The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-05-22
" TUESDAY, Ya r@t PRICES "


harbor deep enough for the largest ship
i'm the world TO enter, with plenty of
water To spare, will be q most simple
matter. The great advantage OF sand
to work on, in operations of the kind,
is of course obvious and needs no
explanation. And according to one
of the officers now at the proposed
be, better or safer bay in the world
than this when the bar Is removed
and some Notifications thrown up.
After the boring was finished, two
Of the officers took the launch and
steamed over nearly To the reef which
fringes the channel. From there they
made soundings every few feet, until
the vicinity of the tripod was reached
and the operation was repeated In
several different directions. These
soundings and borings all appear on
the charts that are made out daily,
and give the ciearest possible idea OF
what is being done.
While the other three officers and
the men were taking the soundings
and borings, Mr.. Kuepper was on the
peninsula asceTtaining the exact posi-
tion of the tripod by means of three
points established by local surveyors.
This, of course, shows the exact spot
in which the boring is located, and re-
just where the borings have been
made and what depth of sand must
be removed To give good entrance to
the harbor.
The following article from the New
York Herald will give an idea of the
opinions of naval expert, as long
ago as 1878, on the advantages OF
Pearl Harbor as coaling station. His
report was in part, as follows:
"With one exception there is only
one harbor on the islands that can bo
made to satisfy all the conditions NEG
essary for harbor of refuge In time
of war. That is the harbor OF Eva,
or Pearl Harbor, situated on the ISL
and of Oahu, about seven miles west
of Honolulu.
"Pearl River is fine sheet of water
extending about six miles inland from
its mouth, where it could be complete
ly defended by shore batteries. The
depth of water after passing the bar In
ample for any vessel.
"Tbe river is divided into three
locks, the three together affording
some thirty miles of waterfront, with
deep water in the channels. OF these
locks the east lock is the best, having
the most room. the deepest water aud
presenting the greatest facilities
for shore improvements. In the
middle of this lock there is an
island called Rabbit Island,
having deep water close to its
shores and fine anchorage all around.
This island is destitute of fresh water,
but there is great abundance of good
water on adjacent shores, which could
be carried to the island at IA small ex-
pense.
''From the examination made am
nf ha faaa n et,
adjacent shore to the 7orth and west
OF 1T afford the most advantageous To-
cation for naval depot of supplies
and equipment in all these waters.
"But there is not sufficient
water at present to enter this
Pearl River harbor. At the en-
trance to the harbor is coral
reef some $50 or 500 yards in width,
with depth of water only two or
three fathoms on the reef at low wa
ter. The coral found at the entrance
To Pearl Harbor is ''dead," that is, it
Is not growing, and the reef is, there
fore, not increasing i'm size.
"Thls ridge of coral forms a barrier
or bar across the entrance to this
harbor about 800 yards wide. 1t is
comparatively level on top, with from
two to three fathoms of water over it
al low tide. Its sides are vertical, or
y
ing i'll few feet to four or five faith
oms. AT the distance of half q mile
outside the reef there is a depth of
fifteen fatboms, while at the same
distance inside the depth is only eight
fathoms.
If this coral barrier were removed.
Pearl River harbor would seem to
have all, or nearly all, the facilities to
enable it To be convei ted lnto q good
harbor of refuge. IL could be COM
pletely defended by inexpensive bat
teries on either or both shores, firing
across narrow channel or entrance.
" Its waters are deep enough for the
largest vessels of war, and its 'locks,'
particularly around Rabbit Island,
are spacious enough for large num-
Der of vessels to ride at anchor in per-
feet security again all storms. It's
shores are suitable Ior building the
proper establishments for shelteriDp
the necessary supplies for naval
establishment, whIIe the Island of
Oahu could furnish fresh provisions
In large quantities"
A detailed survey of the harbor was
not made at that time, the report con-
tlnues, but Lieutenant Colonel AIex
ander crossed the bar several times.
taking soundings of and arouad the
reef and examining its character and
outline. de found the reef composed
mostly of coral 1t is his opinion that
an entrance could be easily cut
through tie coral reef by surface
blasting and that the fine debrls
would he washed seaward under the
influence of the currents, while the
larger masses could be removed by
u iIedglhg or by divers. He gives it az
MS opinion that the amount of coral
10 ot removed To open a channel zoo
yard in width, with depth of twen-
ty-slx feet of water at low tide, would
De about 250.000 cubic yard, and that
it could be remove TOR 81 yard.
The above report, although there
are few errors ia Il, is certainly an
encouraging one, taken in the lisht OF
the Investigations now un,i.r way.
The work - not easy, 10y any means.
w Whep everything IL In readiness, il is