New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-22
COALING PLACE IN SAMOA.
GOOD STATION TO BE BUILT IMMEDIATE
LIZ AT PAGO PAGO.
,sr RI ~ MADE OF AN UNUSED APPROPHIA-
TIoN-PAGo PAGO THE BEST HARBoR
N THE ISLANDS
Inv rrtpce,pu TO THE rRrprSsl

rey TrtpGeApH TO TRIRrSsl
washington. Aug. 21-The Navy Department
expects to award the contract for the establish
nent Of 6rst-class coaling station in the
Samoan Islands in the course of week or ten
days and the work will be theoretically prose-
cuted to completion in order that the station
may be utilized by American warships early
neyt wear Commander Tanner. who made an
accurate survey ~ the American possessions at
Page Page Harbor several years ago mas
reached san Francisco with civil Engineer
Chambers. who IS to superntend the oonstruo-
ton Of the station. and they are under orders
from the Navy Department and clothed WIN
full power 20 close a contract as soon as POSI-
Bile Several companies have entered the cofh-
petition. and no doubt is expressed that GOO"
terms will be obtained. in any event well WITHIN
the quarter Of a million Of dollars available Tor
the purpose.
Congress appropriated 100000 in 1892 to take
advantage Of the Samoan concession ana an
surveys were made for ne wharf ana the ne
fence II the site at that time but more thah nan
II the money was expended for coal ana the
lowest bid for the structural work and pier ap-
proximating $4,000. II Impossible to let
the contract. Since that time Congress mas peeh
too aDathetic to make further Appropriation.
The Navy Department has. however. discovered
an unused appropriation Of S20nGo0 made IN
general terms for a coaling station In the "a
clhc. with the intention that X should oe spent
AZ Pearl Harbor and this will now be taken as
an emergency measure for Page Page.
The specifications and the contract WIZ"
Commander Tanner will close provide for a per :
head 256 feet tong and - feet wide IN az feet
Of water with a wharf POS feet long conh"cUGs
IL with the shore. The structure VIII ne "i'iIcIy
OF steel and OF a most substantial character. us
piles viii be solid rolled r forged steer in,hss
i'm diameter and provided with screw points
three feet in diameter TO secure frm nold IN
the sand and coral bed Of the harnor when Is
9oO zee; deep q few hundred ct away rom tlr
uicrhcad Ashore there Will be TWO coal shedS
constructed wholly Of steel upon heavy con-
crete doors 80 feet long by 100 feet wide a
narrow gauge railway with double track VIII
run from al parts ~ the pier 10 the upper part
of the coal sheds. and the contract cans for
twcnty-f1ur iwo-ton self-dumping cars ara the
cables and machinery 10 operate then. me
contract also provides FOR the ectiOn pi SUD-
sfantial dwelling and large storehouse. the en-
tire establishment - he completed within t"el .
months under a penalty Of 500 day
Naval officers declare that Page Page !iffpor
Is the only landlockcd port Of refuge IN TIE
Samoan group. and that il Is the beat harn"r
among the islands Of the Pacific ocean. me
property owned by the United states Il at swim
ming Point. tho most sheltered part of the mar
Dor a. we'll as rs most acCessi1i" ana easily
defended point The land iWmeda ely back ol
tho coal sheds rises 10 "A level ~ 100 feet ana
here i is proposed T. mount several heavy guns.