The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-08-03

mar
OF high commercial aims and great enter
| prises,
10 doubt that such contamination will
De ultimately reached is to discredit the
| hitherto commercial courage, tireless
purpose and business prescience of the
Anglo-Saxon race, for whether under the
imperial flag of England, the starry en-.
sign OF the Great Republic or the prob.
able independent banner of Australia
| the destlnles of the Pacific lie, in good
measure, in the hollow of the hands Of
the great kindred peoples who aside
from the admirable quarter occupied by
Japan are impregnably planted on the
most commanding positions and resource.
tul country of it's vast shores, already
giving common language to the formu-
las OF Its commerce and asserting domin-
ant control of its political thought and
action.
In lesser degree the BONN Islands
must also be regarded as an important
point in the Pacific as a Geographic sta
ton and coal depot in the coming day of
cable extension and increased CONNER
cial activity.
The distance from Port Lloyd of the
Bonin's to the entrance of Yokohama
Bay is some 500 miles. On that line the
Tuscarora made IA soundings-only 9 of
which were in depths greater than 500
fathoms. The deepest cast was had in
2,435 fathons-234 statute miles-the
single depth Beyond 1000 fathoms found
on that line.
The laying of cable to Port LLOYD
from Cape King or it's immediate vicin-
ity would therefore be an easy matter.
Between Port Lloyd and Honolulu so
soundings were made, the deepest being
in 3,287 fathoms or 33l statute miles.
The depths were found to be irregular
and the contour of the ocean bed any
thing but plateau like the bed of the
Atlantic where the cables connecting
Europe with North America were laid.
Indeed, the existence of six submarine
mountains was disclosed varying in
height from 1000 to II, 800 feet. AS the
distance between the soundings, how
ever, was from 40 to 100 miles or more,
it is believed that the activities of these
obstruction to the successful laying of a
cable would result from such irregular
ity of the ocean bed in that region.
The routes from Honolulu either to
San Diego or to San Francisco present
no special difficulties. On both lines
with the exception OF one submarine
elevation found on each route, the de-
scent of the ocean bed from the coast of
California to the Hawaiian Islands is
gentle and regular and the bottom most
favorable for the reception of cable.
The deepest water found on the San
Diego line was 1904 fathoms ON the
San Francisco line Bis fathoms-both
depths close to the islands or some 800
miles only from Maui of that group.
The money recently appropriated by
Congress for the further work on the
routes will be expended by the U. s.
photographic Office in making supple
mentary survey. Soundings will be made
between the positions or stations of the
Tuscarora surveys; the shorter intervals
will thus determine more closely and
perfectly the contour of the ocean bed,
preparatory to the actual laying of the
cable.
The San francisco line will doubtless
be adopted, not only because of the
greater importance of that city as COM
mercial centre but also owing to the fact
of shorter distance as compared with the
route to San Diego.
When once cable communication is
established between North America and
the Hawaiian Islands, extension to other
points In the Pacific will surely follow.
Australia, now sending her European
mails across the continent of America,
already clamors for direct Geographic
touch with the United States and the
Dominion of Canada. In connection
with her neighbor and sister colony New
Zealand, she is fast becoming such a
giant in increase of population, growth
of wealth, and fervor of political aspira-
ton and demand, that she will be apt to
get what she wants or know the reasons
to the contrary.
The preliminary survey for cable line
to Brisbane from Honolulu via the
Phoenix and Fiji Groups has already
been made. This was done by Captain
J. N. Miller, U. s. N, then in command
of the Tuscarora. The deepest water
found in the 10Y soundings made was
8, AS fathoms 80 that that route may be
deemed to be practicable.
l am sir, your obedient servant,
GEO. E. BELKNAP,
Rear Admiral, U. S. n.
Yokohama, japan, June 20, 1891.