Sessional_Paper_1897 — Page 190

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116. Contract No. 37--For raising, levelling, concreting etc. the upper surface of the rubble stone foundations of the Sea Wall and ring bolts on a length of 900 feet was made with YAU Kung CHEUNG on the 21st May, the work to be completed on the 24th August. The works executed under this Contract were 700 cubic yards rubble stone deposited "pierre perdue," 3,169 cubic yards rubble stone band packed, 900 lineal feet of upper surface of foundations levelled formed and trimmed and 4,200 superficial feet of Cement Concrete laid thereon for bed of Concrete blocks, the whole being completed in a strong, substantial and workmanlike manner within the Contract time.

117. Contract No. 34.-Construction of Storm Water Drain in Hollywood Road, Po Yan Street and Queen's Road on a total length of 912 feet was made with TSANG KENG on the 9th November, 1895, the work to be completed on the 15th April, 1895. The total length of the said drain is 912 feet and the work comprised in this Contract is 2,290 cubic yards of Earth excavated, 19,769 cubic feet of Granite Ashlar set in Cement mortar, 448 cubic yards of Lime Concrete backing of Masonry etc.; the work was carried on in a dilatory manner not being completed till the 20th December, 1896, 213 working days over the Contract time.

118. In addition to the work done on this Section under Contracts Nos 25, 37 and 34, 69,317 cubic yards of Earth and Brick rubbish have been deposited in the Reclamation, viz. :--7,584 cubic yards of Earth and Brick rubbish from Government works, 4,949 cubic yards Brick rubbish from various places, 20,039 cubic yards Earth by Hopper Barges under Contract No. 40 and 36,745 cubic yards of materials by Junks from Dredger.

119. Section No. 5.-Contract No. 36 for the construction of the Rubble Stone foundations of Sea Wall, Storm Water Drains and Embankment, was made with Tsang Keng on the 11th February, 1896, the work to be completed on the 1st February, 1897. The work was not however commenced until the 18th April. and on the 31st December only 102,692 cubic yards of Rubble Stone had been laid "pierre perdue," leaving about 25,000 cubic yards of rubble stone still to be supplied and 50,700 Superficial feet of the upper surface of the foundations to be levelled and trimmed. The work under this Contract has been carried on in a dilatory and unsatisfactory manner and cannot now be completed before April or May, the low tides of December were lost, the rubble stone not having been brought up to the required height to allow the levelling and forming of the upper surface being commenced during the low tides of that month.

120. Sections N‹ s. 6 and 7.—Eastern and western portions. Contract No. 20, for the construction of the Rubble Stone foundations of Sea Wall, Landing Steps, Landing Piers, Storm Water Drains, Embankment etc. was made with Tsang Keng on the 11th April, 1894, the work to be completed on the 31st January, 1895. The work under this Contract was carried on in a dilatory and unworkman- like manner, and was not completed until the 28th January, 1896; 259 working days beyond the Contract time for the completion of the work.

121. Contract No. 39, made with Yau Kung Cheung on the 3rd July, 1896, for supplying and depositing in the Reclamation, 18,898 cubic yards of Earth and 578 cubic yards rubble stone and for constructing in the Pottinger Street Pier 650 cubic feet Granite Ashlar invert of Storm Water Drain and 173 cubic yards of Lime Concrete backing of concrete blocks. The work under this Contract was carried on with despatch and the whole completed within the Contract time.

122. In addition to the above, 13,528 cubic yards of materials deposited by Junks from Dredger (Confidential C.S.O. No. 46 of 1895) and 5,822 cubic yards Brick rubbish have been deposited in the Reclamation of these Sections from time to time during the year under review.

123. Excavating and depositing Earth in Hopper Barges &c.-Contract No. 40, made with Yau Kung Cheung on the 1st October, 1896, Confidential C.S.O. No. 73 of 1896, under this Contract 20,039 cubic yards of Earth have been excavated from the hill at the back of Yau-mati and filled into the Hopper Barges. The Barges being towed by the Government Steam Tug "Praya" and deposited in the Reclamation below Ordnance Datum; and 50,273 cubic yards of Spoil from the Dredger have also been deposited in the Reclamation below Ordnance Datum, during the year ending 31st December 1896.

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124. Supply of Portland Cement.-Contracts Nos. 33 and 38 were made with the Green Island Cement Co. in the years 1895 and 1896, "C.S.O. 1 and confidential C.S.O. 1 respectively, for supplying 6,000 Casks of Cement; Cement supplied by this Company during 1896 was 5,000 Casks; Contract No. 35 was made with China Export and Import Bank Company in November, 1895, C.S.O. 1!! for 1,000 Casks which were supplied in February 1896; and 2,000 Casks were supplied by The Crown Agents for the Colonies from Messrs. ROBINS & Co., London in February 1896 CS.O.. Total quantity of Cement supplied during the year was 8,000 Casks.

RECONSTRUCTION OF GOVERNMENT PIERS.

125. Nam Pack Hong Pier, opposite the lower end of Wing Lok Street,-The progress of the work on this Pier as well as the work on Section No. 3 was considerably delayed by the subsidence of the Rubble Stone foundations of the Landing Pier, Landing Steps and a portion of the Sea Wall,. on a length of 113 feet. These foundations were brought up to the required height, trimmed and levelled, and upon which 854 eight foot weighting Blocks containing 82,000 cubic feet and weighing about 5,000 tons were placed to compress and consolidate them before setting the Concrete Blocks and erecting the Ashlar masonry of Sea Wall, Landing Steps &c., when on the evening of the 3rd July, suddenly and without warning, the whole subsided from 10 to 16 feet, the upper courses of weighting