The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-10-15
VALUE OF PEARL HARDR YAIS FINE LAW SCHOOL
SENATOR MORGAN'S VIEWS IN
THE NEW YORK HERALD.
The Senator Describes His Trip
Around the Renowned Locks-The
L. S. Cannot Do Without Them,

In htter to the New York Herald
Senator Morgan speaks as follows of
the value of Pearl Harbor. He says:
Considered in a Sense as broad as
the distance between Asia and Ameri-
ca, there is no place on either coast, or
in any island of the Pacific ocean,
that is of equal Importance and value
to commerce or naval power as Pearl
Harbor. The reasons are that it is CEN
trail in the arc of the great circle,
north of the equator, that is describ-
ed by the coasts of Asia and America.
1t has the best climate of any port on
either coast. 1t affords the best and
cheapest shelter to shipping, and the
least expensive ways for provisioning,
repairing. coaling and watering yes
sells of any size.
The sea line of the harbor is cor
al reef, that is about eight miles from
the shore of the harbor, in an inland
stretch on a direct line. The bay di-
vides into three bodies of water as it
reaches inland, nearly all of eoull ize
and depth. The peninsulas hat trus
divide the waters approach the en-.
trance through the outer bar-the CO.
raj reef-within distance of three
miles, and command it absolutely In
land the shores of the harbor with
their meanderings, are included in
space about six miles wide. as will be
seen by consulting a chart of the har-
Dor. The outer bar is of soft corals,
and easily removed by pumping, and
the space to be dredged is less than
half mile.
All these questions are put at rest
by the dredging of the same kind of
bar at Honolulu, not six miles fur
ther up the coast; and are no longer
debata BILE. The work is of the light
est character of sea dredging. Both
outside and inside this narrow reef,
the water is over sixty feet deep, and
Pearl Harbor from the bar to it's ex
treme limits inland is without any OBJ
struction and is of sufficient depth for
the largest ships. Five hundred sail
could easily be moored TO the shores
in positions of perfect safety.
Deep water is found all along the
shores of the bay, all of which are
perpendicular walls of stone. They
could scarcely be more regular or
useful if they had been built by the
hands of skilled workmen. On the
side of the bay next to Honolulu
hills from the sea coast are from 100
to 500 feet high. Guns on these ele-
yations would easily command the
entrance to the harbors, while within
Pearl Harbor and back of Honolulu
the points available for harbor de-
fence could scarcely be more advanta-
| geous.
The cost of land for these works
will be what the United States chos-
es to give. 1t should be what a court
| and Jury would award on full hear
| ing. The courts here are very high
models of wisdom and justice. The
channels of Pearl Harbor are all deep
with rock bound shores that are per-
| pendicular. \ vessel can be moored
at almost any place along miles of
| shore line and will be out of sight
from sea except the top riggers. The
largest ship can easily turn round in
the narrowest parts, while dry dock
con be constructed at a low cost al
many places in Pearl iarbor with the
walls eXcavated in the rock.
Commander II. +. Nichols, com
manding the Bennington is now COM
pleting the survey commenced by Ad-
miral Walker. When his report is
made the technical facts will appear,
which present the outward summing
as they appear to the eye of the ordi-
nary observer.
Enough is obvious to the most un-
skilled person to create the firm con
viction that Pearl Harbor cannot be
excelled as a location for a naval sta
ton. or great seaport, or for fort
ress in the sea. or as the site of great
cities, or in furnishing beautiful little
homes for the industrial classes or for
wealthy people, in a soft and temper
ate climate where nature revels in the
beauty of flowers and in the richness
of fruits and in the life. sustaining
productions for the support of dense
populations. How the United States
can do without this harbor-to say
nothing of the other islands-is the
question that this generation must
answer at its. peril.
JOHN Z. MORGAN.