October 6, 1906.)
THE SHANGHAI WATERWORKS.
The Shanghai Waterworks and pumping station are situated about two and a half miles from the Garden Bridge, on Yangtsepoo Road The Company was formed in 1881, and com- menced to supply Shanghai with water in 1883, and was the first venture of its kind to be started in China. The property owned by the Company is very extensive, covering an area of more than The property on the river side of the roadway is nearly all developed, bat ample room is still available for additional engines and boilers. To understand the process by which the turbid water of the Huangpu is converted into the clean water which the Company sup- plies, it is necessary to follow the different steps through which it passes before it is pumped into the mains and the water tower.
150 mow.
SETTLING BESERVOIRS.
The water is taken from the river at flood tide by gravitation and pumping. The two centrifugal pumps used for this purpose are housed on the bank of the river, and are capable of delivering into any of the reservoirs 1,250,000 gallons per hour. There are four settling re- servoirs with a total capacity of 20,000,000 gallons, and in them the water remains until the sediment and heavy matter are precipitated. When this is accomplished the water is pump- ed through floating suction pipes, so arranged that the top water is always drawn off while the sediment on the bottom of the reservoir is not disturbed.
SERVICE RESERVOIRS, FILTER BEDS, AND
CLEAN WATER RESERVOIRS. The water from the settling reservoirs is pumped into the service reservoirs, which are raised some ten to twelve feet so as to allow the water to flow by gravitation on to the filter beds. Each filter bed has special valves to regulate the flow and discharge. After passing through a thick layer of fine sand and other filtering material (one filter bed contains about 4,000 tons of filtering material) the water again flows by gravitation to the clean water reservoir, which is entirely covered in, so as to prevent any possibility of pollutions from the atmosphere. This reservoir is about 20 feet deep, and is connected to the main pump wells by 30-inch
pipes. This is the last stage before the water is pumped to Shanghai,
THE ENGINE AND BOILER HOUSE.
any
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
NEW CONSTRUCTION.
[
Extensive additions to the Company's works are nin course of construction, the principal item being a new clean water reservoir, which, when completed, will be capable of holding about 1,500,000 gallons of filtered water. This reservoir is now approaching completion, and two addi tional filter beds, the excavatio of which has just commenced, will be ready for use in the spring of ne t year. Bat by far the most important of the company's new enterprises is the construction of another water tower in the Sinza district. The growth of Shanghai and the great and ever-increasing demand for water hava necessitated constant extensions of the Company's mains, and recently an additional 25 inch main has been laid from the pumping station to connect direct with the new tower in Sinza, a distance of five miles from the pumping station. The new tower, which is to be erected
on
a site quite close to the tone Bridge will be of greater capacity than that in Kiangse Road. The cement concrete founda- tions are now nearly completed, and the huge granite blocks which are each to bear one of the seventeen columns are now being prepared for the positions they are to occupy. T ese blocks, which are said to be the largest blocks of granite that have ever been brought to Shanghai, weigh no less than six tons each. The new tower will be 125 feet high, so as to give pressure sufficient to provide an adequate water supply to the high buildings lately put up or now in course of construction,
inch.
THE PRESENT WATER TOWER,
€
239
YOKOHAMA SPECIE BANK AND TRADE.
At the 53rd general meeting of the Yokohama Yamakawa, said that in spite of the general Specie Bank the Acting President, Mr. pectation that a sudden growth of enter. оп the wake of the prise would follow successful outcome of the war, the market continued to show no signs of new activity. A good deal had been heard of expanding old enterprises and of starting new ones; but, apparently, owing to the prevalent anxiety for the financial prospects of the country, the capitalists showed reluctance i vesting their swelled and found no outlet, causing the steady funds. The deposit accounts of the banks
fall of the rate o interest.
the rate at the Central Bank twice within the the lowering of
war.
term under review did not prove of much encouragement to enterprises. Such being the general state of affairs, the paying-in of 5 per cent. public bonds, and the issue of exchequer notes affected the inflated money-market but slightly The only call for money came towards the last part of the term to settle accounts for summer goods, raw silk, etc. Otherwise, the term has been a very dull half-year. The business of the bank itself had
the been considerably extended since Several branches and agencies had been esta blished in Manchuria. One was recently added at Liaoyang by the order of the Government, which, since the 18th of June, has undertaken the agency for the Central Exchequer. In Antunghien and Hankow the bank also has the 1st of July and the 11th of August. agencies, which opened business respectively on All the Manchurian branches, which have so far served mainly as agencies for the Central Exchequer, will Soon commence to trans- The work of re- act banking business. deeming the War Notes will be transferred to the main office. The expansion of business at the branch offices will necessitate new buildings ia place of the present offices which have been rented from the Government. The branches
The Water Tower in Kiangse Road is of handsome design. It is 100 feet high, and de- livers water at a pressure of 40 lbs, to the square The water is pumped from the works to the tower through the trunk mains already men- tioned, and is distributed through 62 miles of mains to the various districts extending nearly to the Point on Yangtzepoo Road, the Rifle Range on the North, and Jessfield and Sicawei on the West. There are also 60 hydrants for use at fires, and for filling water carts. The summit of the water tower is reached by a spiral staircase round the central column, and 129 stops have to be ascended to reach the Hawaii, Peking, Tokyo and other places feel gallery that surrounds the tank. The demand the same need of spice. The expenses for for water varies at different hours of the day, these home and foreign offices are estimated at
Y1 400,000. being heaviest in the morning between seven
The expenses will be refunded and noon, and again, in the summer months, from the reserves made from the commissions between six and eight in the evening. Besides the received for the floating of the public loan ordinary domestic requirements the Company sup-bonds and such other extra incomes. The plies large quantities of water for Municipal use, expansion of business will also necessitats the and to the shipping and manufactories. Power- ful steam water
boats are
emloyed for supplying water to the shipping in harbour and outside Woosung. water tower there are extensive workshops, and a large godown fully stocked with water fittings of the latest design. A large staff of trained workmen is constantly employed in laying on hot and cold water fittings, and installing heating apparatus in new buildings.
