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readily seen and most effective. This is carried by a series of projecting brick pilasters, which run up both the other storeys to carry the enclosed
the Only verandab areading. Connaught Road front has an open verandah, and here it is carried on granite columns. The sky line to this facade is broken with two flanking towers and a handsomely carved tympanum richly decorated, which entirely The compensates for its lesser elevation. New Praya front and the elevations for some distance on either flank are surmounted by an enriched and bold projecting cornice, finished with neat balustrade and ornate corner terminals.
Passing into the interior of the building, the ground floor has a large area devoted to go- downs, the entrance and stairs and servants' quarters occupying the remainder. Further accommodation for the extensive staff is pro- vided on a mezzanine floor, the height of the ground storey easily permitting of this arrangement, which has the advantage of exoluding a largo portion of the Chinese employés from the public and business part of the premises. The coolies and servants' latrine accommodation is also provided for here on a new system" for the first time in- troduced into the colony. The quarters for the compradore, coolies, kitchen, latrine, and servants are all paved with glazed brick and the walls covered with white glazed tile. The coolies, bunks are of galvanized iron, and all this apartment can be cleaned out with the hose. There is absolutely no place where filth
can accumulate.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
STEEL VERSus stone pIERS.
The following petition, praying that the piers and jetties along the Reclamation may be constructed of steel instead of stone, has been prepared for submission to H. E. the Governor. It is proposed to place copies for signature in the Hongkong Club, the New Club, the P. & O. Office, Mesare. Lane, Crawford & Co's, and Messrs. Kelly and Walsh, Limited -
September, 1897.
His EXCELLENCY SIR WILLIAM ROBINSON,
GOVERNOR G.C.M.G.,
COM MANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE COLONY OF
HONGKONG.
May it please Your Excellency,
the case
AND
[September 29, 1897.
after a lengthy and thorough trial, was con- demned and discarded nearly a quarter of a century ago, and some of the inherent defects of which were bronght prominently to notice at the New Murray Pier by. the first Northerly gale after its completion.
We would, furthermore, beg to suggest that all the remaining public piers which have to be erected, including those in course of building, should be constructed of mild steel. We are advised on competent authority that this can be done without difficulty and that wharves con- structed of that material can be made as strong as those built of solid stone. As an example of the durability of steel wharves in these waters, we would beg to draw Your Excellency's atten. tion to a large mild steel wharf at Quarry Bay, erected in 1882, which has stood remarkably
We are credibly informed that this wharf is, to all intents and purposes, in almost as good condition as when it was first built 15 years ago, and that during that period it has required little more than an annual cleaning and coat of tar.
With regard to the objection which may be raised on the score of expense, on account of the progress which has already been made with some of the masonry wharves, we would beg to point out that mild steel piers are considerably less costly than stone, and, even if the change would involve increased expenditure, we would submit that the additional outlay would be more than compensated for by the saving effected in dredging expenses later on, while, if the experi- ence of 1874 with these stone piers is to be repeated, the ultimate saving to be derived from adopting this course before proceeding any further with the work, is incalculable.
We, the Undersigned, Agents of Steamships, Owners of Steam-launches, Residents of Kow-well. loon and others interested in the Dock, Factories and the numerous industrial undertakings located there and in the welfare of this Colony earnestly beg to call Your Excellency's atten- tion to the fact that experience has shown the solid masonry piers and jetties, in course of erection by the Government on the line of the New Praya extension, to be particularly ill. adapted for this Harbour. That such is was clearly demonstrated during the moderate North-Easterly gale which pre- vailed on Friday, the 17th instant, Early in the afternoon it would have been impossible for a launch to approach the New Murray Pier--the only one of these stone piers yet completed even on the lee side, while at six o'clock, when the gale had reached its full force, wares were breaking over the jetty, throwing up columns The main offices are on the first floor, and of water to the height of 20 feet, or more, the can be approached from either the New Praya spray from which was carried far across the or Connaught Road. The aim in arranging Praya, rendering the jetty absolutely inacces this floor has been to obtain the maximum of sible; during this time, at the Canton and New light and ventilation and give the slightest Pedder's wharves and the other open wooden breeze an uninterrupted passage right through | piers which offer but little area for the sea to the building. To effect this, the ceiling is sup-impingo against, no spray was observable, and ported on an imposing number of handsome iron columns, tastefully picked out in different colours, and the various offices are divided off with ornamental panelled teak partitions 7 ft. high. This arrangement, apart from its hygienic merits, has an imposing effect, giving a full sweep of the large interior at a glance and the choice tesselated verandahs' filed dado. The window fittings and general completeness and finish of the appointments on this floor are certainly calculated to impress the visitor. The planning of this portion of the building provides for privacy for the office staff, but there is ample accommodation for the public in the verandahs on two sides of the building, which are enclosed with cast iron window frames, glazed with thick plate glass.
