The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-05-22
What the Naval Officers are Doing
and How They Do 1t.
THE FINEST PORT IN THE WORLD
Borings Made to y Depth OF Over Thirty
Feet, and Not Sign OF Rock OF
Coral Encountered-The Hard Work
OF the Onicers and Men Engaged, etc.

Pearl Harbor has, for the past few
months, occupied the attention of
many people both here and abroad.
AS soon as it became known that
there was even a possibility of the
United States establishing a naval
station on the shores of that beautiful
sheet of water, articles appeared in
nearly every paper of any consequence
in the United States as we'll as in other
foreign countries. But none of these
papers have been able to give any in
formation as to what the preliminary
work is like-what the party from the
Philadelphia, now staying on Ford's
Island, is accomplishing.
a few days ago went to the penin-
sula, armed with letter of introduc-
ton from Admiral Walker to the
officer in charge of the surveying
party. This, however, was not neces-
sary, as Lieutenant Wood was cour-
tesy itself as soon as he found that i
wanted to see just what his party was
doing to advance American interests
in these islands.
The party, consisting of Lieutenant
Wood, Ensign Knepper, Naval Cadet
Uphsm and Passed Assistant Surgeon
Crandall, are at present quartered in
in the house of G. a. Brown, on Ford's
Island. They have with them twelve
men from the ship, and their work
frequently keeps them busy from early
morning until late at night. The
morning that / went out wi h them
they started about 10 O'Clock in one of
the steam launches of the Philadel-
phia for the scene of the days opera
tions. SteamIDg down the beautiful
Ioch-, one cannot but be struck with
the great beauty of the situation
chosen by the American Government
for it's new station, as well IA the
absolute protection that Notifications
placed on either or both shores will
afford the ships which, in short
time, will idly lie at anchor in this,
one of the greatest of the worlds
harbors.
Ford's Island, where Mr.. Woods
party is camping, is nearly six miles
from the bar OH which the soundings
are being made. To reach this bar, we
steamed along at good rate speed for
about three quarters of an hour through
those branches of the bay known as
the south and middle lochs, until the
open sea could be seen u short dis
tance in front of US. Out to the bar
the little launch pIowed its way, ris-
ing and falling like a cork as the
waves became larger. Just on the in
side of the bar proper was anchored
large scow or flatbOat, 10 which was
fastened the gigantic tripod, with
legs thirty-siX feet long, that is used
in making the borings. The little
launch took this scow and tripod in
tow, and, though groanirg under its
heavy load, proceeded to take us all to
the outer edge of the bar. A red buoy
marked the scene of the last boring,
and just beyond this the scow was re-
leased from the launch and anchored
in seventeen feet of water
The tripod was fastened to the stern
of the scow. AS soon as the latter was
in position, one of the sailors was sent
to the top of it, where he sat in seem
ing security. When all was ready,
one of the officers shouted: ''Let go
everything !" With crash, the big
tripod was released from the scOw,
and, still with the sailor sitting Sc
renely on top, it suddenly took u drop
of seventeen feet into the water. and
rested OH the sand bar. 1t is absolute
ly necessary that there should be a
man on it at the time it is released, in |
case anything goes wrong, but II is IA
Lositiou that few landSmen would |
care to occupy more than once, at |
least.
AS soon as the tripod was firmly |
in position, the scow was |
taken atOut one hundred feet away |
and anchored, and then thin were |
i'm readin, ss for the days work. On |
board the scOw was a piere of two |
inch pipe, thitty-sev-n feet long, AID
this was fiuated over to the tripod and,
with one end resting on the bottom,
was set upright. o the upper end of
this pipe pump was fastened,
by two stout seaman, who
and worked at il for a few min
Ites with al their might. Nothing
Dut sand made its appearance through
.ie vent hole, and inch by inch the
Dipe sunk into the sandy hottom, un-
Ill the top was on level with the
water, and thus showed that under
heath the seventeen feet of water
here We're twenty feet of soft sand,
which 1t would be very little trouble
o remove.
This has been the case with every
loring that ha- Ieen made. Not a
ingle obs ru,.tion has been encoun-
cred in the way of any rock or coral
hat will interfere with the dredging
when it is commenced. Ii everything