Sessional_Paper_1903 — Page 387

302

close of the year.

The structure is of brick, plastered externally, the walls being lined internally for a height of 5 feet with glazed bricks. It contains 40 compart- ments, which are divided off by small partitions of glazed brick, and each compart- ment contains a small-sized Shanghai tub. The floor is laid with concrete and rendered over with cement, wooden gratings being provided alongside the baths. A boiler is fitted up for the supply of hot water and the necessary tanks and hot and cold water services have been provided. A small latrine and caretaker's quarters adjoin the bath-house.

}

73. Cattle Crematorium and Refuse Destructor.-The installation, which is in proximity to the Animal Depôts at Kennedy Town, consists of one cell for each pur- pose, the destructor being intended for dealing with rubbish removed from houses where Plague cases have occurred. The cells are connected with a common chimney-shaft. The work was not fully completed at the end of the year, but nearly so.

74. Additions and Alterations to Government Offices.--In order to afford additional accommodation for the Colonial Secretary's and Public Works Depart- ments, an extension at the South end of the building was undertaken. The exten- sion contains two offices on the ground floor for the Public Works. Department and one large fire-proof room on the upper floor for the Colonial Secretary's Records. All the rooms have boarded floors, the flooring of the fire-proof room being laid on top of cement concrete arching, supported on steel joists. This effectually discon- nects it from the rooms on the ground floor and the roof is also composed of cement concrete arching, similarly supported and covered with a layer of asphalte to render it watertight. The steel joists are encased in the concrete in both cases and a fire-proof door of special construction is provided.

The principal alterations consisted of cutting out the arches between the pillars of the verandah on the West side of the building and reducing the size of the pillars themselves in order to improve the lighting of the ground floor rooms.

The whole of the work was well advanced at the end of the year.

75. District Watchmen's. Quarters.-The sum of $1,000 was subscribed by Government towards the construction of this building, which was erected on a site granted by Government within the Taipingshan Resumed Area. The work was carried out by Messrs. PALMER & TURNER, Architects, on behalf of the District Watchmen's Committee, the balance of the cost being defrayed from funds at their disposal.

76. Erection of a Derrick on new site, Gap Rock.-This work consists of the formation of a new and alternative landing-place on Gap Rock, the transfer to it of the derrick from the old landing place and the provision of a new derrick, at the latter. The carrying out of the work, which is nearing completion, was attended with much difficulty, which was greatly increased by the stormy weather experi- enced during the Summer months.

77. Repairs and Alterations to Government Pavilions. When the buildings were vacated by the Peak Club, it was found necessary to carry out extensive alterations and repairs in order to render them suitable for occupation by the Senior Government Officers as formerly. These were completed in time to enable the buildings to be occupied for a portion of the hot season.

78. City Waterworks Extension,-Tytam Tuk Scheme. In accordance with the advice of Mr. O. CHADWICK, C.M.G., surveys and preliminary works were undertaken with a view to constructing a storage reservoir at Tytam Tuk, from which the water could be pumped up to the Tytam Tunnel. A site in the upper part of the estuary was selected, where it appeared possible that a dam with a large impounding capacity could be constructed. A number of borings were made and three trial pits were undertaken in order to obtain reliable information regarding the nature of the foundation to be met with. The trial pits or wells are constructed of brick in cement built on top of a cast iron curb ring and are of a diameter of 5′ 8′′ internally. The depths to which they had been sunk at the close of the year were 32′ 5′′, 30′ 0′′ and 8' 0", respectively, below Ordnance Datum; no rock had, however, been met with at these depths. barges, equipped with boilers, steam winches, derricks, &c., were in use, the wells. being kept dry by means of a pulsometer pump or by baling, according to circum- stances. Digging was carried on by hand or by a grab bucket operated by the steam winches, as found most suitable. The men employed on the work suffered a good deal from malarial fever of a severe type.

Two