The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1870-03-23
Midway island

We shSn observe with grezt interest
the expedition thSt has been sent BY the
United S;Stes 70 Midway Island, 70 deep
en- the entrSnoe to the lSgooa, 50 that II
nav be made svsilsble IS hzrhor for
steamships It, experience IN dreiging.
OF blasting coral 0eef, under deep water.
xlll be valuable knowledge 70 Us, and il
successful viii perhaps explain bow the
szme so11 Of work msy be done st the en-
trance To cur own hzrbor. Ii viii be
some satisfaction, 81 least. for Us 10 know,
that coral reefs osn BE removed, Snd
what i the cost q such work, - that We
ussv estimate with some degree Of certain
X. on our own Job. should Il ever become
Necessary to be undertaken Wenever Sc
frigste. drawing % much water IS TO be
unable to come inside, swinging ST her
znehors outside. bui the benefit 81 having
the water on the bar deepened, becomes
apparent
HiSt-ue that sS1 feet on the bar st low
water. Is sufRcien, 70 allow nearly every
crzf4 thas has visited our Pors to come IN
side. but II Is also true, TIA, our harbOr
might be more valuable 10 the oommence
OF the Pacific, # the entrance Wa deep
enough 70 be beyond all c4vl, available
for the largest steamers and Ships-ot-war
that either now, or hereafter, may navi-
gate this Ocean
With the new impetus, that i now be
inC given 10 steam llnes. and the prospect
that the l2rge steamers Of the China and
japan Ene may stop here, Il becomes
question worthy Of our consideration. by
what means the channel NAV be deepenei.
The dredge belonging 70 the Govern
meni) which has been % servieezble IN
taking up the mud and silt Of our harbor,
and Of Il. constructing the E>pl2nade. Sas
designed originally al>o TO dc service on
the bar. by removing the sAni thai hes
there the removal Of which would deepen
the water from two 70 four feet But our
experiment on the bar was : failure. torn
was found impossible Ie operate success
fully. IS the firmnesS Of the sand. packed
s II Is On the uneven and rugged surface
Of the coral, the depth IF the water. snd
more especially the swell Of the sea. even
n the csimeSt and most favorable times,
conspired to defeat the attempt 70 work
the dredge The riSe and iall Of the boat
on the SEA, was demoraliEing TO the move
ments Of the dipper. IS Il descended to the
bottom, 2nd sought It's load Of sand for
lifting and removal Coral though too
hard TO be dredged. i too soft and porous
70 be blasted with powder, and Is there
fore somewhat difficult obstacle TO be
removed BY zny means that we know OF, in
the ordinary method Of submarine work
Proposals 10 dig down the bar several
vesrs ago. were advertised 81 home and
abroad by the Government, and persever-
ing and liberal offers were made for any
person 70 undertake thejob and accomplish
the work, but noOne has Yet Appeared, able
TO guarantee that Il can Be done, much
les 10 agree 10 do It 4 coral reef. under
twenty feet Of water on the open ocean, Is
s tough matter TO deal with.
But We are now 10 have the opportunity
10 see : coral reef attacked. al the Midway
Island. and shall lean. what can be done
with II, where appliances and means are not
wanting TO back up and sustain the attack
The [. : Steamer .SegiHG'-, that EFT
Honolulu on the 18th instant, has been
detailed 10 90 70 Midway island, to assist
the contractors who have undertaken the
joI. and VIII meet the schooner that i
bound there from san Francisco. with the
men and machines that have been shipped
for the work In the winter OF rS6q. the
Congress Of the United States appropri-
ated $4,000 for deepening the entrance
TO Wells HarboT. as the lagoon has been
named. IN order that Il may Be made, #
possible. : eoaIing station for the steam
erS Of the China and Japan line Of the P.
VI 5. : Company. 1t vas not believed
that the sum appropriated would be sufi-
Gent 10 do the work required Such
grave doubts existed q 10 the possibility
Of is being done 81 al. that only on con
dition that the money should be placed
under the direction Of the Secretary Of
the Navy, and the work being deemed
merely preliminary trial survey, was the
expenditure authorized When the pres
ent appropriation shall have been expen-
ded. Wells Harbor VIII again have to pass
through Congress. and present moderate
biz Of estimates, in order to gain place
in future appropriation Bill
The water on the bar according to the
survey OF Lieutenant Commander Walker,
Of the Lockcvonn0, Is Is feet, the width
Of entrance $40 feet: from the entrance TO
the anehorsgeis about quarter Of mile
The anchorage i very limited, Is distant
from the sand island about mile and
half, and the lagoon, from the bar inwands
l. full Of coral knobs, that shoals the wafer
IN Sr,.ts one 70 two fs4hOrnS