Sessional_Paper_1906 — Page 674

The fittings for the laboratories were carried out by the Public Works Department. They consist of long wall benches, with teak tops and fitted with sinks; large centre tables, also fitted with sinks; drawers, cupboard, &e A fume cupboard is also provided.

The floors of all the animal houses on the ground floor are laid with chequered tiles of local manufacture on a layer of line concrete. The upper floor is entirely of cement con-

Some of the walls have dades ad the others skirtings of cement mortar. incinerator is provided for destroying the carcases of animals.

'crete.

An

The whole of the compounds are ad with lime concrete surfaced with cement concrete and the site is enclosed by a brick boundary wall, with iron entrance gates.

Though practically completed, there were a few minor matters requiring attention and the building was consequently still unoccupied at the close of the year.

41. Central Police Station,-Additional Storey.--This work was completed and handed over to the Police at the end of May. The additional accommodation afforded consists of two dormitories for Indian Constables (18 beds each); two for European Constables (16 beds each); one for Lance Sergeants (5 beds), and two for Sergeants (2 beds each). There are also a library, a mess-room and a billiard-room and three small rooms for servants. A wide verandah 'extends along nearly the entire length of the northern front. The building is of red brick, plastered externally and interually to correspond with the old building of which it forms part. The floors of the rooms are laid with hardwood boarding on hardwood joists and of the verandah with cement concrete on rolledj oists. All beams consist of steel rolled joists. The old roof principals, &c., were used as far as possible and new ones prosvided where necessary. Several parts of the old building were strengthened in varioue ways to enable it to support the additional storey, and sundry small alterations in it wer effected. The total expenditure under the vote was $33,000 and a further sum of $7,579 for the alterations and strengthening of the old building was charged to the vote "Miscellaneous Works."

42. Disinfecting Station, Kowloon. This work was completed and handed over to the Sanitary Board in April. The buildings occupy a convenient and central site, 19,300 square feet in area, at Yaumati, and are built of red brick, pointed in cement, with mould- ings, window sills, arches, &c., finished in cement plaster. A statement of the accommoda- tion afforded appeared in last year's report. The total expenditure on the work was $40,219.13, which includes the cost of a new boiler and vacuum pan, amounting to $3,136.62.

43. Civil Hospital-Extension of Staff Quarters.—A contract for this work was let at the end of January and the building was well advanced at the close of the year, the roof being completed and plastering, &c., in progress. The provision of the extra accommodation afforded will do away with the necessity of leasing a house which has had to be done for some years past.

44. Gunpowder Depôt, Green Island. This work was practically completed at the close of the year. It included the formation of a site on the north-east side of Green Island, 1.13 acres in area, partly by excavating the hill and partly by reclaiming from the sea. To obviate the risk of damage to shipping, &c., from an explosion of the contents of any of the magazines, the site has been protected on the seaward side by a rubble mound, 13 feet in height, faced with pitched slopes and extending into the hill at each end, the magazines being thus completely enclosed. Within the enclosure thus formed, four separate magazines have been built and, in order to limit the effects of an explosion, should one unfortunately occur, they have been separated from each other by mounds of earth 13 feet in height. Each magazine has a floor area of from 2,860 to 2,210 square feet and consists of an ordinary brick building, one storey in height, with tiled roof. The floors, which are of cement con- crete, are covered with a layer of asphalte and the windows are protected with iron bars. Access to the depôt is gained through an examination room, formed in the enclosing rubble mound, from which covered ways extend to the various magazines. The floors of the examination room and covered ways are also finished with a layer of asphalte. A tempo- rary pier has been erected for landing or shipping explosives and will be replaced by a permanent pier at an early date.

From the depôt, a path leads to the quarters for the officer-in-charge and guard, which are about 100 yards distant and protected by an intervening spur of the hill. The quarters contain 3 rooms for the officer-in-charge, one room for an assistant and another for an office, whilst accommodation is provided in separate buildings for 8 boatmen, an Indian Sergeant and 4 Indian Constables.