CAB11-57-11 — Page 95

Page 95

Page 95

105

CHAPTER VI (i) and (ii).

59

For the purpose of fire prevention and control, the city of Victoria is divided into three districts-Western, Central, and Eastern, the limits of which are fixed at the Harbour Office and Murray Barracks. On the occasion of a fire the locality is notified by three tolls of the bell for the Western, two for the Central, and one for the Eastern district.

The headquarters of the brigade are at No. 5 station in Queen's Road, Central, and in it are kept all the stores and the engines that are not located elsewhere. A certain number of European and Chinese firemen also sleep here, and the assistant engineer, who is responsible for the upkeep of the engines and appliances, is perma- nently located at this station.

The other and subsidiary stations are at the police stations at West Point, Wanchai, Yaumati, Sai-ki-Wan, and Aberdeen.

There are also numerous places in different parts of the town where fire dispatch boxes are kept. There are barrows supplied with 300 feet of hose, and all necessary appliances for at once making use of street hydrants. They were specially designed for dealing with fires on the high levels.

In addition to the despatch boxes, the brigade possesses four land steam-engines and one floating engine; it also possesses some manual engines which are kept in the various out-villages.

The brigade is so organized and distributed as to form an excellent nucleus for expansion in time of war, by means of civilian volunteers, to any extent that may be required, under the supervision of the superintendent.

The naval and military establishments and barracks are in addition well supplied with their separate fire-engines, &c., which could be utilized in their immediate neigh- bourhood.

It may be well to note that unless the entrances to the harbour are forced, or an attacking force armed with modern guns comes from China, the city of Victoria is safe from the fire of hostile guns.

(8.)-Action by Principal Civil Medical Officer.

1. The Principal Civil Medical Officer will have action to take in connection with the provision of additional medical practitioners and of accommodation in the civil hospital for sick and wounded. Immediately on the outbreak of hostilities it will be his duty to place himself in immediate communication with the P.M.O., to whom he will give every assistance which can be rendered by himself or his staff.

2. He is arranging that an emergency indent be filed in London for medical stores and surgical appliances, &c., for 500 cases, which is to be acted on at once on receipt of a cablegram from Hong Kong, and the stores dispatched with the least possible delay.

3. He is preparing a register of the civil medical practitioners and Chinese dispensers who are willing to give their services in time of war.

(ii.)---Harbour Traffic Regulations.

(a.) Schedule of Arrangements for the Examination Service and Regulation of Traffic when necessary during or in anticipation of War.

[To be put in force when necessary, on notice being given by the military Officer responsible for the defence of the port on receipt of instructions from the War Office, at the request of the Admiralty.]

1. The following arrangements are designed (i.) to prevent the entry of hostile ships into the port of Hong Kong, whether by force, treachery, or stratagem; and (ii.) in effecting this object, to avoid unnecessary restrictions on vessels using the port, such as would interfere with its full use, or would tend to deter shipping from frequenting it.

Page 95

Page 95

Page 95Page 96