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A SHORT HISTORY

OF THE PORT OF

SINGAPORE

DO NOT REMOVE FROM SEAROOM

RAFFLES LIBRARY

NATIONAL LIBRARY SINGAPORE

B02940527G

ACC. N . .

CLASS. No.

RAFFLES LIBRARYSINGAPORE

ACC. No.

CLASS. No.

A Short Historyof the Port of Singaporewith particular reference to the undertakings

of the Singapore Harbour Board.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

STANLEY ARTHUR LANE, A.M.INST.C.E.

Chairman and General Manager.

GEORGE WILLIAM ARTHUR TRIMMER, A.M.INST.C.E., A.M.I.MECH.E.

Local Chairman.

THE HON'BLE MR. VINCENT GIBBONS.

THE HON'BLE MR. FREDERICK SETON JAMES, C.M.G.

WILLIAM PURDY WELLWOOD KER.

FREDERICK LEWIS TOMLIN.

PERCIVAL LLOYD WILLIAMS.

HARRY TONGUE, Secretary.

EMPIRE DOCK—SOUTH QUAY.

The Port of SingaporeStraits Settlements

HE Island of Singapore is 88 miles North of the Equator and contains anarea of 217 square miles, the population numbers some 418,000 persons andis probably the most cosmopolitan one in the world, about three-quartersof the people are however, Chinese, and an eighth Malays, indigenous to

the Country, while the Europeans total about 6,000.

There is a continuous stream of passengers of various nationalities wholand and spend a day or so in Singapore when passing through on ocean voyagesor making coastal connection. The deck passengers are Chinese, Indians (includingTamils and Malabaris), Singalese, and Javanese estate labourers, also Malay andJavanese Pilgrims en route to Mecca.

Many languages are heard, all manner of habits are seen, and numerousvarieties of food are consumed, truly, a more varied moving population it would behard to find.

The approach to the Harbour of Singapore is one of the most beautiful inthe World and probably only Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and, perhaps, Hongkong, inany way surpass the panorama of views that meets the eye when entering the Portof .Singapore.

The Harbour is practically land-locked by islands and these afford such pro-tection that until the reconstruction of the wharves was put in hand some fourteenyears ago, the berthing accommodation consisted only of wooden wharves on woodenpiles. The difference between the rise and fall of ordinary spring tides is 9 ft.

A glance at the map confirms Singapore's familiar designation as " TheGateway of the East."

5,764 merchant vessels, representing a tonnage of 8,538,853 tons, entered theport of Singapore in the year 1920, and of these vessels, 2,899 were British, 1,324Dutch and 638 Japanese, the remaining 903 being American, French, Siamese andother nationalities. Singapore is therefore one of the greatest sea-ports in the worldand, according to Whitaker 1922, in the matter of tonnage entered and cleared, ranksnext below Liverpool.

A wonderful variety of vessels is to be seen in the Harbour; in addition tothe large ocean going passenger and cargo steamers there may be seen at all timessome hundred or so local coasting steamers several of about 800 tons burden butmostly about 100 tons only, the adjacent Dutch Islands with their many inlets andsettlements requiring a large service of small vessels for carrying food supplies andcollecting produce. There are also a large number of Chinese Junks, and nativesix-oared fishing boats propelled by oars, the crew standing facing the direction inwhich the boat is proceeding.

Ships.

Small craft.

Inner and OuterHarbour.

Mole.

Excise duties.

Trade.

Although the majority of ocean going steamers are berthed at the SingaporeHarbour Board's wharves many vessels discharge and load in the Inner and OuterHarbour necessitating a continual flow of lighters to and from the warehouses on thebanks of Singapore's short and narrow river.

The Inner Harbour is protected from the North East Monsoon by a moleof granite rubble about a mile long.

Singapore is a free port there being no Customs Duties, but excise dutiesare levied on alcoholic liquors, opium, tobacco and petroleum.

Singapore is the principal shipping and transhipment port for the FarEastern Tropics, it being the distributing port for the Malay Peninsula, a greatportion of the Netherlands East Indies and an extensive area of Indo-China.

