The Statistical Department of the Customs has issued one of its familiar yellow books on the " Woosung Bar: Dredging Operations," a copy of which has been politely sent us. Itcontains record, with plans, of the work that has been done op the Bar by the Anding from the 22nd of May, 1889, when the work was actually commenced, to the 30th of June, 1890. It includes a general review of the causes— with which we are all only too famil which led to the undertaking of the removal of the Bar by dredging; and this review, but that itwas more important, we presume, to preserve the chronological order of. the documents, might well have come first in the pauphiet. As to the plant employed, we learn that the Anding is not really powerful enough for the work, and the record is full of breakdowns on the dredger herself, and accidents to her ground tackle. The hopper barges, after several delays ud alterations, have been made adequate; while the Kaituny, the screw tugboat built by Messrs. Boyd "& Ca., is the only part of the plant that is reported to be a thorough success,"
Owing to the strength of the tides on the Bar, the very irregular directions in which they rau, and the bad holding ground, the Anding cannot, when everything is in good order, work more than about seventeen days in each month, while during those two spells of about eight or nine days each, she has been constantly stopped by breakdowns of tore or less, importance. Still a considerable measure of success has been achieved, as appears from the fallowing extract from the report, dated 10th April last, of Mr. E. V. Brenan, the Acting Harbour Master Despite the many ditiiculties which have had to be surmounted, the depth of water on the Bar has already been greatly increased, Although no decisive opinion can be given as to the probability or otherwise of ultimate 1 success until another summer season, with its attendant silting effects, has passed overs still, what has already been done is sufficiently encouraging to warrant the works being vigorously proceeded with. At this date the least water on the direct channel over the Bar at low water of spring tides is not less than 14 feet 6 inches, an increase of a little
on the same line before dredging commenced, more than 2 feet as compared with the depth The result is that no ships are at present detained at Woosung by reason of the insufficiency of water on the Bar, This cannot fail to have a beneficial effect on the trade of the port if the present state of things can be continued. It must not be hoped, however, that the dredging of the Bar can be effected once and for all. "Phe most that can be looked for must be that when once the required depth has been obtained, continued dredging may not be necessary; but the original cause of the formation of the Bar will, in the absence of engineering works to counteract such cause, still confine to act, and as fast as the mad deposits it will have to be removed.
On the bth of July last, Mr. Brenan reports again, and is able to say that though the Bar lad silted up again while the Anding was idle for nearly two mon undergoing repairs, the silt was only soft mud, which was easily rewoved; and is the conclusion of this report The following table shows the height of water on the Bar at the highest and lowest high waters of the months of April, May, and June of 1889 and 1890, the advantage being considerable in the current year.
Month. " 1889, Highest H.W. Cowest H, W. April B 5 1 7 Feet. in. Feet. in. May cay 4 18 3 June Pa 6 19 2 Month. 1890.
Highest Ul, W. sowest HW, April 5 0 19 9 Feet. in. Feet. in.
May Ww 19 Tone 2... 3 3, © 8
In forwarding this report to the late Taotai, Kuni Bredon gives the following interesting summary, whicl is the document in the pamphlet ing the winter months, as wae from time to time reported, a considerable quantity of hard sand waste moved. Since the southern monsoon has come there has been a fresh deposit, but this deposit is light mud which is very easily dredged away, and when the oceans monsoon cour will ba wealled away by the tides without dredging. Next winter we must get away more sand. It
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.