The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-06-10

euc uiils, wulCu III sOuie places are cut through
one hundred feet in depth. This is the case with
Broadway, which will have houses on one side of it
hundred feet above the level of the road 1t is un-
fortunate that the appearance of the place should be
dsfgured in this manner. Would it not have added
uch the beauty of the city to have left it remain
in its natural topography, and become like ancient
Rome, city built seven hills.
The wHAKvEs.-In its wharves the city is far be-
hind the requirements of its commercial interests
Generally they appear to be built the
mica plan possible, piles alone being used and many
of them very inferior. Owing to the strong tides,
these piles are subject to rapid decay, and
fast giving out But more serious evil is the filing
up of the harbor with mud carried to and fro by the
strong tides which flow past the city at the rate Of
two and half to three miles an hour. In the north
ern part of the harbor, large ships only come up
to the wharves in high water, and generally ground
at low tide. The mail steamer landing changed
from North Point to Rincon Point, mainly to avoid
this Inconvenience of shallow water. This evil
only be effectually remedied by building substan-
tal sea-wall from Rincon to North Point, which
alone will retain the dirt being deposited to
tend and fill out the streets 1t is formidable
dertakng, but will eventually have be resorted to,
whatever may be its expense. and the earlier it is
commenced, the less will be the labor attending it,
owing to the continued deposit of mud what will
be required for its foundation The cost will depend
much the facility with which suitable be
obtained for the work. The length of the sea-wall
would probably be FIVE thousand feet least, and its
cost at least million Of dollars Our wharf
front, now being built in Honolulu, is probably
superior aRxtbiSs1ru(ne kind to be seen in Cali
lorna, le1ceptng only the government works at
Mare Island, and its when completed will not
G100 000 2l10 faeti in leDOfh
The above sum, however, includes the cost of filling
in the adjoining wharf ots convict labor being prn-
cipally relied on in the work. This wharf in Homo
lulu is a coral WALL laid in twenty feet water,
with coppefed Gigea eptsidN6Si it. As now be-
ing constructed, it ornament to the port and will
probably last fifty years.
The FIRE DEPARrMENT.-Of its fire department the
city may justly be proud 1t consists of fourteen engine
and hook and ladder companies, numbering about
1000 members. This organization has been brought
to its present state of efficiency by imperative neces
sity as shown in the several disastrous fires which
occurred four FIVE years since. The edifces
pied as engine houses have been erected by the city
government at great expense, many of them being
built of hewn stone fronts with ornamental designs.
and are generally fire. proof. The interior finish of
some is costly and presents the appearance of ele
CANT parlor. The members of these companies Justly
take great pride in their buildings and engines, and
it giving them undeserved credit in saying that
it mainly owing their promptness and efficiency
that San Francisco has had no extensive fires during
the last few years. An instance in point witnessed
on the evening of May 8, in which block of wooden
stores in Clay street took fire. high wind was
blowing at the time and many frame buildings were
contiguous, and had the fire been left the control
of an inefficient department, it have extended
its limits.
CURRExcY.-Although San Francisco is still the
center the gold transactions of California, very lit
tie gold DUST is there and the contrast in
the absence of these piles of dust and gold coin which
to be almost everywhere in 1S49, is very
marked. We informed that very little gold dust
leaves the State. Nearly all of it finds its way
to the mnts in the city, where is coined into United
States currency and also into bars. and the treas
ure shipped to New York by each steamer is
not in gold dust, as is generally supposed, but in
coin and bars, but principally twenty dollar pieces.
Formerly the miners used to deposit their earnings
with private banking houses, but the heavy losses
caused by the failure of Adams & Co. and other pr-
vate banks, have led them to be more careful They
now generally take their dust to the United States
mint in San Francisco have it assayed and let it
main in the mint, taking certificate of deposit They
consider Uncle Sam as the safest keeper of their
Pacific coast, is limited gold and silver. Small
silver coin does not appear to be abundant in San
Francisco. This want of change has probably caused
the inoduction of every description of silver coin
which found there, all which pass freely, including
the adulterated South American silver coins. Five
franc pieces pass dollars, with u.s. Indeed they |
constitute the large majority of the silver dollars
while Mexican dollars command so high premium
that they deemed only merchandise. Ten
pieces pass rals, and rice rails as ten
>spts. There is paper currency. The business |
inttssts of San Francisco would unquestionably be
vastly espoted by the establishment of strong
chartered. of deposit and discount, but the char
tering of basz- institution is not allowed by the
present constitution or sst the issueSof bills is
illegal This feature of the uties ill doubtless
soon be modified, credit ar become more
settled in that State. W.