Evening star., 1899-03-29

out the group, which have suffered severe
ly from draught. Even rainy Hilo had
gone dry, and the spring had failed which
drove their electric works. This gale has
also completed the wrecking of a large coal
ship, which grounded on the lee reef of the
harbor mouth ten days ago. The skipper
seems to have been allured by the moon
llght night and fine weather to anchor his
ship close to the entrance, instead of stand
ing off to wait for daylight and pilot. A
light squall came up, his anchor went
wrong, and the ship slipped onto the reef.
hedging and tugs were in vain She con-
tanned 5000 tons of coal and stuck fast.
Today a few feet of her capsized hulk
show above the sea- and the maSts nave
torn the decks up, while the coal is wash
ing up on the coral shoals inland This
wreck Is near where some four years ago
the steamer Miowera lay for six weeks on
the reef. The weather was favorable, and
she was hauled off and repaired. HOMO
lulu is very neat little harbor. and easy
to enter, but does not tolerate much non
sense from careless shippers.
Congestion of the HarbOr.
The congestion of our harbor continues.
Some new wharfage is about to be con-
structed, but the relief can only be tenn
porary. The traffic at this central part of
the Pacific is growing in geometrical ratio.
In February there were sixty-six arrivals
of foreign vessels, nearly double those of
the previous month. OF these twenty
seven were steamships, of which nine were
United States transports and two were
warships, one the Oregon, now sixteen
days gone, and for which Dewey is so anx-
iously looking. Together we had nearly one
foreign steamer daily. This is a greater
increase of steamer traffic than any one
has expected. 1t enforces the necessity of
an early opening Of Pearl harbor 1t is
difficult to understand why no steps seem
yet to have been taken toward that OBJ
1ect. Already an important section of this
harbor has been appropriated to the United
States naval use crowding out the mer-
chant fleet; and there is no fortifcaton of
this harbor, nor any adequate protection
possible from an enemy lying outside,
close are we to the Pearl harbor
should be opened at once.
In the meantime the whole of the lower
upiands lying around the Pear iochs are
occupied by sugar plantations, three in
NUMBER Eva, Oahu and Honolulu
each extend four miles along the shores.
The last has the least acreage as the up-
land rises too rapidly to heights above the
reach of irrigation by pumping Eva is
the o-dest plantation of the three and pro-
uuces ABOUT 2o,O0D tons of sugar. Oahu is
about to take off a crop of 5000 tons or
more with the prospect in two years of
reaching 10000 tons. Honolulu ought to
make 5000 tons in 1901 and reach IL 600
Inc united capital of these three planta-
tlons is S1,G0,000, but it is worth s15 600 0Oo
In the market today.
Second Growth of Sugar Cane
EVA plantation has just broken all rec
o1ds by taking off field of 1O7 acres, which
averaged twelve tons of sugar to the acre
Nhat is most remarkable is that if was
held Of 'ratOons," or second growth cane
AS rule. such second growth yields only
ohe-haif of what is obtained from plant
Salic' ;I or hrst growth from planting. On
inquiry l found that at Eva it is the
usual custom not to let the ratoon crop
grow right on after the first cropping
AiIer growing two or three months. in the
summer the young growth is cut down to
the ground, and Il fresh growth started
Wnlch Is too late to ''tasseI' or flower in
November: Such tasseling ends the farther
sioWth OF the stalk. If prevented, the
STALKS continue to grow through the next
year. and give big yield the second win
ter. 1t is growth of eighteen instead of
SIX months. Then, too, they are well fer
ullZed, which is not usually done for ra-
toonS.
L do not know whether this process could
be usefully continued for second or third
ratoons. The usual custom is to take off
one crop of ratoons and then plow up and
replant Thus one crop and a half can be
OBTAINED from the land in three years al
though a years rest would probably then
be given to the soil. l learned from a
Cuban planter that with their rich soil and
wet, hot later summer they depend mainly
on ratoon crops and seldom replant They
cut their cane during the earlier half of
the year. The roots do not start. owing
to dry weather, until the July rains Mois-
ture and heat produce rapid growth and
in five months the cane is mature. Some
cultivation is given to the ratOons. Some
of their fields have not been replanted for
thirty years. Thus they get a crop every
year, while in Hawaii it takes two years
from planting to grinding. But we make
up the difference through our superior skill
in cultivation, and get more from the same
land in the same time than is done in Cuba.
Our cane makes little growth during our
coolish winters.
The Oahu Railway.
1t is just ten years today since ground
was broken for the Oahu railway This
was first carried to Pearl City, twelve miles
and two years later to Eva plantation
eighteen miles. In 1855 it was extended
fifteen miles farther along the coast to
Waianae mill At the end of 1897 it had
reached Waialua, 1ifty-six miles from Hon
olulu, and year later it was opened to
kahuku, seventy-one miles, or forty-two
miles as the bird flies. Two ranges of
divert the course of the road |
which follows nearly sea level. 1t is well
with elegant passenger cars and
good engines Although narrow gauge, it
has heavy rails, and the schedule time
through is 3:15 or nearly twenty-five miles |
an hour, including stoppages. Two passen- |
ger trains daily run the whole length and
two others to Eva mill, besides two freight |
trains daily, one to Eva mill, the other to |
Waialua, making six daily trains each way |
The tonnage of freight on this road in |
1898 was 126,426 tons, against 3S,691 in 1895 |
government in subsidies, which at first |
Were much needed. But this amount has |
been much more than repaid by the in |
creased taxes on property developed by the |
railway. Such property includes five sugar |
which are capitalized at 1890 !
Om. Yet it was the opinion ten years ago I
of a majority of the leading business men |
of Honolulu that no such plantations on the |
line of the road We're practicable. AT that !
time nothing was I,nOWn of the practicable |
ty of profitably pumping water for irriga- |
ton of cane to any considerable height B. |
+. Dillingham;, the protector of the road. |
was then generally regarded as visionary |
enthusiast. 1t was with the greatest diff
Guilty that he sold bonds to build the first |
twelve miles of the road. Now, after ten |
years. it is doing rushing business and |
the enterpriSinS creator stands in the front |
rank of our business men and capitalists
Mr.. Dillins nam is expected to start Il new |
railroad from Hello to connect with tae
plantations along the rugged coast to the |
northward, also another running southwest
toward the volcano, to reach the great cof- |
fee district hAMEHAMEHA
Women in the War.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
After spending some six months at a |
general hospital as an smploye of the gov
| believe / am fIllv ahIe to .yiva