August 1, 1903.1
PUBLIC WORKS IN 1902.
The report of Me. W Cliatham, Direc or of Public Works, for 192 is published in the Gazette. We make (lb following extracts :— WORK UNDER THE BUILDING ORDINANCE.
Plant-lans were deposited during the year for the following European houses, 33, Chinese bouses, 467 buildings and structures other than the above 370; alterations and additions to existing buildings, 809. Total, 1.679. There was a marked decrease, as com pared with 1901, in the two first items, the new houses for which plans were submitted numbering only 500 as against 952. In the fourth item there was an increase of 237.
Certificates.-Certificates for 937 new build ings were issued under section 53 of Ordinance 15 of 1889, an increas of 244 as compared with 1901:
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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The
ing on water for cleansing and disinfecting bounded by the Central Market on the East purposes was discontinued, the Sanitary Board and the Soldiers Homs on the Wust and cou. arrangements for obtaining a supply, ・ (c.) A. daily supply from the tanks was increased, the having been previously instructed to make other taining a population of about 17,000. As the few days later, all supplies to shipping and for cut-off are was extended back to Hollywood building purposes wer- disconnected. Atten-Road and High Street, until it- ultimštely to supplement the supply from all sources, cally the whole of the water obtainable' from tion was next turned to the adoption of measures invaded a population of about 63,000. – Prieti- and П o naisting of
the 12th February a committee, the stream near Tenu Wan was being imported Registrar
Harbour Maste, the towards the terminaton of the drought, the total Public
General, and the Director of quantity derived from this sourcy being or r23 Works, Wag appointed by His million gallons, or about one-third of the Excell ucy the Government with full powers to take whatever period, the average daily supply deliron d' per (ficer Administering th Fokfulani Reservior. Taking it over the whilh
Prior to this, an inspection had been made of 5.8 gallons. steps they thought necessary for the purpose. head of the population of the cut-off area wag
within reasonable distance of the City, resulting made with Messrs. Butterfield & Swire for several of the principal streams on the mainland In addition to the above, arrangements were in the selection of oco near Tsuowan. question of resuming possession of the Laicbi-voir for the Fastern district of the Cite A
The obtaining a supply from their principal reser kok stream, which had been leased to the line of pipes connecting with the reservoir Notices and Permits Notices relating to Steam Water-boat Co., was cousidered, but was ref rred to was placet at the sorvice of tho structures in 、s dangerous condition were abandoned on account of the dai'y yield being Government by Messrs. Jardinc, Matheson & served in 144 cases, whilst 1,583 permits and somewhat inadequate, besides which its resump Co. for eight hours daily, and a supplementary 74 notices of a miscellaneous nature were issued. tion would have caused serions interforence main, over a mile in length, was laid.
Ordinances.-A Bill consolidating the laws iu with the supply to the shipping. The settle- qanntity that could be obtained from this force relative to buildings and cont ining ment of the Company's claim for damages would source was originally stated to be 15 million numerous amendments was read a first time on also have been a troublesome matter. Thongh gallons, but, in consequence of an error whi ph the 11th March, but was subsequently with considerably further afield. being six miles had been made in calculating the contents of drawn in consequence of its being ascertained distaut from the Cit. the stream tlfat it did not embody all the suggestions which Tsünwen
their servoirs, Messrs. Butterfield & Siro the sanitary experts (Mr. O. Chadwick and It had a yield of about half a
free from these objections subs quently discovered that they were not in
million Professor Simpson) proposed to make with gallons per day and
a position to supply so fu sh. The actual view to improving the sanitary con-driving à sandalwood-grinding mill, and, as gallons. With the curtailment of the area-
used only for quantity.obtained was a little over 14 million dition of the City. Another Bill, entitled the simples tested by the Government Analyst served from the City Waterworks, it became Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, in showed the water to be suitable for potable pur-possible to reduce the hours of supply and these which all the laws in force relating to these posis, arrangements were at ouce made to were limited to two hours daily on the 31st matters were consolidated and amended, was render it available for transport to the Prays, March and to one hour on the 28th April. In read a first time on the 7th July, 1962. It had where it could be distributed for the supply of consequence of the steady continuance of the not, however, been passed by the close of the the population of the low-level district. year. Its principal fea ures were the abolition Legotiation with the owner of the sandalwood given by His Excellency the Officer Adminis
By drought up to the end of April. instructions were of cubicles not directly lighted by windows, the mill, the use of his dam and channel was tering the Government to make arrangements requirement of lanes and larger yard-spa e, and obtained, the latter being extend d for a distance for importing more water to the City at any the abatement of overcrowding by requiring a of over 300 yards to a point near the shore cost. greater floor-area and cubic space per head in whence a bamboo pier, 400 feet long, was con-
Numerous schemes for so doing were the ease of most of the existing houses.
