September 1, 1897.]
THE KOWLOON WATERWORKS.
The following description of the Kowloon waterworks prepared by the Hon. W. Chatham, Acting Director of Public Works, for the in- formation of the Colonial Office, is published in the Gazette :—
Prior to the completion of the works about
to be described the inhabitants of that portion of territory known as British Kowloon wore entirely dependent upon wells or streams in the immediate neighbourhood of their dwellings for their water supply. The rapidly increasing population and establishment and growth of industrial enterprises made it imperative that a supply should be introduced from sources less liable to contamination or to failure during the dry season.
Accordingly, in 1893, works were undertaken on lines which had been sketched out by Mr. Osbert Chadwick, C.M.G., during his visit to the colony in 1890.
British Kowloon consists of a peninsula 24 miles in length by an average breadth of a little over 1 mile. The Southern extremity of the peninsula is very largely occupied by European residences and barracks for the Hongkong Re. giment whilst the coast line to the northwards is fringed with Chinese villages, two of which- Yaumati and Hung Hom-are of considerable size and importance. The interior of the penin- sula consists of a series of barreu bills inter- sected in all directions by valleys, a district which to a superficial glance appears far from favourable for the purpose of obtaining a water supply.
Examination showed, however, that the valley bottoms were filled with sand saturated with water, and subsequent experiments proved that a daily yield of at least 100,000 gallons from an area of 95 acres might be relied on. Acting on this in- formation, three collecting valleys were selected, having a combined area of 220 acres and, ther. fore, a probable minimum yield of 232,00 gallons per day, equal to 16 gallons per headl for a population of 14,200 as shown by the census of 1891.
Across the entrance of each of the th:3
valleys, a trench was excavated throngh the water-bearing sand to the hard ground below and filled in with clay puddle, so as to form a dam and prevent the escape of the water under- ground to the sea. About the dams, wells were sunk aud into these were led, at a depth of about 10 feet below the surface, lines of earthware collecting pipes laid with open joints and sur- rounded with broken stone, the remaining part of the pipe trenches being filled in with screened sand. The sand in the valley bottoms is thus turned to account as a natural filtering agent and even during the heaviest rains the water arrives clear at the wells.
From the wells, which are at a level of 30 to 40 feet above the sea, the water is conveyed in iron pipes, laid as syphons so as to avoid deep trenches, a storage tank of 150,000 gallons capacity at Yaumati. It is then pumped into a reservoir constructed on the top of an adjacent hill 215 feet above sea level and having a capacity of 160,000 gallons, and from there it is distributed through cast iron mains varying from 7 inches to 3 inches in diameter and aggregating about 10 miles in length.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
For the supply of the native population, numerous fountains are fixed in the various villages, most of the European houses having a supply laid on in the usual manuer. All private supplies, whether for domestic or trade purposes, are, however, measured by meter.
To assist in regulating the supply, a second reservoir of 90,000 gollons capacity was con- structed on hill at Hung Hom, about 2 miles distant from Yaumati, at a height of 160 feet above the sea.
The engines and pumps, which are in dupli- cate, are of the Worthingtou typo and were supplied by Messrs. James Simpson & Co., London. Each set is capable of delivering 10,000 gallons per hour into the reservoir at Yanmati. The boilers are of the locomotive type and were supplied by Messrs. Marshall, Sons & Co., of Gainsborough.
The buildings at the pumping station include a workshop, fitters' quarters, and quarters for a European overseer. The are constructed of
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Canton red bricks with granite dressings and are enclosed by a boundary wall.
Pumping was begun on the 24th December, 1895, and since then a constant supply of water
to the whole of the district served has been obtained from the fountains have been made maintained. Analyses of samples of the water
from time to time and have proved that the quality of the supply is excellent. That the works have contributed materially to the de- relopment of Kowloon there can be litth doubt Judging from the rapid expansion which has taken place since their inauguration.
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MILK,
187
The results of the analyses of 11 samples were as follows:-
Date of Analysis.
February 28, February 28,
March 17,
Percentage by weight of Solids. Non-fatty. Fat. Total. Ash.
March 17, March 20, March 22, April 13.
7.03 2.17 9.20 46 6.08 2.6 8.68 40, 8.81 3.21 12.02 69 8.76 4.19 12.95 67
7.89
1.79 9.63 53
8.01
2.06 *10.07
49
9.14
4.91 14.05 65
April 13.
9.29
3.66 12.95 64
July 29.
10.90
5.36 16.26 64
.8 8.98333 39,155.90
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July 29,
10.23
436 14.59 62
13,571.00 17,538.71 H1.914.8T
The total cost has been as follows:--- Preliminary works, Dams, wells, reservoirs, etc.. Pumping machinery and boilers, Pumping station buildings. Pipes, valves, fountains, etc..
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Total.
8121,163,75
REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT ANALYST.