There is also much trade with India, China, Japan and Western Australia.

The outstanding features of Trade are however the shipments of rubber andtin to the United States of America, and the United Kingdom, with small quantitiesonly to the Continent. The rubber comes from the Malay States, Java and Sumatra,and the Tin-ore, mined very largely in the Malay States, is smelted at Singaporeand reshipped in the form of refined tin. Cotton goods from Lancashire are mostlyreshipped to Singapore's neighbouring countries, and a variety of coals is importedfor ships bunkers or consumption in Singapore.

Other large imports are general cargo from Europe, Japan, China andAmerica, from the latter motor vehicles in particular, in Singapore alone there beingover 4,000 in service, largely of American manufacture. Rice (the main food of thecountry) from Rangoon and Saigon, gunny bags and opium from Calcutta, wool, flour,sandal and jarrah wood from Australia, tobacco and sugar from Java and Sumatra,matches from China and Japan, bullocks and oxen from Siam, and sheep from Indiaand Australia.

Produce transhipped at Singapore includes copra, sugar, spices (chieflyareca-nuts and pepper), rattans, gums, coffee, sago flour, etc.

Regular callers at Singapore from the United Kingdom and the Continentare Alfred Holt's " Blue Funnel" Lines, and the P. & 0., Glen, Ben and City Lines,Messageries Maritimes, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Nederland Royal Mail, LloydTriestino and Osaka Shosen Kaisha steamers.

The British India Steam Navigation Company maintain a steady servicebetween Calcutta and Japan. Their passenger steamers, of a high order, also runregularly to Rangoon and Madras, mail train connection with Bombay being madefrom the latter port. Messrs. Jardine Matheson and many other companies operateto and from Chinese ports.

There is a direct service to the United States, Pacific Route, by the Pacificand China Mail Co.'s steamers. A cargo service to New York via the Mediterraneanand also via the Panama Canal by United States Shipping Board steamers and theHolt and Ellerman Lines and Osaka Shosen Kaisha.

There is a first class passenger and cargo service to Australia via the Eastcoast by Messrs. Burns Philp Co. and Messrs. Koninklyke Paketvaart Maatschappij.Regular passenger and cargo steamers also run to Fremantle via Western Australiaports.

An excellent coastal service is carried out by the Straits Steamship Companyto Federated Malay States ports, also to Borneo and Bangkok, whilst the Java andSumatra service is maintained by splendid steamers of the Koninklyke PaketvaartMaatschappij.

A brief reference to the early history of the Dock undertakings at Singaporemay be of interest. In the year 1859' the first graving dock, No. 1, length 396 ft. 6 in.was completed, and the Victoria Dock, length 484 ft., was completed in the year 1868.The Dock and Wharf business was for over 40 years conducted by two Companies.

Steamship Lines.

History ofDockUndertakings.

" One hundredyears ofSingapore."

Pilotage, etc.

The Tanjong Pagar Dock Company suffered an anxipus period in its early years andat brief intervals later, but generally both Companies flourished and steadily deve-loped while paying dividends to their shareholders averaging nearly 12 per cent,per annum. These Companies formed a joint purse agreement in the year 1881, andamalgamated in the year 1899, when by absorption of Reserves the joint capital wasdoubled to $3,700,000 fully paid. The Company's undertaking was, however, by direc-tion of the Colonial Office, expropriated by the Straits Settlements Government inthe year 1905 with a view to greatly developing the Docks and Wharves, and forGovernment control of the Port of Singapore in Imperial interests. The Governmentoffered $240 per share (the market value immediately prior to expropriation beingabout $230 per share) to the Company which was declined, and eventually had to paysome $760 per share in terms of an award by Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, P.c, M.P.the Umpire, (later The Right Hon'ble Michael Edward Viscount St. Aldwyn), as theresult of protracted Arbitration proceedings conducted in both London and Singaporeand extending over a period of twelve months, and constituting a " cause celebre "in Arbitration proceedings between a Dock Company and Government.

