The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-15
TRANSPORTS TOO DEEP.
BOATS SCRAPE
BOTTOM OF HARBOR.
Danger to These Vessels Entering This
Port Reported to superintendent of
Service-Channel May be Deepened.

The need for the immediate deepen
ing of the harbor of Honolulu was
brought to the attention of the Federal
government this month in a very effec-
tive way. 1t is probable that the re-
cent notification of the needs here, will
exert a more potential influence than
almost any other agency which could
have been secured.
Captain Shaker the depot quarter
master of the army, called the atten-
ton of Colonel Long the superintend-
ent of the transport service at San
Francisco, to the bad condition of the
local harbOT and in view. of the rea-
sons which Captain Shaker gave, the
matter is likely to receive immediate
attention for 1t directly affects the
transport service.
When the Meade was here last month
she was ladened down with Christmas
goods for the soldiers in the Philippines.
owing to the large amount of water
she was drawing it was impossible to
coal her to her fun capacity and when
she did back out of government slip
No. l, she stirred up the mud in a very
surprising way. y similar condition was
noticeable last week when the trans
port Hancock stopped at the slip. The
vessel came into the harbor drawing
nearly 2S feet Of water when it came
to Coaling her the officers discovered
permit the full supply being taken so
only a little over 500 tons were put
aboard her. on the occasion of her
last visit however she took a much
larger quantity as she did not carry
then as many supplies for Manila
The vessel waited until almost high
tide last Wednesday before her lines
We're cast loose. That her bottom was
scraping was plainly shown by the
muddy water on all sides of her. The
services of two tugs were required to
turn her around in the harbor There
was a strong heavy wind blowing off
shore and it carried the vessel over
toward the lighthouse sand spit. whore
the keel once more touched the bot
tom. The boat was then drawing about
29l2 feet of water. Happily she was
turned around and started for the
Philippines without any damage being
evident.
This experience coupled with that of
the Meade showed CGptain Shaker that
it was, at times, dangerous for heavily
ladenCd transports to attempt to enter
the harbor. He sent a communication
to Colonel Long making a special re-
port upon these conditions here. The
matter is now out of the hands of the
local depot quartermaster. Now it
will have to come before the engineer
board of the army which has charge of
that character of harbor improvement
If there is any money on hand the
recommendation will no doubt receive
prompt and favorable attention.
Should this work be ordered it will
not include the slips but only the chan
mel proper. The wharves are now in |
the control of the territorial govern
ment and it is the duty of that depart
ment to attend to keeping the water in
that part of the harbor of sufficient
depth to accommodate vessels, the
United states government looking after
the other section.
That the harbOr is fast filling up has
long been known. Numerous COM
plants have. from time to time, been
made by the masters of the big trans
pacific liners entering here, that their
vessels touched the bottom when there
were extra heavy cargoes aboard.