Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
The extract below from the 1909 Panorama shows that at that time, the coal sheds covered most of Marine Lot 35 in Kowloon. The curved pier in front of the sheds was used for loading / unloading coal to / from ships.
Photos that show this Place
1909
c.1925
1948
Comments
Coal sheds
The principal reason for putting bulk coal storage under cover is that in bulk it can easily ‘self-combust’ especially if lying out in the HK sun for very long. Similarly heavy rain can quickly turn it into sludge and therefore useless as fuel.
Coal bunker fires were common on ships when they were steam powered.
It is alleged that even the ‘TITANIC set sail on its maiden voyage with one of its bunkers on fire. They are very difficult to extinguish.
The present day very large open air coal storage areas at HK ‘s power stations, although uncovered, are continually subjected to compaction by heavy bulldozers and land-scrapers driven all over them to keep any air/oxygen in the piles to a minimum as the material also generates a lot of heat within it. Feral dogs love congregating on the coal heaps to keep warm in the winter.
Coal/briquette works, Kowloon [c.1895-????]
On ML35, the Coal/briquette works, Kowloon opened in 1893. It was operated by the Société Francaise des Charbonnages du Tonkin. In 1901, the company sold its property.
Possibly a connection between the briquette works and the coal sheds (possibly referred to as coal godowns)
By 1925, some of the coal…
By 1925, some of the coal sheds have been replaced by oil tanks.
Timeline
The coal sheds appear first on the 1912 map on hkmaps,hk, the total number is 13. On the 1924 aerial photograph, the number has decreased to 6 - replaced by oil tanks in the north. The sheds existed still in the 1950s and on an aerial photograph from 1963- In the 1960s the whole area was redeveloped.