Sessional_Paper_1903 — Page 382

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each), two large mess-rooms, a recreation room and 6 bath-rooms, whilst 2 cook- houses, 2 cook's rooms and latrine accommodation are provided in a separate build- ing. No. 3 Block is for European Warders and contains two dormitories (20 beds each), a large mess and recreation room, a common room, 4 bath-rooms, 2 water-closets and 2 lavatories. In a small detached building are the kitchen and coolie quarters.

The buildings are all of Canton red brick, plastered externally, and roofed with double pan and roll tiling. Balconies are provided on all the main blocks, being constructed of cement concrete, with iron beams, pillars and railings, and supported on massive stone corbels. The floors of all rooms are of hardwood, the joists being supported on iron beams where required. The ceilings and cornices are of wood. The staircases are of stone with iron balusters and rails. All bath-room floors are of cement concrete. The compounds are surfaced with concrete and iron railings are provided for protection round the various retaining walls which form the site into terraces.

48. Tai Po Road.-The whole of the work has been completed, with the ex- ception of the surfacing of the road and the trimming of some banks in the last 5 miles and fixing railings to bridges, and executing some cutting in the last mile. The road is open to ricksha traffic throughout its entire length of 18 miles from Tsim Sha Tsui Point to Tai Po. Two miles of it consist of roads in the Old Territory, which were made before the New Territory was taken over, thus making the length of roadway constructed under the vote "Tai Po Road" 16 miles.

Commencing from Tsim Sha Tsui Point, in order to avoid confusion in re- ferring to the mileage of the road, the first 3 miles are practically level. After this, the road begins to ascend the Kowloon Range of hills running along the Southern slopes at a gradient generally of 1 in 20 up to a gap at a height of 441 feet, which is reached at about 4 miles. It then traverses the Northern slopes of the range at comparatively easy gradients until it reaches the gap overlooking the Sha Tin Valley. The highest point of the road is 517 feet above Ordnance Datum, the level of the gap last mentioned being 442 feet, and its distance 61 miles from the starting-point.

Following a downward gradient of 1 in 40, the flat land of the Sha Tin Valley is reached at 8 miles and the road then runs level along the North side of Tide Cove or Sha Tin Inlet to about 11 miles. Leaving Tide Cove, another ascent commences over a gap 370 feet high, which is passed at 13 miles, and the road then falls by easy gradients to the shore of Tolo Harbour which is reached opposite the village of Wong Nai Au, at 17 miles. Crossing a large stream by a bridge of 120 feet in length it touches a small island, where the landing pier for Tai Po is situated and, after traversing an embankment, 2,000 feet in length, passes through a cutting and terminates near Tai Po village, where it joins an old pathway.

The width of the road is 14 feet.

There are in all 17 bridges, 13 of one span, 2 of two spans, 1 of three spans and 1 of 4 spans. The spans vary from 10 to 30 feet in length. All the bridges have masonry abutments and piers and are constructed of cement supported on steel joists. Iron railings are provided.

49. Western Market.-The foundations were nearly completed up to ground level. They consist of hardwood piles of an average length of 29′ 10′′, numbering in all 376, with longitudinal and cross bearers on top. Around and above the bearers is cement concrete. All the trenches for foundations, being in made ground, had to be closely timbered and much trouble was experienced with water which came in very freely, particularly at the South-West corner of the site. portion of the old Praya wall had to be taken up in connection with the work.

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50. Harbour Office.--The foundations were completed before the close of the year. They are of similar construction to those just described for the Western Market, the number of piles being in this case 735, of an average length of 24′. 10". Less trouble was experienced with water than in the case of the Western Market foundations. Some alterations were made in the plan of the building after the commencement of the work, necessitating alterations in the trenches which had been dug and all of which were closely timbered.