The Government action, however, in acquiring in 1905 this hitherto privatelyowned undertaking and constituting a Harbour Board for the purpose ofadministering it has been amply justified both financially and otherwise by develop-ment on bold lines, and the provision of additional Docks and improved Wharvesin the Port of Singapore, which make Singapore second to no port out East.

A very interesting account of the History of the Dock Undertakings inSingapore is to be found in the recent work " One hundred years of Singapore," beingsome account of the Capital City of the Straits Settlements from its foundation bySir Stamford Raffles on the 6th February, 1819 to the 6th February, 1919, publishedin two volumes by John Murray, London, 1921.

The pilotage service, the lighting and buoying of the Harbour and themooring of vessels in the Roadstead are not under the jurisdiction of the HarbourBoard, but of the Government direct.

SINGAPORE HARBOUR BOARD— DOCKS AND WHARVES--

The Singapore Harbour Board.

Property.

Constitution.

By-Laws.Rates.

Capital Debt.

Assets.

Excluding the P. & O. Company's private wharf, the Harbour Board controlall the wharves and dry docks in Singapore, the Estate comprising over 540 acresof land, much of which is available for future development of the Docks and Wharvesand their adjuncts.

The Harbour Board was constituted under an enactment by the Governorof the Straits Settlements entitled the Straits Settlements Ports Ordinance. TheBoard consists of a Chairman, Deputy Chairman and 3 to 7 other members, allappointed by the Governor of the Colony.

By-laws and Rates and Charges are made by the Board subject to the approvalof the Governor-in-Council.

The Board pay to Government interest at the rate of 4 per cent, per annumon the Capital cost of the Undertaking and loans for New Works, and contribute toa Sinking Fund therefor at the rate of 1 per cent, per annum.

The assets of the Board at June 30th, 1921, totalled $72,600,000, i.e. £8,470,000sterling, (exchange being fixed by Government at 2s. 4c?. per Straits SettlementsDollar).

PrincipalOfficers.

Chairman.

DeputyChairman.

Officersand Staff.

Police Force,Fire Brigade,etc.

The principal Officers of Departments are the Chairman (who is also GeneralManager and Chief Engineer), Assistant General Manager, Secretary, ChiefAccountant. In the Wharf Department: the Manager, Assistant Manager, TrafficSuperintendent and the Wharf Superintendent. In the Dockyard Depart-ment: The Manager, Chief Engineer and the Chief Shipwright. Other officials arethe Chief Electrical Engineer, and the Chief Architect and Estate Manager.

The appointment of Chairman, General Manager and Chief Engineer to theHarbour Board was for many years held by Sir John Rumney Nicholson, Kt., C.M.G.,M.INST.C.E., M.I.M.E., and since his retirement in April 1918, by Mr. Stanley ArthurLane, A.M.INST.C.E.

The Deputy Chairman and Assistant General Manager is Mr. G. W. ArthurTrimmer, A.M.INST.C.E., A.M.INST.M.E.

The Officers and Staff comprise 120 Europeans, and roughly 1,900 Eurasians,Chinese, Indians and Malays. In addition to which there are, however, over 4,000Wharf Coolies, Chinese and Indians, and, in the Dockyard Department over 5,000men—skilled Chinese Artizans of Trades with their assistants and labourers—in allabout 11,000 persons are employed directly or indirectly by the Board on its premisesin busy times.

The Board have their own Police Force, and Fire Brigade fully equippedwith modern motor fire floats, motor fire engines, smoke appliances, etc. TheBoard light their premises throughout and control all traffic thereon, do all roadmaking and repairing and undertake the entire sanitation and scavenging of thepremises and maintain a medical staff and motor ambulance.

The following is a concise description of the Board's Wharf and Dock Accom-modation:—

Wharf Department—Quayage.

POSITION.

Jardines WharfWest WharfMain WharfSheer's WharfEast WharfEmpire Dock (Area 24½ acres) . .Pulo Brani Coal Wharf

Depth ofWater at

L.W.O.S.T.less than25 feet.

318 ft.

955 ft.

Depth ofWater at

L.W.O.S.T.25 feet to

30 feet.

330 ft.290 ft.

200 ft.

