Sessional_Paper_1898 — Page 263

259

No. 24

98

HONGKONG.

REPORT ON THE PRAYA RECLAMATION WORKS FOR 1897.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

No. 259,

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PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE, HONGKONG, 23rd May, 1898.

SIR, In accordance with the request of Mr. E. BoWDLER, late Special Engineer, Praya Recla- mation Works, I have the honour to forward his report for last year and submit that it be printed separately from the Public Works Department report sent in on the 26th ultimo.

The Honourable

THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.

I have the honour to be,

Sir.

Your most obedient Servant,

R. D. ORMSBY, Director of Public Works.

No. 145.

PRAYA RECLAMATION OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 31st January, 1898.

SIR, I have the honour to submit for the information of His Excellency the Governor the Statistics and Report on the Praya Reclamation Works for the year ending 31st December, 1897. The statistics have been prepared in accordance with the report and instructions of the Director of Public Works and the Local Auditor and approved by His Excellency the Governor in C.S.O. 818 of 1892.

Section No. 1.-Eastern portion on a length of 975 feet and containing 134,560 square feet of land assignable to Crown Lessees. Contract No. 18 made with TSANG KENG on the 21st February, 1894, for completing the upper portion of the sea wall (above the concrete blocks) constructing Storm Water Drains, filling in and reclaiming the land, forming and levelling the roads and footpaths, constructing side channels, concreting and macadamizing roads, footpaths, &c., the work to be completed on the 8th October, 1895. The work under this Contract was suspended on the 18th April, 1896, to allow the new buildings authorized by C.S.O. No. 495 of 1896 being erected on the reclaimed land, also the pipe sewers, water and gas nains being laid, the two former by the Public Works Department and the latter by the Gas Company. And in view of the delay in completing the work the Contract was cancelled on the 10th July last and the balance retained for maintenance, penalty for overtime, &c. was paid to TSANG KENG on the 14th of that mouth in full discharge of all claims against the Government on account of this Contract.

On the 28th December tenders were received for completing, concreting and macadamizing the roads, streets, footpaths, &c. of the Eastern portion of this section.

Section No. 2.-The sea wall is 770 feet long and the reclaimed land assignable to the Crown Lessees has an area of 114,480 square feet.

Contract No. 13 made with TSANG KENG on the 16th August, 1892, for completing the upper portion of the sea wall (above the concrete blocks) constructing storm water drains, filling in and reclaiming the land, forming and levelling the roads and footpaths, constructing side channels, con- creting and macadamizing the roads, footpaths, &c., the work to be completed on or before the 7th June, 1894. The work under this Contract was suspended on the 23rd February. 1895, to allow the new buildings authorized by C.S.O. No. 1448 of 1894 being erected on the reclaimed land, also the pipe sewers, water and gas mains being laid, the former by the Public Works Department and the latter by the Gas Company. The work was resumed on the 11th June and with a view to getting