New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-05
|COALING STATION AT SAMOA
GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO UTILIZE "A
CONCESSION SECURED TWENIA-
FIVE YEARS AGO.
trY TELEGRAPH TO ruZ rnrsrSr.]


Washington. Aug 4-The President mas
cided to make practical use of America" ''e"e
M paro-Pago Harbor. Samoa, ana 'nr
llshment of o fully equipped naval co''"e
ton there will be undertaken az oI'cr'
this end in view, Civil Engineer FRANK r. |n'"
hers now on duty at the New-York Navy fs''
hoe be.r ordered 10 washington for consults-
ton with the authorities. prior TO departing neh'
week with official Instructions ana w" pV
carry out the important project.
Tho decteion n utilize the concession sec"r'"
~. Admiral Meade twenty-five years ago ei'lhs
tho rrnited statee permanent ownership ot 'hiS
.xcellent barbor the only one In the Sa"oa'
sroun of am value and the one consdereh ny
naval officers Of scarcely less sfrstsgic lnipoi
I ,ance In the Pacific Ocean than PEAR r'rDo''
Hawaii indicates sufficiently me Aa'n"'s'i
tion's apprecration ~ the vastly extenheo sP"''
Of American interests In the Paoihc' ana wv w
ginning Of great naval and commefcal po''.
IN that direction. due In o great measure ~ ~
new responsibilities incurred In Aslai0
11areaf,er the United States win not be open 70
onv charge NJ dereli7tion of duty IN MS qua
erteod protection Of Samoa but IN return 'oi
the exclusive benefits NJ Pago-Pago dato'l Wv
maintain a thorough guardianship Owl vi
ero,n and a naval establishment there ~ KEY
ing with the great importance or inc AMI "'
interests involved
Eau details are disclosed to-day reE'ip'"s
.,,, ,o.,,Ar but II Is known that Civil Engineer
chambers will estimate for thn peheh' VI III
oross the appropriations that are essentiaI 10 '
..o,.,,c of a Nrst-rate naval base at Paso-fago
AND IN the mean time will superintend me con.
..,ion tharo ~ wharf. with an outAt or
..o,,o,ic coalIre machinery. similar 10 the
,v,odorn nlant now heinc installed ct Dry Tortu-
gas.
APPROPRIATIONS AVAILABLE.
r,,s rreIinojnarv work Is made possible
.bro,ob two approprietions heretofore made oy
rorcraes for naval stations in the PaciHc. Whicn
nrovide a balance Of a quarter Of million DOL
Iors Immediately available one or tneSe'
or,oun.ing IN 100000 remains from an appro-
nriation OF recent date. specifying no parteulaI
locality for It's expenditure, although at me Time
II WAS understood 10 he intended FOR the pre-
I,r,inarv Improvement Of Pearl Haroor Ha"aH,
being now United States territory ana sure oi
Ella borate improvement and fortlhcatioh upon d
,.rob 1arre- scale than heretofore intended. II
,s thought can wait until a short time longer
while tho urgency at Samoa Is imperative An
ether $50 900 remains unexpended from the sum
~ three times that amount which was placed
al the disposal Of the Executive more than NJ
teen years ago Out or the latteI apPiCPA i"'i'i
three thousand tons OF coal were sent IN
schooner from Philadelphia and landed at Pago'
Paro where sheds were built over it. Most OF
this fuel has already been used by American
varships but on account Of the difhcuties or
Transporting It from the shore to the SHIPS oy
means Of small lighters the locality was MOI
nonular with naval officers a base OF supplies
although every official report from commanders
visiting the harbor was enthusiastic In recon-
mendation Of It's Improvement and maintenance
by the United States
The great advantages to he gained by the pos
sessto, of this station are evident from glance
at the map Of the Pacific Ocean. 1t Is exactly
| 100 miles from San Francisco, and 4,Ol2 miles
from Yokohama the distance between Yoko-
hama and San Francisco being 419l miles.
Pago-Pago is 2263 miles from Honolulu the
latter American port being just about the same
distance from San Francisco. The lslano OF
Guam in the Ladrones, is barely 3,OoO miles
from Samoa and Manila is just 4OOo miles
oway It Is understood that one or more OF the
American gunboats now on duty IN Cuoah
waters will start as soon as the blockade is
raised for Samoa by way OF Cape Horn, and VIII
disnla " the American flag there until relieved
hv other vessels. These gunboats were built
| especially for duty in the Pacific, but were de-
tanned on the eastern coast Of the United states
| when the war began. One Of them the Marietta,
| accompanied the Oregon on her famous cruise
| from California to Cuba. ana VIII prooaply De
the first to reach Samoa