ENG-1947 — Page 147

Steam Launches..

Junks

GRAND TOTAL

LOCAL TRADE.

2,242

117,383

5,835

249,592

5,320

138,158

7,444

237,134

45,484

11,244,311

51,425

18,990,465

One major shipping disaster occurred in the Port during the year when the 1,900 ton s.s. Sai On caught fire early in the morning of 4th February, 1947, as she lay alongside a wharf on Hong Kong Island. Over 130 lives were lost in spite of the efforts of members of the Fire Brigade, to 3 of whom decorations were awarded for their gallant conduct on this occasion. Two constables also were awarded the Colonial Police Medal for gallantry on the same occasion, and the George Medal was awarded to a bystander for his part in the rescue work.

The Ferries.

The year 1947 was marked by further progress in the restoration of the ferry services to the pre-war standard. The Star Ferry which operates the shortest crossing of the Harbour from a point in the centre of Victoria to Tsim Sha Tsui at the southern extremity of the Kowloon Peninsula, maintained a ten minutes service with four launches throughout the year: towards the end of the year the five-minutes service which was normal before the war was reintroduced at rush hours. A fifth launch, salvaged from the Pearl River at Bocca Tigris, has been entirely reconstructed, and should be in service again shortly. The sixth and last of the Company's pre-war fleet is not expected to be in service until the end of 1948.

Services on the routes operated by the Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company were also further improved. Sailings on the Mongkok and Shamshuipo routes were increased to a 12 minute service during rush hours, and the hours of service were extended. The frequency of the Jordan Road passenger service was also increased, and there are now four sailings to Cheung Chau daily and six on Sundays and holidays. Some of the routes in operation before the war have not yet been reopened for the lack of ferry piers, and the existing services are consequently congested with extra traffic from such thickly populated areas as Kowloon City, Hung Hom, Sai Wan Ho and Tsun Wan.

The vehicular ferry at the beginning of the year was main- taining a 40-minute service: this was reduced first of all to 36 minutes, and later with the repair of a second launch to a service alternating between 12 and 24 minutes. The hours of service were also extended. Nevertheless, for the greater part of the year the congestion on this route was such that vehicles frequently had to wait 2 or 3 hours for a passage. The comple- tion of repairs on the third vessel, which, it is hoped, will be achieved in April or May 1948, will enable the company to provide a 12-minute service throughout the day.

107