The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-29
Our New Possession Is an
Island One Day and the Next
Submergear Reef-Cable
Station VIII Have to Be
Built on Stills

of the edifice will find it safe to ven
ture below, on Shore when the sea is
normal, but when lit rises they will
have to climb to the top Of their little
perch. Here they must sleep, lest
sudden storm brew in the night and
engulf them. That the sea has this
habit was noted. when Capt. Wilkes
made his exploration. He found the
vegetation and coral blocks all inclined
uniformly toward the east, showing
that the rush of water had been from
the west. Gen. Greene'S original pur-
pose in exploring the island this year
was to discover whether it might be
a suitable situation for coaling sta
ton. He says that coal bins and the
necessary adjacent buildings may be
readily built up above the highest pos
sibie tide-level.
From the birds point Of view, Wake
island looks like huge, irregular let
teF W" with two detached parallel
Observation-Disclosures inclining from the
upper ends of the fork. The whole is
surrounded by a shaggy coral reef
The surface above water consists Of
coral sand, pebbles and powders.
Stunted, trees line the shore, while
further above are few of the shrubs
usually found upon the low islands of
the Pacific, especially the tournefortia,
which bears a small, feshy fruit. The
inclination of the entire island is from
northwest to southeast, while it is but
i've miles long by two and a half miles
wide. Deep water exists Immediately
off the lining reefs, there being no
shallow anchorage off shore.
Not only its occasional submergence
beneath the sea, but its utter lack of
fresh water. emphasizes the impossi-
bility of any previous existence of hui
man life upon Wake island. How will
the government agents installed there
find life possible under this condition?
When the army engineers improve the
harbor, how can they install a COM
plete harbor plant? Where can they
get fresh water for steam purposes :?
When these questions are put to them
they point to the floating condenser
Iris" which distilled salt water into
fresh water at the rate of $4,000 GAL
Ions a day during the war A con-
denser can be built upon stills as read
lily as can a lighthouse, a coaling sta
ton, cable station or any other of
the necessary buildings. <
At all events, the occupan ts Of this
lonely oasis in the great watery desert
or water, soon to TEEN with caravans
bearing our expanded commerce, will
find sufficient animal food to appease
their appetitites. Many birds inhapit
the dwarfed trees. returning to repair
their nests each time the mad sea sub
sides. When Capt. Wilkes was there
he noticed some short-tailed albatross,
quite tame. The great interior lagoon
abounds with fish, especially some very
excellent mullet, which have multiplied
for centuries without interference.
Dreyfus' life upon Devils island is
scarcely more lonely than would be the
eXfstences of a small group of men
stationed at the top of tower far out
in this isolated speck Of land But
when the harbor is improved and the
cable station permanently established
military force will be necessary for
the preservation Of order during the
landing Of foreign crews while a YES
sci Of war will be essential to the pro-
lection of the cable station. Should
terrific storm blow up at any time
those afraid to remain upon the island
may take refuge upon this
The discovery OF this, our newest.
possession, was purely accidental, as
was also the selection of the historic
Fourth of July for the planting of
the stars and stripes thereupon. Gen.
Greene was hurrying to Manila on tho
transport China, with the second ex-
petition for the relief of Admiral
Dewey, when his lookout sighted the
tiny spot of land upon the horizon. Gen.
Greene dispatched his slower ships
ahead, landed at II in the morning.
left three hours later, and caught up
to his fleet before shutdown. The re-
port of his exploration remained in the
records of the war department unno-
ticed until a few days;ago, when il was
remembered and laid before a cabinet
meeting during a discussion concerning
the new 7,000-mile cable to connect San
Francisco with Manila
John EIfreth Watkins Ir