1,273 ft. 820 ft.

Depth ofWater at

L.W.O.S.T.30 feet.

3,522 ft.

3,522 ft.

Depth ofWater at

L.W.O.S.T.33 feet

and over.

1,260 ft.3,152 ft.

4,412 ft.

Total 10,027 lineal feet of wharves.

The Suez Canal taking vessels of 31-ft. draught indicates the requirementsof Eastern Ports in respect of depth of water.

The Board have under consideration the completion of the North wall ofEmpire Dock thereby increasing the quayage of the Dock to 5,762 feet.

The walls of this tidal basin are designed to permit of it being deepened from30 to 33 feet L.W.O.S.T.

storage Capacity,Cargo and Coal.

There is storage capacity for about 260,000 tons of cargo and some 200,000tons of coal on the Board's premises.

Depth of Water.

Empire Dock.

Plant andAppliances.

Railways.

Fresh Water.

Bonded Stores.

Transit Sheds.

Cold Storage.

Fuel Oil.

The Board own steam tugs with complete fire and salvage plant, two sets of.sheer legs with maximum lifting capacity of 25 and 60 tons respectively, electric,stationary, steam and pontoon cranes, launches and other appliances for the expedi-tious handling of cargo, and they conduct an extensive lighterage business with afleet of over a hundred lighters, mostly of 70 tons carrying capacity.

The Board's Railway system of some 11 miles of metre gauge laid trackconnects the whole premises with the Federated Malay States main railway systemfor the interchange of traffic.

The Board obtain fresh water of excellent quality direct from the SingaporeMunicipal mains and by means of their own system of pipe lines and connectionsthroughout the premises supply it to shipping at all berths at the wharves and docksas required.

The Board's warehouses for the bonded storage of dutiable liquors, tobacco,etc., are of considerable extent, and have recently been augmented by the additionalconstruction of a fire proof ferro-concrete warehouse with a floor space 500-ft. by150-ft. in extent.

The Board's standard type of Transit Shed (locally termed " Godown ") onthe Main Wharf for general cargo, is 200-ft. long by 100-ft. wide, of steel andcorrugated iron construction, with concrete floors and ample ventilation and withprojecting eaves for protection against rain in discharging or loading cargo at thewharves.

Cold Storage is provided on the Board's premises by an independentlimited liability Company to whom the Board have leased land, and this Companyimports regularly large quantities of meat, provisions and fruit from Australia.

The Board have under consideration the supply to vessels of fuel oil throughpipes to be placed on the Main Wharf, but meantime it is only obtainable from thelarge tank depots on adjacent islands.

THE KING'S DOCK.

KEPPEL HARBOUR WORKS—MACHINE SHOPS—LARGE TOOL BAY.

Dry Docks.

Dry Docks.

Machine Shops.

Electric Plant.

Accommodation.

No. 1 Dock

No. 2 Dock

Victoria Dock

Albert Dock . .

The King's Dock

ExtremeLength.

Length onBottom.

ft. in.

396 6380 6463 0440 0484 9460 0496 7471 0879 0873 0

Breadth atEntrance.

Height of Sillabove Bottom

of Dock.

ft. in.

47 445 064 052 064 956 559 655 9

100 093 0

ft. in.

4 0

3 0

3 0

3 0

4 6

Depth on Sillat High Water,Ordinary Spring

Tides.

ft. in.

14 0

17 0

20 0

21 0

34 0

All the dry docks are closed by caissons, and the King's Dock is divided byan intermediate caisson into two docks of 486 and 325 feet each, and the equipmentincludes a 30 ton electric travelling crane.

The machines and tools in the Board's workshops have quite recently beenextensively replaced with up-to-date appliances electrically driven and capable ofeffecting repairs to Vessels of the largest class and their machinery. Castings andforgings of the largest size can be made on the Board's premises.

The power of the Electric plant totals 2,000 K.W. and it is at present beingconsiderably augmented. Almost all the machinery on the premises is electricallydriven, the only important exception being the pumping plant for the King's Dock.

Quarters for the Chinese Artisans and Native Labourers are provided onthe premises.

