visualise this lane running down towards the spot at East Point where he had his patent slip.
Searching further, we find it recorded that the private company which afterwards became the H.K. and Whampoa Dook Co. Ltd. (Kowloon Docks) took over (in the Fifties) the two large docks at Aberdeen (Hongkong) which had been constructed origin- ally for one John Lamont - evidently that same pioneer of local dockyards. Some day, perhaps, we may have a monument erected ✓ to his memory. Meanwhile, if any of my shipping readers can give me further information about him, I shall be glad to have it.
The patent slip owned by J. MoDonald may or may not Lave been the foundation of what came to be known later as Captai Sands' slip, at West Point, also acquired (in the early Eighties) by the H., and Whampoa Dock Co.
Here again nautical readers of this column might help.
A correspondent kindly follows up yesterday's comment on Captain Lamont (21-7-33) 7
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