No. 72.
Mr. Holcombe to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

[Extract.]
No. 54.]

Sir: Referring to the voluminous correspondence between this legation and the Department in regard to the “Woosung Bar,” and the repeated [Page 121] efforts made to secure, the removal of this very serious obstruction to the commerce of Shanghai, I have the honor to inclose, herewith, a newspaper extract from which the Department will learn with pleasure that steps have at last been taken by the Chinese authorities to dredge the bar and deepen the channel of water communication between Shanghai and the sea.

I have no further information as to the details of the scheme than may be found in the extract inclosed.

* * * * * * *

I have, &c.,

CHESTER HOLCOMBE.
[Inclosure in No. 54.—Extract from the Shanghai Courier of Friday, January 6, 1882.]

away with it.

At the end of last month we were able to give our readers the intelligence that at length the Woosung Bar is to be eradicated. A contract was signed on 27th December by the Taotai Liu on behalf of the Chinese Government on the one side, and Mr. W. Watson, of Messrs. Maclean & Co., on the other, for the importation of a dredging machine to be used specially for the removal of the “heaven sent barrier.” Thus, after ten years’ continuous exertion on the part of the weightiest and wealthiest circle of the community, backed by the Chamber of Commerce, and aided by the influence of China merchants in England, that which these combined agencies have failed to achieve has been accomplished by an individual firm. It is a significant fact that the China of to-day is a country which at last has awakened from its long repose in Sleepy Hollow, and is fully aroused to the necessity of keeping pace with the giant strides of the West. In olden days the Woosung bar was regarded by Prince Kung and the official celestials generally as an omnipotent barrier to the Western barbarian. By them it was looked upon as a fragment of the great wall of China sunk in the mouth of the Whangpo. As the great wall was thought to be a most perfect means of excluding the outer barbarians from entering on the domains of the Son of Heaven, so this bar was looked upon as a most effective protection against foreign war-ships attempting to come up to Shanghai. It was this feeling that caused the Chinese officials to offer that impalpable but persistent opposition to any preliminary measures proposed to abolish this obstacle that has, until lately, characterized the celestial nation in dealing with the foreigner. As we have stated, the determined outcry of the foreigners, and their customary energy in endeavoring to remove this bar, dates from some ten years back. In olden days when the vessels visiting this port were nearly all sailing ships, those of deep draught were content to wait for days at the bar for water. Those were the “good old times” when there was only a monthly mail delivered by the P. and O. in steamers no bigger than the present Tientsin packets, when Shanghai made pleasure a business and business a pleasure, when there was none of the hurry-scurry worry, and fight for existence which characterises the settlement of to-day. But now, immediately ships arrive at Woosung, it is imperative that they should force a way over the bar, and come into port with all possible speed. To assist them in doing this a swarm of cargo-boats have cropped up on the river, and they are always in readiness to hurry to the bar, and lighter ships of deep draught sufficiently to enable them more easily to force their keels through the mud of the bar.

In consequence of this, the leading merchants, and notably the Chamber of Commerce, brought their weight and energy to bear on the Chinese with a view to the removal of the obstruction. Thus at great expense, and with considerable perseverance in this direction, Messrs. Escher and De Ryke were instructed to survey the river and report upon the cheapest and most efficient method by which a clear channel could be maintained. The exhaustive and elaborate reports of these gentlemen will be sufficiently fresh in the recollection of our readers to dispense with recapitulation. But able and practical as were the suggestions of these experts, and backed as they were by the influence of the Chamber of Commerce, they were never practically recognized by the Chinese authorities. Nor did Major Bridgford’s report achieve any greater success, although the method which he advocated for clearing the river was estimated to cost no more than Tls.150,000. We may here remark that, at the period when the name of the Heaven-sent barrier was given to this bar, if the foreign merchants had agreed to remove the obstruction at their own expense, it is more than questionable if the Chinese authorities would have permitted such an action, judging from the spirit in which they regarded this impediment to the navigation of [Page 122] the Whangpoo. Comparing the opinions held by the Chinese on this matter some ten years since with those which have been just recently expressed by them in their latest action, we are struck with the advance the “black-headed people” have made in regard to emerging from a strict and bigoted conservatism into a liberal and progressive mode of thinking and acting.

The contract just signed is a significant fact of China’s progressiveness, and forms a conclusive answer to those who are ringing eternal changes on the antiquated opinions formed of the conservatism of the nation. In respect to the method to be employed in removing the bar under the contract recently signed, we know but little, except that a dredger vessel is being built by Messrs. William Simon’s & Co., of London Works, Renfrew, Scotland. It will be schooner-rigged, with twin screws, and of 80-horse power, nominal. It will be what is designated the “patent hopper dredger,” and will carry 600 tons of mud at an average speed of seven miles per hour, lifted from the bottom to a maximum of 30 feet, at the rate of 300 tons per hour.

As to whether this dredger is to be employed directly upon the bar, or what is known as the false channel of the Whangpoo, we are not in a position to say. But from the several reports upon the best methods of clearing the river which we have seen, most of the experts concur in advocating the “development” of the north or junk channel. The advantage of this method of procedure has been ably explained and advocated in Major Bridgford’s report. In this he states: “When man attempts to meddle with nature he can only succeed in permanently modifying its aspects by studying the constant laws of its phenomena and by making his works conformable to these.” And in following out this axiom Major Bridgford points out that if by any reasonable means the whole volume of the river could be diverted into one channel instead of as at present being divided by Gough’s Island into two, the false bars would cease to exist. Thus the junk channel would be made the true and deep course of the river, and the ship channel would silt up entirely. To accomplish this the major points out that the first object to be attained is the enlargement of the sectional area of the most shoal portion of the junk channel, as by having an enlarged area a much greater volume of flood-tide water will be projected past Gough’s Island, and sp stored for supplying the ebb with increased volume. As this enlargement progresses the strength of the ebb will at first increase in the ship’s channel owing to the increased volume of water received through the junk channel; and will also from the same cause (plus the enlargement of the channel) increase the ebb in the junk channel.

By this method it is shown that gradually the volume discharged by the junk channel would exceed that discharged by the ship channel to such an extent that the false bar or lip at its lower end would commence to silt up, thus increasing the choke to the ebb in that channel. The principal advantages claimed by Major Bridgford for this method of attack are summarized as follows: First, that the navigation will not be impeded during the progress of the works; second, it will give more rise of tide up the river; third, the restoring of that section of the river to one channel, navigable at all times of tide, instead of at present having two channels that are only navigable at certain times of tide.

As we have already stated, we are in ignorance as to whether the dredger which is to arrive in Shanghai within nine months from the present time will work upon the system advocated by the above report. But experts in this matter are of opinion that instead of using steam hoppers and carrying mud out to sea, it might be cheaper to discharge it on the banks where it could be utilized. This could easily be accomplished by what is known as an “overhead traveller,” or if it were discovered that sand had accumulated in the bed of the channel, it could speedily be conveyed ashore by a “flume,” similar to those used with such signal success in the Suez Canal. But by whatever means the new dredger is to work, we have all to be thankful that at length the barrier is to be abolished, and that at the end of the present year we can exclaim, “Away with it.”