All the floors, roof, ceilings, and stairs throughout the building are fire proof. The floors are constructed on iron joists with cor- rugated sheet iron arches in between, covered over with cement concrete, into which is bedded the hardwood battens to which the teak flooring is attached. In the case of the roof the same construction is adopted, but the concrete is covered in the well-known manner of the flat Indian terrace roofs. The sliding doors and shutters in the basement are also of iron, so that the building is about as fireproof as it can be made. The top floor is practically a private house, and only occupies about balf the area of the first floor, but the remaining space is available for extension when required, and meanwhile will make an excellent
tennis court.
The architect of the building is Mr. W. Danby, M.I.C.E.
Mr. H. H. Fox, who has been a member of the British Consular service in China for the
to last seven
years, proceeds England by the M.M. steamer Laos, on a well-earned holiday. Mr. Fox was at one time acting Con- sul at Wenchow, and latterly attached to the British Consulate at Shanghai, where his ser- vices have been highly valued. During the absence of Mr. J. Scott, H.B.M.'s Vice-Consul, who is away on leave in Japan, Mr. Fox has had to act as British Assessor in the Mixed Court, the duties of which we need hardly say he has fulfilled in a conscientious manner.— China Gazette.
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launches could, and did, proceed alongside them. If it so happens that with every fresh Nor- therly breeze which blows during the N. E. Monsoon, communication with vessels in the Harbour and with Kowloon has to be suspended on account of the inability of launches and other craft to go alongside the public jetties- as the experience gained during the recent blow cer- tainly indicates-it is apparent, as we would beg to impress upon Your Excellency, that not only the shipping trade and the travelling public generally, but also the increasing interests of the important commercial offshoot of this colony on the Mainland will suffer seriously, and the inconvenience caused to the Garrison and resid- ents of that suburb will be most vexations.
It is within the memory of many residents that as far back as 1874 it was decided that
solid masonry piers, in addition to being a source of danger to the Praya wall itself, were unsuit- able for the Harbour, and all the solid stone wharves, which were in any way interfered with during the reconstruction of the Praya wall after the memorable typhoon of that year, were removed. We have it on reliable authority, that the Hon. J. H. Price, the then Surveyor General, who during a long experience of tyyhoons and heavy gales had acquired a special knowledge of the subject, was so firmly con- vinced of the undesirability of solid stone wharves for this Harbour that he did all in his power to have them abolished.
Besides acting as breakwaters, over which the waves wash and so render useles in stormy weather, these solid wharves-as was proved in the old masonry jetties removed in 1874-ob- struct the natural currents, and consequently silt, garbage, and other offensive matter ac cumulate on either side of them, entailing a heavy annual expenditure for dredging on the ratepayers, and, as has happened in times past, generally proving more or less injurious By substituting steel to the public health. wharves these evils would be averted, as, al- though stronger, the piles are far less in size
We fully realise that the substitution of steel for stone jetties will cause some delay, but the knowledge that it has already been clearly established that solid wharves are not suitable for this harbour, would, we can assure Your Excellency, reconcile the community to the loss of time which the proposed alteration must necessarily incnr.-We have the honour to be, Your Excellency's most obedient humble ser- vants,
THE TYPHOON AT HOIHOW.
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.] One of the severest typhoons on record visited this port on of Friday. night and Saturday morning 17th and 18th inst. On was high from early the 17th the wind morning with a slightly falling barometer; but no apprehension was felt of a typhoon, From noon to 4 p.m., however, the glass fell
deg. and the wind increased in force, blowing from N.W. and N.N.W. Attention was then aroused, as the weather indicated a gale. From 4 p.m. it was quite apparent that it was going to blow hard, and at about dusk it blew in furious gusts from N.W. There was no rain to speak of. At 7 p.m. the wind in. creased, with high water in the harbour. By 9p.m. a perfect typhoon was raging with violent winds and a little rain. The water rose rapidly, sweeping everything before it like a tidal wave. The town, being built some six feet above the level of the water at ordinary high tide, was now flooded by water from the harbour. By this time tiles commenced to be displaced from the roofs of the houses, which are generally frail buildings. An hour afterwards tiles and plaster were flying in all directions, and the flagstaffs at the European houses were then one by one blown down or broken by the force of the wind. The water in the streets went on rising rapidly and by 10.30 it was waist deep and in some places to a man's height. The typhoon appeared at this time to be at its highest pitch; junks, large and small, were blown from their moorings and carried on shore and into houses along the water frontage, knocking down walls and smash- ing themselves, while others went clean across At about 2 a.m. on the 18th the the main road. wind veered to S.E. and then S.,
even than wooden piles, and, by allowing the | harder, but for a short time. Plowing still
water then sea to flow through freely, they create a commenced to subside, to the great relief of natural scour which effectually prevents any ob- everybody on shore. By 3.30 a.m. the wind jectionable deposits forming along the foreshore. abated, dying out by 5 a.m., when the typhoon
Before proceeding further with the construc-appeared to have spent itself. tion of the stone piers now in course of erection, we would, therefore, most respectfully beg Your Excellency to reconsider the whole ques tion before again reverting to a system which,
“On shore the damage was considerable. To commence at Dr. McCandliss's house, attached to the hospital of the American Presbyterian Mission; this house sustained the loss of the
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