Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-03-18
e-al years ago in the waters north Of

e-al years ago in the waters north Of
Puerto Rico.
I While many naturalists believe that
the oceanic beds have remained prac-
tically unchanged through the ages,
there are others who are of the opin-
ion that such abysses as the Nero
Deep result from oscillations of the
earth's crust. The region to the north
west of the lately discovered depres-
sion is a volcanic chain stretching
from the Marianas, of which Guam is
the southeastern extremity, to Japan,
lear the vicinity of Yokohama The
Japan end of this chain is especially
famous for it's severe earthquake
shocks and tidal-waves.
An achievement no less important
than it's discovery of Nero Deep was the
Nero expeditions completion of the
first thorough exploration of Midway
Island in the center of the Pacific. Al
though this dot in the sea has been
under the sovereignty OF the United
States for forty years Americans have
heretofore known practically nothing
concerning it. Midway is now brought
into notice by the determination of
the authorities to make it a mid-Pa-
cific relay station for the future cable.
Midway was so named because or
iginally believed to be the halfway
mark of vessels plying on the Pacific
between America and Asia. In 1859
Capt. N. C. Brooks, of the U. S. s.
Gambia"
Planted Old Glory
in it's snowy sand and called it Middle
brook. 1t is a notable fact that upon
this island Uncle Sam in that year
made his first experiment in insular
colonization, modest though the enter
prise was. Captain Brooks left upon
it's coral beach one solitary and lone
Kamchatkan sailor, but history does
not record the fate of this pioneer col
onist. After Captain Brooks reported
his discovery to the proper authori-
ties it was kept secret for some years.
Midway was later made coaling and
refreShment station for the Pacific
Mail Company, whose object then was
to avoid Honolulu, believed to be I'M
der foreign influence. The later aban-
donment of this project threw Midway
into an obscurity which has hidden it
until the recent visit of Commander
I1OuSSo party.
The Nero expedition found the island
absolutely uninhabited by human be-
ing and utterly naked of trees. Inas-
much as a detail of men will shortly
be stationed there for the operation Of
the new cable, interest may now be
directed toward the unique method to
be shortly employed for planting the
desert spot, stocking it with suitable
food, animals and developing it for
the primary necessities of life.
Commander Hodges found Midway to
consist in reality of two separate
islets framed by a pear-shape coral
reef which completely surrounded
them, except at two points, each suffi
GENTLY wide for entrance. He esti-
mated that Sand Island, the larger and
more westerly of the two, was about
two and a half miles in greatest width.
While Eastern Island, the smaller, was
found to be more luxurious in vegeta-
ton, he recommended Sand Island as
preferable for the cable station. It's
highest point is but
Thirty Feet Above Sea Level.
It's soil is entirely for coral disinte-
grated into coarse sand so white that
it almost blinds the eyes while it re-
fleets the sun and scorches the face.
1t Is estimated that at least five
men with their families will be needed
to properly care for the proposed cable
station. They will have to live on
shipboard until suitable quarters are
built for them. When they land they
will find only solitary one-room
shanty erected upon Sand Island dur
ing it's occupation by the Pacific Mail
Company. Within this Assistant Sur
geon Mccullough, who accompanied
the Nero expedition, says he found a
placard outlining the career of the
commander of schooner wrecked up
on the island in September, 1888, and
remaining thereon undiscovered until
February, 1890, during which time he
buried four of his crew.
There being no timber upon either
island, the necessary buildings must
be constructed entirely of transported
materials unless lime and brick can be
made from the coral sand.
Until Sand island and its sister can
be stocked and planted the only food
which nature will afford these set
tiers must be furnished by the fishes
and birds,
There Being No Land Animals
nor edible vegetables. With a rod
and gun any of these future occupants
can find rich sport in a moment of
leisure. Between Sand island and it's
outlying reef extends shallow la
COON, mile and half wide, alive
with excellent cod, mullet, perch,
mackerel and beautifully colored dol
phins. The gunner will find the scan
ty shrubs and scrubgrass which COW
er the islands so thick with, sea-birds
that he will be unable to walk without
stepping upon them. Notable among
these are the Pacific albatross, the fri
gate or man-ofwar bird, plover, cur
lew, red-bill and BOBBY. DR.. McCul-
Tough says that he could only make a
path through the bush by beating the
ground in front of him with the
branch of tree and thus frightening
the winged denizens. Even then the
young Pacific albatross refused to re-
treat and valiantly held his ground
1t is feared that evaporators will
have to be erected before the new ca
BILE station can be supplied with album
dant fresh water. The placard of the
Ship-wrecked mariner aforesaid gave
the Nero party instructions for finding
a good spring but it is suspected that
its water contains calcium carbonate
and carbon dioxide which must be re-
moved by boiling and filtration.
Dr. Mccullough believes that the