❤
We make the following extracts from the annual report of Mr. F. Browne, Acting Gio.
vernment Analyst :-
ducted than in any previous year, and the work A larger number of analyses have been con- may be conveniently summarized as follows:
Description of Cases. Toxicological Potable Waters
Milk
No. of Articles
examined. 11
113
Petroleum
160
II
Morphine Ordinance
12
Alcoholic Liquors
3
Miscellaneous
32
Total,
TOXICOLOGICAL.
341
The toxicological cases investigated during the past year include five cases of human poisoning. In four cases death was found to be due to opium. In the fifth case an alkaloid. analogous to the active principle of Nan Yueng Fa (Datura alba, Nees), was detected in the
stomach contents of a woman, who recovered
from the poisonous stupefying effect of the drug after a few days.
Toxicological examinations were conducted in five other cases in order to prove the absence of poisoning, death in each case having occurred somewhat suddenly and unexpectedly.
WATERS.
The results of the analyses of samples from the Pokfulam and Taitani reservoirs, and from the Kowloon Service, indicate that these supplies continue to maintain their excellent qualities
a
After heavy rains a precipitate has been found to occur in the mains leading from the wells and in the wells of the collecting area of Kowloon water supply. This precipitate has been found to consist of (1) a small alga, (2) ferric hydrate, (3) aluminium hydrate, and (4) calcium sulphate. During these heavy rains filtration is too rapid for complete purification, consequently it has been found that further system of purification, chiefly due to the
iron-work in the wells,, takes place in the wells and in the mains leading therefrom. The ipitate settles easily and, being removed with but little diffi- culty, little inconvenience may be anticipated should it occur again; however, steps have been taken to regulate the rate of filtration so as to prevent its formation.
presence
of
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October 16,
8.65 4.49 13.14 64 The samples marked 1, 2,5, and 6, respectively, were found to contain added water to the extent of 17 per cent.. 28 per cent., 7 per cent., and
6
per cent, respectively, calculated on the pre- sence of 8.5 per cent, of “solids not fut" in the original milk. The remaining samples were of good quality.
THE FOOD AND DRUGS ORDINANCE, 1896. This new ordinance was assented to by His Excellency the Governor on the 19th day of Angust, 1896. Under this ordinance one sample of milk was forwarded by the public to the Government Laboratory for examination.
THE MORPHINE ORDINANCE, 1893. There were four prosecutions under this ordinance and 12 exhibits were forwarded for examination. Ten were found to contain mor- phine bydrochloride,
THE SPIRIT LICENCES ORDINANCE, 1886.
Three samples of alcoholic liquors were found to contain 17.2, 17.2, and 17.7 per cent., res- pectively, of alcohol by weight. The vendor was prosecuted for selling these liquors without a licence.
MISCELLANEOUS,
Arsenic throwing.--AChinaman was walking along the Praya when an unknown person threw some powder into his eyes. Immediately, he able substance, and then gave information to the went into a house and washed out the objection-
Police.
The substance somewhat resembled pepper in appearance, but the examination showed that it was powdered native arsenic, pi- shih or peh-sin-shih. containing 62.49
per cent. of real arsenic. For several weeks the man's eyes were in ou inflamed condition, and only the rapidity and completeness with which he and the Police washed out the arsenic from the eyes prevented a serious injury. Recent experience bas conclusively demonstrated that in cases of arsenic throwing, unless the arsenic be promptly and completely removed from the eye, the vision: may be completely destroyed, and that even an- der the most favourable circumstances great irritation is set up.
Apparently, the dangerous properties of arsenic are well known to the Chinese as in no country probably is there stricter legislation as regards its sale. Dr. Porter Smith, in his Contributions towards the Materia Medica and Natural History of China," states:
None of these arsenical preparations are sold in shops without evidence and witnesses to the propriety of the sale. The punishment of death by decapitation is inflicted upon both the seller and the buyer if fatal effects result. If uot fatal they are both strangled. If the drug. gist ignorantly or carelessly sells the poison, he receives eighty blows."
In Hongkong it has not yet been deemed ad- risable to place restrictions on the sale of arsenic.
Vegetable Extract.-This is a
substance
which is in reality de-morphinated opium. Tested by the method described in the British Pharmasa it contains no morphine, but as it is we known that this method does not indiente morphine when present to the
DI under one extent
per cent., a special process was devised which showed that this primal opium substitute contained 9.117
In connection with a number of deaths on the steamer Cheang Hock Kiun, a bacteriological examination was made of two tanks of drinking water. In one tank the comma bacillus WAS isolated, and the cholera-red reaction was given per cent of morphine calculated on the dried by a pure culture of the organism.
THE DANGEROUS GOODS ORDINANCES, 1873 AND 1892.
Thirteen -steamers with petroleum in bulk arrived from Batonm during the year and dis- charged the whole or part of their cargoes. The samples of oil were found to give off in- flammable vapour at temperatures considerably above the 73 deg. F. limit.
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substance. Meconic acid and narcotine were also separated. The Magistrate decided that the sale of this extract by unanthorized persons constituted an offence under The Prepared Opium Ord nance, 1891.
Disinfectants.—Two were examined. One was valueless,
Blood Stains.-Eight articles were sent for examination and the colouring matter of blood was detected on six of these.
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