The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-01
To Be No Delay in Making a
Naval Station.
GETTING OUT MATERIAL,
Contracts an East ard West-Lar
Wharvss and Ships.

SAN FRANCISCO, November II
The contract for the construction Of a
coal shed and wharf at the United
States coaling station at Page Page,
Island of Tutuila, Samoa, was let some
time ago to Healy, Tibbitts & Com
pany of this city. The contract for the
steel work has been awarded TO An
drew Carnegie and, last evening, Lieu
tenant Chambers of the Civil Engineer
ing Department of the United States
Navy, accompanied by John b. Leon
ard. chief engineer for Healy, Tibbitts
e Company, left for Pittsburg, where
they will superintend the construction
of the steel work for the south sea
coaling station.
The coal shed and wharf will prob
ably be the most substantial structures
of their kind in the world and will be
built of material calculated to defy
teredo, time and tempest.
The contract awarded TO Carnegie
provides for the construction of 2,SOO,-
900 pounds of steel. Part of this Will be
for structural purposes, and part Will
consist of sections of solid steel piles.
These piles of six and eight and three
quarters inches diameter will be in sec
tons twenty-four feet long, each see
ton weighing about 5000 pounds. The
heaviest pile that will be used in the
construction of the wharf will be sew
enty feet in length and will weigh more
than $4,000 pounds
The foundation on which both shed
and wharf are to be constructed. is
coral. In some places the coral mas
been covered to a great depth by sand.
Where coral is encountered, the steel
piles will be driven fOrcibly to some
considerable depth into the masonry OF
the tiny ocean architect, and in the
case of sand the pile will be screwed
in as far as it will go and then anchor
ed to a heavy shoe,
The coal shed is to be $50 by 100 feet.
and will be built of structural steel and
corrugated galvanized iron. The ma
terial used in the construction of the
shed will weigh more than 100000
pounds The wharf is to be T-shaped-
The approach is to be 256 feet long and
the wharf itself $50 feet in length. For
the wharf in the original contract let
by ,0e Government the cost was to be
S142. 600. but, as it was later decided to
add five bents to the pier-head, the cost
will be somewhat increased. and the
total expense will be somewhat in the
neighborhood of 100000.
Carnegie is not to get all Of the Page
Page pudding, for, in addition to the
steel material, 100000 pounds of iron
casting will be required, and the con-
tract for this will be let in San Fran
cisco. In addition TO the castings, 200
tons of cement and 100000 feet OF lum-
Der will be required. and all of these,
as well as the tools that viii be wanted !
to put the structure together will be
secured in the local markets.
1t will take until the latter part OF
January to get all the structural ma
terial ready, and it will take until the
beginning Of April to land it all at
Pago Page harbor. The Carnegie man
ufactured material may be shipped
from New York. but, according to pres
ent intentions. it will be brought over
land to San Francisco and shipped TO
the south sea harbor from here. Inc
work of construction will occupy about
four months.
Mr.. Tibbitts will superintend the con-
struction of shed and wharf. He will
take forty skilled mechanics with him
from here, and will depend for any fur
Their assistance on the natives. 1t IS |
Just possible that conditions in Samoa
may be somewhat unsettled about the
time the work is being done at Page /
Page. and to insure it from interruption
it is expected that United States war
ship will be stationed in the harbor /
while it is going on.
The Philadelphia is expected TO sail
within a few days for Samoa. She will /
probably go first to Apia and remain /
there until work on the coaling station /
is commenced.