the Editor of the Nowru-Curxa Darcy News, ¥in,—The leading article in your paper yesterday ig reflects on the report of the Cou Rppointed to enquire into the new line of Bunding at the boucher been fou few words of explanation may disap the public mind of this ides. So long ago on September, 1864, the late Mr, John Clark, C.8., an engineer of more than ion, reported to the at the' request of the Ger Chamber of Commerce, on the advisability of taking steps to i the flow of the river currents by partially closing th mouth of Uke Soochow Crevk, and defini curve from the front of the Bug Settlement to the Mongkew Creek.
8 "You will see also the advantages of the Starling shaped" corner (i.e. of the present Public Garden foreshore xe proposed) with regard to the up-tide, of which it will lower the force by dividing it, diverting a larger body on through th atrong aad reducing its impetuosity in the Crevk, by the alteration of the month from ite present bell shaped? curve; a curve more calculated than any other to add to the vivlenes of the inf: ing tide by impelling from a wide curve largo volumes of water up a too suddenly contracting channel; thus acting in a imilar manuee to an hydraulic ram."
report was followed wp in January, 1865 by one more detailed; an extract views— the Huangpu, Lam disposed to regard the line of the present mud fat improvement upon that of the exist An vf the plan will show Chat the ututefl touches at frequent intervals, and has a tendency to anticipate a similar curve to that which Ihave warked down as the easiest for the river flow,"
Acting an the principles referred to in Mr. Clark's report, the foreshore of the Public Garden was wade to follow in pact the natural curve indicated, Want of funds prevented its being carried out in its enliroty to the Starling Point" suggested. The effect of defining ea much of the cure has been markedly advantageous, the formation of wud banks in front of th English Settl growth of the farded, if not stopped.
In July 1463, not at the time having any professional connexion with the owner of the Wills' state, I find in " pub! port of my own the recommenda order to improve thy currents of the Hu pu, and to alford greater facilities for the navigation of the Souchow Creek, to entirely clots the tidal entrance of the Creek, and substitute lucks to impound the upper waters, in addition to the measures previously proposed by Mr, Clark, hat this would be the wisest course tv adopt, L have still no hesitation in afirming but of 1863 stood in the way of improvement of the internal ious of China exist with fourfold violence in 1884, The rensous on which the recommendation were founded were in great measure identical with those which led Mr. Clark to condemn the bell-ped" curves at the mouth of the Creek, Kxperionce having shown the advantage the work undertaken in defining the curve in front of the Public Garden, ut various periods the Municipal C suucil have ought forward the subject. [find that in three occasions the ratepayers have giv: their sanction to bund extension at the public expense. In each case either from the obstruction of the officials or 1 of Municipal finances, the matter was subsequently permitted to drop, and with the exception of the Public Garden foreshore any work undertaken has been at private expense and apparently without official superinten lence. The mird fist adjacent to the Jupanese Consulate has been a facts and the deterioration in the value of their property, the owners of the estate consulted me last year on the steps to be taken.
Thind no hesitation frou the ed during the Inst twenty works at the entrance of vation of the flats, and prepared a plan showing the line I suggested ay buat in the intoreste of all concerned, At the same time the Harbour Master, Captain iabee, was without communication with ed in wsimilur task, On conmultae tion with him subsequently, L found that the lines proposed by us both were prac tically identical, the main diffecouce being that while L proposed to enceouch loss the Garden Bridge, I threw the mouth more to the auth-east in order to onl the toe of the bank formed by th of the eddy water. he difference only amoquted to about ten feet in either case, and under the circumstances the owner gladly accepted the line proposed by the Harbour Master which is the lino taken by the pres parties ¢ opinion aa to the advisability of coe out the Garden frontage ao as to still more regularly define cutouts at the entrance of the Creek, Lhe areertion that the line is an i tion may therefore be at once the above facta 11 knows members of the Committee, and it was 1 believe from review of the previous reports and recommendations that the decision of the Committee was arrived at. No one was exunined on behalf of the owners of the land uor were they i measure represented, so that the oj iven may fairly reconsidered as tmbinssed, and adopted with due deliberation.
As for the proposed line not being idenical with that projected twenty years ayo, nay be sullicient to say that the condi-tious have changed much since that time, the opponents of the present lino are prepared to entirely remodel all the properties between the Sovchow and Hongkew Or and to ye the Japanoaw ited States lates, and the Mitsu Bishi Wharf, it would be in lay present line, these conditiuus were taken into consideration and the practicability ing the work as well as the i cation, aflurded by the manner of tormas tion of the flats had due weight. For my own part [have been always of the opinion that the line proposed by Mz. Clark opened too directly in the line of the lower reach, and that the current of the up-tide would. not be sulliciontly deflected. a mere opinion, but can be supported by us strong arguments, at least as the contrary view, It is moreover in accordance with
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.