The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-04
United States Taking Honolulu
HaTb0r Front:
SITE SELECTED BY CAPT. TANNER
Some Wharf Plans of Local Gov
eminent to Be Changed.
Coaling-RepairS.

| Capt. Tanner, l. :. N. the gentle
man who gave out at San Francisco
the contracts for Improvement OF Page
| Page harbor TO the coaling station
point, has been in Honolulu only a few
| days, but has been at work earnestly
during his short stay.
The mission of Capt. Tanner is to
prepare a coaling station in Honolulu
harbor for the United States. There
will be as we'll something of supply
depot here for the navy and in all like
lihood quite extensive repair facilities
will be provided.
Money is available for the purpose
of providing naval necessities in the
harbor here. Nothing can be done at
Pearl Lochs until Congress has made
a special appropriation for the dredg-
ing of the bar. Then the making of
ship entrance TO the channel will
require several months of time. 1t
will probably be necessary TO fetch a
dredger from the United States, for
the one owned by the Government here
is in use or will be needed all the time
for the local harbor.
Capt. Tanner, since arrival. has been
much in the company of Consul Gen
eral Haywood. The two gentlemen
yesterday called upon Capt. King, Ha-
waiian Minister of the Interior, with
a statement of desires which will later
be reduced to writing.
With annexation there has of course
passed to the control of the United
States, with other public property here,
tlan he Tr -,
the wish of Capt. Tanner to utilize
without delay for the United States
Navy quite a strip of waterfront. He
wants to take from the marine railway
to the Pacific Mail wharf. This dis
poses OF a number of Government
water lots, OF the old Kings boathouse
and practically of the plan for the two
slips upon which the dredger has been
working for year or more. 1t is pos
sible that one of the slips will be allow
ed to remain in the harbor plans of the
local administration, but even this is
doubtful.
The location of the United States
Government coal sheds, on Richards
street, in the vicinity of the new ware
house of Theo. II. Davies * Co. Ltd,
is well known. 1t is in the new scheme
for an American naval station here to
greatly extend the coal storage space
and for one thing TO have such an ar
rangement that vessels with coal for
the United States can discharge near
the piles. Then it is considered that 1t
will be as well to have such frontage
arrangement that an American war
ship can come alongside a wharf in
the Immediate neighborhood OF the coal
storage and take on fuel WITHOUT the
use of barges or lighters.
1t is expected that inside. of four TO
six months there will be afforded the
waterfront sight of an American war
ship coaling alongside wharf OF the
United States in Honolulu harbor. AT
| present the United States is in distress
for coal storage space here and will
require more and more OF ii as time
| goes on. The sheds are full and a
number of vacant lots along the front
have been secured. Capt. Tanner Is
taking hold vigorously, in conjunction
| with the American consul and extern
siye arrangements will be made.
AS there will be a large number OF
transports calling here for some years
now in addition to the warships II Is
likely that a considerable repair plant
will be established adding TO the towT
a regular navy yard.
There is already speculation alonI
the waterfront as TO what will be dom
with the naval expedition now on II
way from the Atlantic TO Honolulu. o
| course all of the vessels will want q
come into port. recoal, trim ship am
start out afresh. The Oregon am
Iowa, the two biggest and best ship
of the American navy, will draw abou
as much water as the Arizona wheI
loaded.
Accompanying the two fighters ar
six supply vessels. making M flee
of eight ships. Four are Golfers. on
a refrigerator and supply ship and on
, a distilling vessel. The Celtic carrie
frozen meat, vegetables and plant 10
making repairs at sea to machinery
and the Iris has distilling plants an
tanks for supplying water to the eXpe
, dition. The eight vessels will doubt
less reach Honolulu about the sam
time. What shall be done with them
is a question Capt. Fuller is awak
nights on. If the harbor is full tn
Only solution now in sight is 10 kee
the fleet outside and let the ships Z
the docks. one, two or three at a time
The appearance of the Oregon an
Iowa here at this time will be an even
in Island history. Both are fresh fror
the battle off Santiago where they
with the Texas. Brooklyn and littl
Gloucester, sunk the entire Spanis
fleet. They are the biggest war YES
sells ever in Hawaiian waters and ar
among the most powerful fighting ma
chimes OF the world. II all goes we
they should reach Honolulu about De
!. Cember !.