At the foot of the
Under a recent arrangement with the Muni- cipal Council the latter was given a large number of shares in the Company, in whose deserved prosperity the ratepayers will now share.-N.-G. ̄ ̃ ̄D,N.
THE HONGKONG TARGET.
increase of the number of directors, for which matter amendment in the regulations is pro- posed in document. Mr. Yamakawa's speech concluded with the announcement of the gifts of Y40,000 and Y20,000 respectively to ex-
President Soma and the late ex-Vice-President
Misaki, in appreciation of their long services
to the Bank.
CUSTOMERS OF HONGKONG.
Two interesting extracts from Consular reports are as follows:-
The main engine and boiler house is a hand. some and substantial building of castellated design, containing four powerful pumping engines. Three of the engines are of the horizontal compound condensing type, while the fourth is one of Messrs. Hnthorn Davey's differential engines. These engines are designed to pump into the Settlement no less than 14,000,000 gallons in twenty-four hours, though the maximum daily supply has never exceeded 7,750,000 gallons. Like the rest of the Company's plant, the engines re kept in splendid order, everything in the room being as bright as the proverbial new pia. Steam is generated in four Lancashire boilers, and there are indica- tors and alarms to show the height of water in the tower, and to give warning of fires,
A very profitable business has been done in so that the staff may be ready for
Hongkong sugar at Ningpo during the year, emergency. It is interesting to note the
Small quantities of Japanese refined sugar growth of the Company's work from the dates
appeared on the market for the first time, hu on these engines. The first pair wore built
it is considered unlikely that it will eat in 1881, and were then considered large, but
seriously compete with the Hongkong pro con- they were completely eclipsed by the engine
British yarn shows a slight increase, but ve to installed ten years later, which was in tura
Our London correspondent wrote on Sept. and Japanese yarn have fallen away or fresh dwarfed by the powerful pump put down in 7th ---Some of your readers will probably be in- ably owing to the competition of the rices, as 1901. The latter has a monster fly-wheel 16
terested to learn that at the National Artillery staple. This may be expected to though feet in diameter, weighing nearly 24 tons,
Volunteer meeting at Shoeburyness this week There already one cotton mill ester goods and can account for about 250,000 gallons per the target used for deciding the "blue ribbon whose annual output of yarn is abrt that they hour. Yet in spite of its size and power the of the gathering is known in the Service as a lbs. ; and another mill, now in coud of the latter foundations upon which it stands are so solid
Hongkong target. This consists of two ordin will begin operations before the hey evidently price than they that no vibration is felt, and it works almost ary targets, the length of a vessel apart, and It is therfore probable that iNorthern markets noiselessly. The water finds its way to the represents the broadside of a ship. It was Indian and Japanese yarn the situation here tower and Shanghai through one 25-inch and towed across the sea in front of the battery at a imported. A cotton mill determined to resist two 20-inch trunk mains. For the accommoda- mean range of from 2,500 to 3,500 yards, erection, and will be anufacturers can best tion of the large engine, which has all the latest and shots or shelle falling between the two ead of 1906. It has roofr supporters here, as improvements that economy and efficiency
targets scored as hits, and were considered bat will *commence caining for a while from demand, a new engine houss had to be built. | as more effective than hits on the actual machinery has been his market. Give it an Of the four boilers, only two are worked at a
screens, for the reason that the space by a Japanese expert, or five months and let time, the other two being held in reserve; in between represented the part of a vessel
to be employed in thance of working off the un- fact, as far possible, the Company's plant is in
to which most damage could be done. which is likely to boods are thrust on the mar duplicate throughout to guard against the con-
The percentage of hits made by the installation of elenigt he forgotten that, in addi- tingency of a stoppage in the water supply, winning team does not seem much better than Chinese are anxiort originally of the goods here, The pumping station and compound are lighted some of the records of the Hongkong Volun-abortive attempts vably enhanced by interest and by electricity supplied by a dynamo in the main teers who are unable to get anything like the At present it is engine house.
practice which some of the corps have at home. will be obtain
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Unless some concerted action arranged there will be such an trade as has never before been
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