Evening star., 1898-12-31
CAP. SHOEMAKER'S RECOMMENDATIONS
Establishment Of a CoaIing Sta
ton at Guanica Urged.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTS


coast by the revenue cutter service, for
the enforcement of the customs, navigation
and other laws of the United States.
Capt. Shoemaker says he visited all the
important AID larger ports of the island.
OF the port of San Juan Capt. Shoemaker
says:
Fine. Safe HarbOr at San Juan.
1T possesses a fine safe harbor and well
buoyed anchorage for large fleet. 1t is
easy of access from sea- and safe in all
winds when reached. There are no con-
veniences for shipping at this port; no
dry docks marine railways; no regular
dealers in ship fuel or ship supplies, such
as chandlery and engineers stores; no
wharves of any account Small vessels OF
light draught may lie, one at time, at
the sea wall in the Immediate front of the
custom house to discharge or take on
cargo, but large vessels are invariably
laden and unladen while at anchor in the
harbor by means of lighters. Fuel and
everything else entering into the ships
economy must be imported to order. There
is one small. inferior machine shop here,
the only one l saw on the island, where
slight. temporary repairs to machinery
could probably be made.
THE ports Of Fajardo, Hunacao, Arroyo,
Ponce. Mayaquez. Aguadllla and Arocibo,
in Porto Rico. and Port Mu1a, on Crab ISL
and, are. without exception, open road
steads, without shelter of any kind from
on-shore gales. There is a fairly well-shel-
tered anchorage In the bay. near the light
house, the Island of Cuebritas. Thera
are no wharves. marine railways or con-
veniences of sLy kind at any of those now
American ports. All vessels are laden and
unladen by means of lighters at all of
them. and those can be operated only when
the sea is smooth. There is full customs
service in operation at all the ports Wis
ited.''
Guanica an Ideal HarbOr.
hot too &c
an ideal harbor. It's broad, deep channel
for entrance and exit it's ample accommo-
dation for a considerable fleet and its land
locked safety renders it harbor of refuge
beyond compare. Singular to relate, there
is no settlement of consequence here, and
it IS. therefore, barren OF facilities or con-
venienCes for shipping, but no more so than
all the rest of Porto Rico.
Patrol of Revenue Cutter Service.
The general contour and frequent inden-
tations of the coast line of Puerto Rico,
Culebra and Isla de Viques, their positions
with reference to adjacent foreign islands,
such as Hayt and San Domingo, on the
west; ST. Thomas, Santa Cruz and others,
on the east, and the sparse population be-
tween ports, render them all peculiarly in
viting to the Illicit trader, affordirg, as
they do, because of the bold shores and
easy navigation, ready and easy landings
NllnDuI pFpDdDie ueIGCllOu lOE CuHlldpdu
goods, from either small sail craft or the
ocean steam tramp, perfectly free from
and very difficult of surveillance from
shore and only to be intercepted or cap
tured by sea.
During the year 1897 there were entered
and cleared at the ports above named near
ly fourteen hundred u ,40O) vessels bearing
foreign cargoes from the United States, Eu2
rope etc. to say nothing of the numerous
small sail craft trading between them and
ports on adjacent Islands.
THE Inauguration of the customs service
in these new possessions must necessarily
carry with it the suppression and preven-
ton of illicit trade. the enforcement of the
navigation laws, the steamboat inspection.
laws, aid to quarantine service, rendering
help to the distressed navigator, all of
which, and many others, are duties required
of the revenue cutter service, and appear
to demand the active presence in the wa
ters Of these new possessions of an ade-
quate and efficient part of the service.
Need of a COaIfng Station.
Provision must be made for coaling
station at some convenient point in Porto
Rico, arrangements made for provisions,
Snip supplies. etc. From observation and
inquiry / am bound to conclude that no
dependence can be placed upon obtaining
anything in the way of fuel and supplies
at any of the ports of Porto Rico, and even
could urgent demands be met, the cost
would be exorb'tant.
a SptCldl rdllOil LOT SnipS crews SerV-
ing here must be prepared and provided
vessels serving in these islands. The pres
ent ration, with its salt meats and dried
cereals is designed for use in the temper
ate and frigid zones, and is not suitable or
healthful where summer is perennial.
More Vessels Needed.
"All this presupposes that the service is
at this time provided with an ample num-
Der of vessels and officers to spare from
the Heet of sea-going vessels (and others
will do in the waters under consideration
to send to Porto Rico. Such is not the case
There are the Atlantic seaboard TODAY
not more vessels than are necessary to
effciently cover the coast line. The only
recourse that | have then to cover the
recommendations that follow is to urgently
request that recommendation be made to
Congress to provide suitable vessels for
the new work of the service.
vessels for service in Porto Rican wa
ters must be able, sea-going craft of the
type recently constructed for the revenue
cutter service, and would cost from sl60 600
to $lI5,o09 each. No vessel should be sent
to those waters with a less complement
than a captain, four line officers, surgeon
two engineers and one chief oiler The
crews should be ample, and as vacancies
occur from any cause they should be re-
cruited from the native element of sea-
faring people. In view of the foregoing I
submit the following recommendations.
81. That at least two cruising vessels of
the revenue cutter service, fully armed,
equipped, officered and manned, be provided
for service in the waters of Porto Rico.
one to be stationed with headquarters at
San Juan, and the other at Ponce. The
cruising limits of these vessels to be the
entire coast line of the Islands of Porto
Rico, Culebra Gnd Isla de Viques within
the natioral jurisdiction.
-. That coalng station be established
IN the harbor of Guanica, and to this end
that the Treasury Department ACQUIRE a
plot of ground with water frontage for a
wharf. " ="
3. That Congress be requested to provide
the vessels for the purposes Indicated. and
means for the establishment of the coaIing
station In sum equal to $4,000
Il found at St. Thomas a single dry dock
Vessels serving In Puerto Rico could he
hauled out, cleaned and painted there. INT
special arrangements as to cost for each
occasion would have to be made as no
regular rates are maintained by the dock
company
HarbOr Service by Revenue Cutters
AT this time, and until sea commerce at
the various ports of Porto Rico shall ma
terialiy increase, 1 do not consider the in
auguration of harbor service bv the
revenue cutter service as necessary. Ordi