KEPPEL HARBOUR WORKS—BOILER SHOP.

KEPPEL HARBOUR WORKS—MACHINE SHOPS—SMALL TOOL BAY.

The following figures give an indication of the volume of the Board'soperations:—

Labour.

Coal.

Bunkering.

Yearending

30th June.

1914

1921

VesselsBerthed.

2,685

2,379

NettRegisteredTonnage.

5,795,091

5,242,356

INWARD.

Coal

Tons.

679,198

497,393

GeneralCargo

Tons.

888,598

950,992

OUTWARD.

Coal GeneralCargo

Tons. | Tons.

650,552 566,748

423,947 526,755

GROSS REVENUE.

Wharves.

$

3,611,105

7,294,734

Docks.

$

2,056,680

10,198,561

All labour at the Board's Wharves and Dry Docks is supplied by the Boardand all coal and general cargo is manhandled with the aid of vessels owrn gear only,except that vessels proceed to the electrically operated sheer legs for the lifting ofheavy weights up to 60 tons, and steam cranes are employed in the loading anddischarging of barges. A 15 ton electrically operated travelling jib crane is howeverbeing erected on the Main Wharf.

Coal is stored under covered sheds or in the open and is owned by some dozenSteamship Owners or Merchants. It is chiefly Japanese, Australian, Indian and Welshbut there is a variety of supplies from local sources such as Borneo, Sumatra,Labuan and Sarawak.

Coal is the only bulk cargo handled at the Board's premises, and the generalcargo is of such a varied assortment that the 45 to 50 feet of quay space between thecoping stone and the side of the transit shed is essential for expeditious handlingand sorting.

The special feature at the Singapore Wharves is that bunkering operationsare always carried on from the shore side (and often from the seaside as well)at the same time as cargo is being handled, thus accelerating the despatch of

Method ofHandling Coal.

Coaling Record.

Deck Passengers.

Hawkers andOthers.

Wharfage.

steamers from the wharves and avoidance of pilotage and other costs for removalto a special bunkering wharf.

«r The method of handling the coal between ship and stack is for each pair ofcoolies to carry, by means of a bamboo pole resting on their shoulders, a basket ofcoal containing 160 lbs. (14 baskets to a ton). The Board pay and charge fixedrates for handling coal but the Labour Contractor pays so much per basket as itpasses the scale on the wharf, the rates varying according to the volume of workon hand, the distance of the carry and the heights of the stack and ship.

The average rate of removal of coal is about 100 tons an hour, the Board'srecord for bunkering is 1,510 tons (21,000 baskets) placed in the bunkers of aman-of-war in five hours.

A trade peculiar to the East is the conveyance of Deck passengers on oceanvoyages and large numbers are conveyed in this manner between Singapore and bothChina and India, also to neighbouring ports, the larger ships carrying two to threethousand each. Further, Pilgrims to Mecca travel as Deck Passengers, and about12,000 of them embark or disembark at the Board's Wharves annually. Whenembarking they take with them provisions sufficient for their requirements duringthe whole journey.

Licenses are issued to some 400 Hawkers, Porters and Money Changers toply their trades on the Board's Wharves.

Rates and Charges—Wharf Department.

There are no Port, Harbour, Dock, Town or Light dues, nor are any berthsfor vessels or storage places specially appropriated.

The Board charge for the use of the wharves at a rate per ton on the quantityof coal and general cargo discharged or loaded, superseded however in a few instancesby a minimum charge against the vessel at a rate per day on the gross tonnage ofthe vessel when the combined wharfage charges on coal and general cargo do notequal the minimum charge.

BOARD'S SALVAGE STEAMER "VARUNA."(Built and Engined by the Board.)

The ordinary charges against steamers mainly for wharfage and stevedorageon general cargo amount.to about $1.10 (2s. Id.) per tan, but on coal, labour dischargingonly is payable by the ship, the owner of the coal paying the inward and outwardwharfage and all labour on the wharf.

Free Storage.

SalvageEquipment.

SalvageOperations.