considered and several were initiated. structed to carry a large wooden shoot for discharging the water into lighters. It was decided to convey water from a small stream For the supply of the Eastern district, it was found necessary to line the new channel, as the water flowing along it became very muddy from Blake Pier, in a similar manner to that at Tai Wan in Kowloon Bry, distant five miles on account of the wasting away of the softer adopted in the case of the Tsüowau stream. portions of ground through which it was ut, A dam was built across the stream, whence the and this was done with 9-inch stoneware pipes. water was conducted in an open channel. 703 Three large lighters, each capable of containing yards long, to a tank near the sea-sbore. "From over 90,000 gallons, were hired, and, after being this point, three lines of canvas hose, supported thoroughly cleansed, were fitted up with timber bulkheads in order to adapt them for conveying across the foreshore to where lighters could be ou trestles, were laid for a distance of 567 yards water. Before the end of the drought, the filled at all states of the tide. A large tank, number of lighters was increased to five. These into which the water was to be pumped was were filled from the shoot already referred to fitted up at Ship Street, numerous taps being and towed to the Praya. tanks having a combined capacity of 100,000 works were completed, but were not brought On the Fraya, three provided for drawing it off into buckets. These gallons were constructed of brick and concrete, into service on account of the rainy season` One was situated 1ear Wing Wo Street, setting in before they could be availed of. In PUBLIC WORKS RECURRENT.
another at the west end of Wing Lok Street. order to supply additional areas in the central Maintenance of Waterworks, City and Hill and the third at Easteru Stree', all three and western w-level districts, beyond · thos› District. The year 1902, will be a memorable being connected by a line of wrought or cist-ulready supplied from Tsuowan, works were one on account of the severe drought experi-iron pipe, 6 and 7 inches in diameter, laid undertaken for bringing water from a stream enced during the early part of it; the
at Tai Lam Chung, near Castle Peak Bay sud subsequent heavy rainfall condeused into a
dis'ant 13 miles from Blake Pier. These period of about three months; and the necessity
works comprised the construction of a dam; of again resorting to intermittent supply in
1,206 lines feet of open channel; 2 miles of consequence of the early cessation of the rains,
cast-iron pipes, 12 inches in diameter; trestle, the rainfall of September being the lowest on
bridges over ravines and a trostlo pier at the record. During the entire year a constant
tea-shore. Brick tanks, each having a capacity supply of water was maintained for 160 days
of 34,000 gallons, to fecei yhe water from this only, the supply being intermittent for the
source, were constructed on the Prays, one remaining 205 days. The followig were the
opposite Pottinger Street and the other op periods of intermittent supply:-1st January
posite French Street. All these works were to 24th May and 1st November to 31st
about half finished when the raios set ins December, An account of the earlier stages of the drought having been given in last year's report, it is only necessary to repeat here that the contents of the reservoirs had been reduced to 146 million gallons on the 1st Jannary In view of the fact that the shrinkage | in the reservoirs from 11th November, 1901, when the intermittent system was introduced, to the 1st January, 1903, was 95 million gallons, or at the rate of 13 million gallons per week, it became necessary to consider what further measures could be adopted besides these already in force, in order to maintain a supply of water until the commencement of the rainy season. In order to economise the supply remaining, the following steps were taken :-(a) On the13th January the hours of supply to the City were reduced from 4 to 3 daily. (b) On the 22nd January, the practice of turn-
General Remarks. An unsatisfactory feature of the year was the large number of collapses of buildings which occurred, many of the buildings involved being new of nearly 0. Io several cases the collapses were attended with consid "erable loss of life. With a view to preventing such occurrences in future, numerous provisions have been inserted in the new Ordinance referred to above. They included a substantial increase in the thickness of walls and the buildings of certain portions in cement mortar, the insertion of iron the roads in unsupported external walls of considerable length, the proli- bition of persons practising as architects unless authorised by the Governor in Council, and the imposition of increased responsibilities upon architects.
along the Praya wall. Barricades were erected at the tanks, with entrances and exits, to enable the stream of people to be regulated and thus avoid loss of time through the confusion which might otherwise have arisen. At the central tank, a 6-inch centrifugal pump, mounted on a barge, and provided with the neotssary boiler and connections to the lighters and tank, was stationed for pumping the water, all the tanks being supplied simultaneously through the pipe-line already mentioned. About 20 large taps, each of which was capable of filling a 5-gallon bucket in a minute, were provided at each tank in the firs instance, 5 more taps being added subsequently. A duplicate set of pumping machinery was fitted up and held in readiness in case of a break down occurring to the one in use. Military guards were stationed at the tanks to maintain order and ensure that all who came to obtain water should take their turis their order of coming. The arrar gements were got into working order on the 10th March, and from that date onwards till the 17th May, a regular, daily supply was maintained from the tanks, varying from 547,000 gallons at the beginning to 432,000 gallons at the end of the period mentioned.
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For trans, orting the water, two lighters were lent by the Superintendent of the Penin- sular and Oriental Steam Navigation Com- pany, and five others were hired from the Godown Company and Naval Authorities, ull of them being filled with bulkheads and other- wise adapted for the purpose. Some other works of a similar nature to those already discribed, but of less magnitude, were also undertaken and a scheme was considered for obtaining a supply of river-water from Molo Mun; distant about 60 miles from the Colony It was proposed to transport the water in steamers to be chartered for the puri
from objections on the score of ex
ery great that it would be impracticable to regular daily supply t scheme was therefore abandoned,
Simultaneously with heinauguration of this would have bee
supply, the water in the mains was shut off from a portion of the City extending along the Harbour front and back to Queen's Road
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