The main object of railway building in China was， of course，to promote commerce， but， in later years， the railways played animportant part in civil warfare.
Municipal UndertakingsThe work on culverting the Yangkingpang proceeded throughoutthe year. Connected with it was the filling in of the Defence Creek， onthe eastern boundary of the Race Course. It is interesting to recall thehistory of this waterway. It existed as a sluggish stream at the time ofthe Battle of Muddy Flat. Later， when Shanghai was in danger of beingattacked by the Taipings， in 186 1， it was decided to dig it out andmake it a creek which might be defended， so that it would be difficultfor the enemy to gain access to the Settlement from the west. Afterbeing filled in， it was converted into a wide road， and the old bridgeknown as Loongfei disappeared.
Looking to the future， the Council very wisely decided topurchase the property belonging to Mr. E. Jenner Hogg， opposite St.
John"s University at Jessfield， for the development of a new park for thewestern district. This park has become the most beautiful in Shanghai，and is noted for its landscape gardening and botanical features. Inmany ways it reminds one of Kew Gardens， laid out on a smaller scale.
Shanghai is fairly well supplied with public parks. In additionto those already mentioned， there are the attractive Hongkew andWayside Parks， and several playgrounds for children.
Chinese Interest in SportsAs an evidence of the change in the psychology of the Chinese，there was an increased interest in sports athletic competitions. Thisnew spirit had been fostered first in the Mission and later in theGovernment schools.
What is known as the Far Eastern Olympics was organized， atwhich selected teams from Japan， the Philippine Islands， and Chinacompeted in Field and Track and in other forms of sport. When itwas arrange to hold the meet in Shanghai in 1916， the Council gavepermission for the use of Hongkew Park. The competitions lasted fromMay 15th to 22nd， and attracted great crowds of spectators.
Unrest in Shanghai
The latter part of the year 1915 was distinctly one of anxietyfor Shanghai. There were signs of unrest in the Settlements， andindications that it was becoming more and more a haven for desperatecharacters， hatching ground for political plots. There were several bomboutrages， and a building was discovered in French Concession in whichbombs were stored. Importation of arms and ammunition was carriedon on a large scale.
A strike occurred on December 3rd among ricsha coolies， causedby the policy adopted by the Shanghai Municipal Council of cuttingdown the number of ricsha licences. Ricshas were more numerousthan necessary and many of them were in a dilapidated condition.
The grievance of the ricsha coolies was due to the fact that the ricshacompanies owning the ricshas， which they rented to the coolies， findingtheir income somewhat decreased， wished to charge the coolies morefor hire than before. The strike lasted three days， and was accompaniedby several acts of violence.
Nothing showed more clearly than the assassination of AdmiralTseng Ju-cheng on November 8th， the harbouring of undesirablecharacters in the Settlements. Admiral Tseng， it will be recalled， wasin charge of the defence of Shanghai during the rebellion of 1913.
Later， he had been appointed Defence commissioner of Shanghai andWoosung， and Director of the Kiangnan Arsenal. While proceedingin his car to the Japanese Consulate on the occasion of the celebrationof the coronation of the Emperor of Japan， a bomb was thrown， andimmediately afterwards two men jumped on the footboards of the carand fired at him with their revolvers. His assassination in the opendaylight caused a good deal of excitement in the Settlement.
Shanghai was again stirred by an attack on the arsenal onDecember 6th and 7th. Some desperadoes on a launch sailed upthe Whangpoo and by a clever ruse managed to board and takepossession of the cruiser “Chao-ho” anchored off the arsenal. Theythen commanded the gunners on the ship to fire on the arsenal. Thegunners， probably with intention， aimed high and some of the shells，instead of hitting the arsenal， fell in the Settlement， with the result thatseveral houses were struck. Admiral Li， who was in command of thearsenal， ordered the rest of the fleet at anchor to manoeuvre in sucha way that they could fire on the “Chao-ho，” and a few well placedshots caused the desperadoes to abandon their prize and take to boatsin order to make their escape before the day dawned. It was probablyexpected that a general rising would take place in Shanghai at thattime as the government of Yuan Shih-kai was unpopular among a largesection of the people.
Other Events
Looking back over 1915 we find several other events meriting atleast a passing mention.
The last of the old bungalows facing The Bund， that belonging toDent and company， was sold and torn down at this period. It stoodnear the corner of Kiukiang Road and The Bund.