The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-25

Lieutenant Commander II. VI. Hodges,
who commanded the naval collier Nero In
making a recent survey for a Pacific cable
route from San Francisco to the Philip
pines. has filed the report Of his work With
the Secretary OF the Navy. The work was
begun by Commander Belknap. but he was
ordered to other duty, and Lieutenant
Commander Hodges took up the work at
Guam. He took charge OF the Nero at
Manila. and after describing the coaling OF
his vessel and the trip to Guam. says:
AT daylight. September 8. / proceeded
on the direct line to Yokohama. did not
think IL best to delay TO develop any more
than was necessary. but TO leave that LOT
the return. No obstruction was met with
that caused me to think the route was not
satisfactory. | connected with the sound
ings on the chart in Sagami kai, taxing
the last sounding in 613 fathoms, Almost
directly over 6l9 fathoms on the chart, 10
verify the chart soundlngs. From that on
to the beach the depths. as well as the lOo-
fathom and twenty athom curves, are
more thoroughly established than could
well be done by this ship. so proceeded
to Yokohama. arriving the afternoon OF
September "a II looks as though the
beach is favorable for a landing near the
northeast corner of Sagami Kal. Our at
tache was away. so did not see him. but
he could no doubt get any information
necessary. We had generally good weather
A, Available Landing Place.
81 was informed by Commander Belknap
the last time he was at Guam that he was
satisfied that Tarafofo was the best place
for landing a cable on the island. | am OF
the same opinion. after what 1 have seen
Of the whole coast and consulting the best
authorities on the island. There is no place
that fills many. If any. of the conditions
for a perfect landing place; but the eondi-
tions being known, | do not see why a
landing cannot be made practical. II Tara
fofo is not accepted, | am OF the opinion
that the cable would have to be taken
around and landed on the southern side oil
the harbor of San Louis dApra. l do not
believe there are any other places better
than these two. Ii will be observed that
the west side of the island is mostly skirted
by reefs. and that the fall off from the
shelf is much more abrupt than on the
eastern coast
Il proceeded to finish the soundings
around Guam. The southern route ana
not prove to be made longer by the off-ly-
ing SnOdlS, anu L dlll stiNiShth ~ 20 Ae-A
practicable than route around the north
ern end of the island could be, from the
soundings that have been taken. The 20
fothom and 1OO-fathom marks have been
established at Tarafofo and San Louis
d'Apra. as far as practicable in this ship.
The drop-off at the mouth of the harbor Oh
San Louis d'Apra is so abrupt that. though
I took a sounding as close in as was pru-
dent in this ship, it fell to ga fathoms.
"I then proceeded to try and find a
southern route to connect with our direct
line to Midway; but struck the Nero Deep
again. and am convinced that it cannot
he got around with a cable. Here the
deepest two casts and the deepest two
Temperatures ever taken were recorded.
The depths are 3 ,160 fathoms and 5.269
fathoms. and the temperatures are SOB at
500 fathoms and sc at 5,10i fathoms.
The voyage from Guam to the Midway
Islands was uneventful. and the soundings
are not given in the report. Contlnuiug'
the report says: ,,
THE traverse was continued from mia
wav TO Waimea Bay. Oahu Island Hawaiian
IsIonds Souudings were taken in twenty
fatboms at Waimea. 1t looks as though 1t
would be lee more than any other place
on the island After the westward ana
northward wind which had been blowing
there was no swell outside to affect the
shin, II was rolling in and breaking on
both sides of the harbor. II looks like
fine beach. and as though it would be a
good landing station. / then proceeded 10
sound around to Honolulu, discovering a
banI, with 500 to eco fathoms Of water on
II cxtendlug between Oahu ana Kauai.
and arrived of Honolulu the morning oil
January 90
In laying a cable one OF the most impor-
tant things to be considered is the OCEAN
currents. The report says on TINS subject.
..Tbe currents Of the Pacific are very