Sessional_Paper_1906 — Page 676

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49. Post Office. The contract for the foundations was nearly, but not quite completed, completion being delayed by the undertaking of additional work. One of the principal items was the covering of the entire area of the basement with asphalte, which was also carried up the outside of the main walls, so as to prevent the percolation of tidal or subsoil water into the basement rooms, which are to be used for the storage of mails, etc. The asphalte was laid on a layer of lime concrete 12 inches thick and was covered with a layer of cement concrete, 6 inches thick, the thickness of the asphalte being inch. It was also decided to make pro- vision for a clock tower in the building aud this necessitated some alterations and additional work in connection with the foundations. The addition of these items has considerably delayed the completion of the contract. The total number of piles driven has been 1,808 of an average length of 44′ 6′′.

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A contract for the superstructure was entered into with Messrs. SANG LEL & Co. on the 1st August. A quarry from which suitable stone could be obtained for the work was selected at Ngau Tau Kok, in New Kowloon, and a considerable amount of preparatory work was carried out to enable a good supply to be obtained, a quantity of roughly-squared blocks being in readiness to transport to the site when it became available. Some brick and plas ter models of the principal parts of the stonework were also prepared.

50. Post Office, Shanghai-Mr. COWAN of H.B.M.'s Office of Works was appointed archi- tect for this work which consisted of carrying out considerable extensions to the old Post Office building. It was necessary to make arrangements with the Commissioners of the Board of Works, London, for the acquisition of the land required for the extensions and, after this bad been successfully accomplished, negotiations were begun by the Shanghai Municipal Council for the surrender of a strip of land for widening Museum Road.

A con- tract for the erection of the buildings was let in August and the work has since been proceeded with, but no expenditure was charged to the vote, up to the close of the year.

51. Prison. It was not found possible to proceed with this work, but a site in Kowloon, which was considered suitable, was selected. The proposal to erect a prison on Stonecutters' Island was finally abandoned in consequence of its being considered advisable to hand over the island entirely to the Military Authorities.

52. Public Latrines and Urinals. —A latrine, containing 55 seats and 4 urinals, besides a caretaker's room and store, was constructed at the corner of Second and Western Streets. It is a permanent structure of brickwork and of the usual type. The formation of the site involved a considerable amount of excavation and the construction of retaining walls. Two urinals, built of rubble masonry and containing 8 divisions cach, one in Connaught Road, opposite the end of Douglas Street, and the other in Salisbury Road, Kowloon, were con- structed but were not quite completed at the close of the year.

The urinal at the Chair Shelter, Victoria Gap, ( 6 divisions), referred to in last year's report, was completed. The cost, which amounted to $1,953, was defrayed out of a special vote.

53. Yaumati School. This work was practically completed at the close of the year, being handed over to the Education Department a few days later. The site is immediately north: of the Public Square in Yaumati and will border on the main thoroughfare known as Robinson Road when it has been extended a little further northwards. It has an area of 18,000 square feet. The buildings are one-storied, extending round two sides of the site and partly round the third, leaving an area of 10,870 square feet for the purposes of a play- ground. They contains 4 class-rooms (two of which are capable of accommodating 60 pupils each and the remaining two 40 pupils each, or 200 in all), a room for the headmaster, with lavatory attached, a cloak room and lavatory for the pupils, store, latrines and caretaker's quarters, and a play-shed, measuring 56 feet by 20 feet. The two principal class-rooms are separated by a folding and sliding partition, which enables them to be made into one large room when desired. A verandah extends along the south front, facing the playground. The buildings are of red brick in lime mortar, plastered internally and rough-cast plastered externally, except where the brickwork is left exposed for effect. The roofs are covered with double pan and roll tiling, laid on timber purlins and principals and the floors are of hardwood, laid on hardwood fillets bedded in cement concrete, 6" thick. The floors of veraudah, cloak-room, latrines and caretaker's quarters are of cement concrete, 4′′ thick, finished with a layer of granolithic, 1" thick. The play-ground and play-shed are laid with lime and cement concrete, 6" thick. Ventilation is furnished by fresh air inlets on the Tobin tube system and flues are provided for the escape of foul air. The buildings are lit by gas throughout.