Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 129

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At Chain 49.500 on Mr. BRUCE's alignment, there was marked a viaduct of 20 spans of 20 feet in rather deep water. In order to avoid this, the new line goes more inland and passes in rather deep cutting through the West side of a hill at Chain 50-400. The line comes out on to the coastline again and is in heavy scarp cutting for some time, with a short tunnel between Chains 51475 and 51·625.

The grade runs down then past the village of Cheung Sui Tan and rises again approach- ing the Taipo tunnel. This tunnel between Chains 62-625 and 63-475 avoids a sharp curve round a very exposed spur to the South of Taipo Station Yard. Going through the spur, instead of round it, allows the line to cross the next bay much nearer the shore and avoids a good deal of bridging in deep water.

Taipo Station Yard is in the same position as Mr. BRUCE placed it, but I have raised the level 2 feet to 220.00.

Beyond Taipo, the line deviates very much from Mr. BRUCE's alignment for the first few miles.

The

The original alignment was very far out in the sea enclosing large tidal areas. bridges necessary for letting the water out would all have to be founded on wells which would have been very costly requiring a large amount of plant. The new alignment runs right inland after leaving Taipo Station, passing to the West of Taipo Market. The line then gets back on the old alignment for a few chains and then leaves it again to avoid a 6° curve on a 1 in 100 grade.

Fan Ling Station is reached at Chain 96-000 and the frontier at Chain 113-000.

Note. The various levels quoted are referred to a datum 200 feet below Ordnance Datum.

Survey.

All expenditure under this heading has been completed. The difference between the Actual and Estimated Expenditure represents a saving on the Total Estimate.

Land.

Outside Kowloon all the land has been bought with the exception of some lots near the site of Shatin Station.

Formation Earthwork.

Any quantities and amounts I might give to show progress under this sub-head would be very deceptive. The total expenditure up to the end of 1907 was under of the total estimate for the line but about of the total quantity of earthwork has been done. This is owing to the fact that the commencement of all earthwork cuttings, &c., is generally the easiest and the quickest done because the material is soft and therefore more cheaply exca- vated while the interior is generally composed of rock which besides being harder to excavate has to be led out a longer distance before it is in its final position in the bank.

The Departmental System of carrying out works does not lend itself to easily estimating the future expenditure to complete the work because all work is done by petty contracts on a schedule of rates. The rates are graduated to suit the varying nature of the work and unless costly borings were taken which would also take some considerable time it would be impossible to make anything like an estimate of the amount of money required to complete the earthwork on the line. These borings if taken would not assist the Engineers in any way in carrying out work under this Departmental System.

The Estimate of Expenditure during 1908 must therefore be regarded as approximate only but it should be sufficient to complete all Earthwork Banks and Cuttings with the ex- ception of the Reclamation in Kowloon Station Yard, a big bank in Shatin Valley and also another near Taipo. If all goes as at present I think there may be a saving of about 10% or say $250,000.00 uuder this sub-head.