The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-04-30

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dradoed ont whenever the Govern
T,snf decides TO cut out those SHIPS
another uncalled for ana "as1ei"i
penditure of the public FUNDS.
E,nrtbarmore the Government plan,
instead of charging the har0or, VIII
in reality contract it, as its Wharl eN
tends some fifty feet farther into tne
harbor than do the pier-heads OF lne
wharves proposed in the railroad pidH-
Finally, should the Government
wharf be constructed. the material IN
front of the same will be dredged Out
10 a depth Of, say. 26 feet at low 1lde'
and the very serious question may
then arise whether it viii not become
necessary to construct massive re-
tanning wall. or sea-wall. some 600 feet
in length, for the purpose of prevent
I ing the soft mud from sliding back
into the harbor; and then, when said
'slip-cutting process is begun, two
thirds of this costly sea-wall will have
TO be torn out and remOved-another
waste Of the public funds.
The wharf and slip system proposed
by your company is, in no sense,
new experiment With some slight mo-
maritime cities of the United States
notably New York, Boston and Port
land. In San Francisco. notwithstand-
ing its five or six miles of available
harbor frontage, the same system has
/ been approved and adopted. 1t was
recommended after mature cOnsidera~
tion by a commission appointed in
! 1877, composed of such distinguished
! ID Od Of
/ L. S. Navy, Colonel Menden, of the
! L. s. Engineers, Professor Davidson, of
| the U. S. Coast Survey, and Mr. T. ].
Arnold. the then chief engineer of the
Harbor Beard. The general design is
shown on Map No. ?. The wharves
or piers, as they are here called, run
out 600 feet from the sea-wall, and the
slips between them are 200 feet in
width. This width of slips was con-
sidered essential to obviate the great
Inconvenience and expense of vessels
/ lying at outer berths hauling out to
allow entrance and exit for vessels
lying at inner berths at the same slip.
notice, by the way, that your pro-
posed slips are only 80 feet in width.
This is a little scant, but considering
that the breadth of beam of the largest
ship seldom exceeds forty feet, this
width will answer the purpose fairly
we'll, as it gives a clear passage of
seventy feet for exit and entrance be-
tween vessels locked on both sides Of
the slip.
noteworthy feature of the San
Francisco plan is the Belt Railroad,
so called, which will eventually be eX-
tended around the entire waterfront.
The use of its tracks is made free by
law, to all railroad companies. The
method of connecting the tracks with
the piers is also shown on the map.
The main object sought to be attained
was ''to bring ship and car together"
one of the most essential requirements
of modern commerce.
Returning to our Honolulu harbor,
it seems to me there can be but one
opinion as to the relative merits of the
two plans proposed. To sum up-the
Government plan will add only 600
feet to the available wharf frontage
and will actually contract the harbor;
while the railroad plan provides for
future extension of some $500 feet of
the wharf frontage, besides materially
augmenting deep water area Of the
harbor.
In case the controversy is carried to
the Legislature, / would suggest that
you have prepared a large wall map,
to be hung up in the Legislature hall
while the matter is under elaboration.
The map should exhibit all lines and
objects likely to be referred to in the
discussion. Have the lines made
heavy, and the figures and lettering
large and bold, in order that they can
be plainly distinguished by all the
members. Plenty of coloring will add
to the effectiveness of the map. Draw
to a scale, of say, 20 feet per inch,
which will make the size about 9 feet
| by Is feet.
1 would further suggest that Mr.
Kluegel your Chief Engineer, come
well fortified with figures on the rela-
tive cost of the two plans, especially
in the matter of dredging, not forget
| ting to emphasize the advantage of
utilizing the dredged material in re-
claiming low waste lands, thereby ad-
ding to the taxable property of the
city.
In conclusion, l desire to say, with
all due respect to the gentlemen COM
posing the Hawaiian Cabinet, Several
of whom / have the honor to know,
that the carrying out of the Govern
ment plan would in my humble
Judgment be very grave error,
and would result in irreparable
Injury to Honolulu harbor. Indeed, it
may be the first step to drive the Ho-
InoIuIu shipping to the deep and more
Icommodious waters of Pearl harbOr.
Respectfully submitted
G. F. ALLARDT,
Chief Engineer, APO California Street.
San Francisco, Cal, February II,