The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-25
TO OPEN
THE BAR.
Pearl Harbor Will Be
Improved.
A Boom FOR HONOLULU
lieutenant-CoIoneI Heuer Here TO
Make Survey Of the
Entrance.
~ a few more months it is possible

-" "oie months ~ Is possible |
that great war vessels may be seen
floating on the placid bosom OF
Pearl Harbor.
Lieutenant Colonel w. II. Heuer OF
the Engineer corps OF the United states
Army. Is here for the purpose of max
ing survey OF the entrance to the
haroor with the view OF expending at
once the appropriation OF 800 600 which
was made by the Fifty-fourth Congress
10 cut through the reef. He will make
report to Washington at once and II
u is found that the bar can be opened
Tor the sum available the work will be
done Immediately.
Yesterday Colonel Heuer went down
To Pearl Harbor on the Naval launch
with Captain Merry. commander of the
Honolulu Naval Station. Lieutenant
Commander +. G. PrindeIl. Lieutenant
Commander Pond. OF the IroauoIs,
Captain Dowdell OF the ZeaIandia.
George G. Beckley and others. They
spent nearly the entire day looking
over the harbor and examining the ex-
tent OF the bar and the entire entrance
TO the harbor. Within the next few
days Colonel Heuer will make a careful
survey and upon this with the reports
which have been hitherto made
on the harbor he will base his report to
the Secretary OF War regarding the ad-
visibility OF at once expendinR the
money which II available for cutting
the bar and opening the harbor TO the
ships which plough the blue waters OF
the ocean.
This sum OF 100000 which was ap-
propriated by Congress some years ago
has been lying idle ever since that time.
10 was appropriated before the Islands
we're annexed to the United States and
was part OF the general funds for the
Improvement OF the rivers and harbors
of the United States. All work on the
rivers and harbors comes within the
Jurisdiction Of the War Department
and has nothing 10 do with the Navy
Department. and 80 II Is that a member
of the Army Engineer corps is sent to
make the estimates for the work Of
opening the entrance. Nor viii the
cutting through Of the bar have any
particular bearing on the contemplated
construction of a Naval station at
Pearl Harbor. though Congress may be
brought 10 see the advisability OF ut
once constructing n Navy yard there
when the spectacle II seen Of great
ships OF war floating at anchor within
nifty feet OF n shore. and with ten TO
twenty fathoms OF water under their
keeis.
, N u IL ascertalned that 100000 will
he sufficient 20 do the work of cutting
n canal similar TO that which leads TO
the harbor OF Honolulu. about 200 feet
wide and 30 feet or more deep. con-
tracts will he let at once for the work
and this viii mean that the harbor will
be opened for deep sea vessels before
the spring Of 1901 IL very far advanced
n will also mean work for many Homo
lulu people and dredging contracts that
will be eagerly taken up by some OF the
local contractors.
> From surveys Of the harbor entrance
; which have been made In the past II Is
believed that the sum of 100000 Will be
amply sufficient TO do the work Of cut
ting through the bar. For n space oi
several hundred feet opposite the en-
, trance the water on the bar Is about II
. 90 20 feet deep. For most Of this widtf
there is little n any coral. and II vii
: simply be necessary TO dredge out thu
sand which the sea and the currents
; from the harbor have combined to pill
\ up across the entrance. Where there u
coral 20 be found u is stated from thes'
reports that n r. simply In the shape o
. n thin layer lying on the sand and wher
Y this has been cut through IL Will b.
!. easy 20 remove the sand TO any re
! duired depth.
. But while the actual cutting through
of the channel for deep sea ships vii
= not be n matter Of great expense IL vii
be different when II comes 10 remov
> ing the reefs while stretch at eithe
side % the entrance proper from tn
salt Works at Puuloa and from Wal
aho on the other side and which max
the present course Into the haroor eve
for small yachts somewhat tortous an
difficult.
"The expense OF removing these oh
structions." said Captain Merry las
evening. 'wiil be considerable and IL
question whethersit viii be possiol
10 do u with the money which Is mo-
IavalIabIe. Unless they are removed
win he difficult for the big warships
W enter the harbor for they viii hardly Z
able 40 turn so as TO get around thes
"a projecting reefs. However there Is
m hin now before Congress TO appropria'
:. stFo 900 for the Improvement OF Pea
A. Ifarbor and 70 purchase n site for
Naval station and " that Is passed IN
~, winter by Congress u will prove amp
- with the 100000 to do all the woi
W necessary. =,
II can give no idea ho~ soon u