Work is proceeding apace on the new French Council buildings which are in course of construction at the corner of Avenu> Pan! Branat and the Rue Soy Chan. The buildings will include fire station, infirmary and gaol, and will be of four storeys, surmounted by watch tower ninety feet io height Externally the buildings will be faced with red brick and roofed with corrugated, ganized iron.
The floors, where they tare wood, will be of Singapore red-wood carried, in some instances, on joists of Oregon pine and in other cases of Singapore hardwood, The baudings will be grouped round " quadrangle, which forms the police yard, on th north side of which will be the police offices, over which are the quarters for the Chinese police, with windows on the north and south sides, On the west si there are two Large sheds, one with room for forty n thas and the other accom mo dating six carriages. As these ar re entirely open to the yard the work of inspecting the vehicles will be greatly facilitated. Over these sheds are th quarters for the Annamite police. On the south id quarters for the European members of the staff, th ground floor being given up to general and common rooms.
At the west end of this building is a lecture room, accommodating over sixty persons, an assembly room and reading room with verandah fronting south, and at the eastern end are the dining rooms, ete. The three upper floors provide private rooms for meropers and quarters for the servants. On the east side of the quadrangle there is detached single that no delay should be experienced in getting away sharply in response to a call. The watch tower, besides providing an excellent vantage point, will also be used as 8 drying room for the hose. On the first floor of the building are the quarters for the Volunteer firemen, with verandah facing east, and in the attic story the Chinese ire lies will find accommodation. 'A sliding pole from the top to the bottom of the building will enable the men to get down rapidly, and the stallation of electric light and alarm in each room will preclude the bility of heavy sleepers not being ened. A drill yard is at the back. Behind the fire station are more quarters for Chinese, and still further back are other quarters for Europeans. On the ground floor of this particular block is, the with private Director's room, drive, The infirmary is on the north side of the square, facing south, and jit has sufficient rooms to accommodate fifteen persons, each with separate kitchen, and there are also private apartments for the Superintendent and Aasistant, together with day room and s doctor's room, the latter of which can be used as a dis pen sary. In the north-eastern corner is the women's prison and south of this is the prison for Europeans, with four entirely separate cells for Chinese of the superior class.
A separate building in the centre of to be utilized as a powder tis detached entirely from buildings. The walls are double with cavity between and the floor is raised to prevent soakage.
Altogether the block should prove admirable for the purpose for which it is being built. In appearance it may not be striking from sri architectural point of view, as general utility more than artistic effect has been aimed storeyed block in the centre of the yard The architects in charge of the containing the prisoners' cells, which building ere Messrs, Davies and fare fo arranged s to be easily in-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.