Free storage is allowed for goods removed from the Transit Sheds within72 hours from the day on which the vessel completes discharge, and there are furthersubstantial concessions for transhipment cargo.

Salvage Work.

The Board's Salvage equipment consists of the powerful Salvage Steamer" Varuna " which is fitted up with 10-in. suction pumps, also monitors for extinguishingfires, and electric lights for use on salvage work. A large number of steam andelectrically driven portable pumps ranging from 4½-in. to 16-in. are always keptready for immediate use.

The Drydock and Repairing Department has of recent years successfullycarried out many large and interesting salvage operations and damage repairs, chiefamong these being the Motor Vessel " Glenartney " of 13,000 tons D.W., dimensions435-ft. by 55-ft. Fire broke out in this vessel while she was lying alongside the Board'swharf and rapidly spread over the ship, ultimately necessitating her being submerged.She suffered serious structural damage including indentation of the ship's bottomto a depth of 8 to 10 feet, buckling of the side shell plating and frames up to theshelter deck sheer strake, and the breaking of the shafting. The vessel was liftedand put into dry dock and it was then found the heel of the stern frame was 23inches below the base or keel line, and 14 inches to starboard, and the after bodytwisted. She was cut in two, all shell plates and frames renewed, and the afterbody brought into a true longitudinal line and the list taken out by jacking andwedge-driving until plumb with the fore body, and finally the after body was liftedand brought into true level with the keel. The vessel was made perfectly true withthe lines of the hull and the two propeller bosses brought in true line with the

Charges againstVessels.

KEPPEL HARBOUR WORKS—PLATING SHED.

engines. The vessel, however, suffered enormous damage through the fire alone, allcabins and passenger accommodation being burnt out, all deck fittings burnt and iron-work twisted,"and the deck plating badly buckled, making it necessary to entirelystrip the ship to the main deck. All the vessel's deck machinery, electrically driven,was renewed.

In another instance the s.s. " Unkai Maru " stranded some 30 miles fromSingapore and ripped her bottom very badly necessitating under water patchesbeing fitted before the water inside could be overcome. When the vessel lifted thepumps were kept going full force thus coping sufficiently with the water until thevessel wras drydocked.

The Japanese Cruiser " Kasuga " stranded and partially submerged in theSunda Straits was another tough job, also the " Kalomo" a vessel on fire towedoutside the harbour and sunk by gun fire, was totally submerged, necessitating theconstruction of cofferdams to effect flotation.

Another very awkward salvage job successfully carried out by the Board'sDockyard Department was that of a full sized bucket ladder Dredger which capsizedand sank in an exposed situation off the coast of Pahang, Federated Malay States,some 200 miles from Singapore. She was lifted by first hauling her up on to herkeel, then cofferdamming and pumping out.

The Messageries Maritimes French Mail Steamer " Andre Lebon," 14,368gross tons, was also salved by the Board, the vessel having grounded and turnedover on her side when at anchor off the Sultan Shoal, Singapore.

A Ml account of the numerous salvage jobs carried out by the Board wouldfill an interesting volume, but the above are some few of the more recent experiencesin this part of the world, and in every instance quoted, the Board have received thethanks and much appreciated commendation of the Owners and other parties interestedin the success of the operations undertaken, and more particularly as to their cost

KEPPEL HARBOUR WORKS—IRON FOUNDRY.

Following on the Armistice, and the surrender of the German ships internedvariously in these waters for the whole period of the Great War, the Board had nofewer than 31 ex-German steamers of an aggregate gross tonnage of some 147,813 tonsfor " re-conditioning " to the order of the Ministry of Shipping, involving persistentday and night work week in week out, including Sundays and holidays, for upwardsof eight months in 1919/1920.

The Crown Agents for the Colonies, London, are the Board's sole agents inEngland.

SINGAPORE, March, 1922.

Ex-GermanShipsReconditioned.

Agents.

DESIGNED AND PRINTEDat the Works ofFraser & Neave, Ltd.,Siak Street, Singapore.

THE SINGAPORE HARBOUR BOARDTANJONG PAGAR & KEPPEL HARBOUR SECTIONS