The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-28

BETWEEN
ISLANDS
(contin led from page y

line or wash il against the sharp coral
and thus cause it to be cut. 1 should
think the proper course of procedure
would be to have representations made
to the company which proposes to lay
the cable. so that it might make inves-
legations which would lead to a definite
proposal"
Secretary Henry E. Cooper, who dur
ing his recent visit to Washington in
vestigated the prospects of cable legis-
Iation very thoroughly, said: "Convinc-
ed as I am that there will be cable
legislation at this session of Congress,
am of opinion that there is a good
chance to secure inter-island cable
communication. The question of the
laying of a cable between the islands is
one for mathematical demonstration.
There would be normally just so much
business and the company could fairly
figure upon 1t. 1t is a question whether
or not there would be any increase of
business until the people come to realize
the accommodation offered
1.-The matter of inducement to be Of
fered to secure the building of a line
is another question and one calling for
serious consideration. / would not like
TO give an opinion at once. The branch
line OF cable would be valuable feeder
to the main line, as it would permit
the people CT the other islands, of all
nationalities to make use of the cable
directly to foreign countries. 1t would
be Of immense advantage to the sugar
planters who would be able to secure
information at once as to what was
going op all over the islands, news Of
which specially quick information was
desired. 1t would be of signal advan-
tage but believe its construction would
be entirely a matter for business calcu-
lation.'
Curtis j. Lyons. the government
meteorological. recalls the first sound
ings made between the various Islands
with the view of establishing cable
lines Sometime in the SOS. probably
about 1886. these soundinSs were made
and the results indicated a good sea-
floor. ranging from 300 to 100 fathoms
at the deepest points in the channels.
bur the soundings and Investigations
also showed that the currents were
very strong. especially in the Molokai-
Maui channel
Captain Jackson. a retired British
naval officer. who was connected with
the local survey office" said Mr.. Lyons
yesterday. "made the soundings. They
were Dul pOSEAg III NAAG AeA- Ills -
linter-island cables. There was a COM
pany formed which intended laying
these cables, but the fact that there
was to be no cable from the United
States to the Hawaiian Islands rather
dampaned the affair. There were ex-
tensive soundings made between Nil
hau and Kauai, Kauai and Oahu, Oahu
and Molokai, Molokai and Maui. and
Maui and Hawaii. He did not find as
much depth in some of the channels as
had been expected and there was not
over 300 fathoms to Maui. He found
1000 fathoms between Maui and Ha-
wall 1t is therefore quite deep and
there are strong currents necessitating
a strong cable to resist them.
Captain jackson also made some
choice of landing places. For Oahu he
chose as a starting place Waialae Bay
with landing place on the west end
os Mclokai north of the present IiglS
house. He then favored starting from
place near Pukoo or Kamalo. Molo-
kai, landing at west Maui Starting
again at a point near Nuu, Maui, he
selected a landing place between Pua-
kou and Kawaihae.
There did not seem to be any sharp
ridges in channels and generally there
seemed to be fairly level sea floor.
OF course, IL it was contemplated to
lay a set OF cables between the islands
very exhaustive study would neces-
sarily have to be made. The surveys
and soundings made by Captain jack
son are on file On tracings in the Gov
eminent Survey office and many Of his
soundings appear on the present ny
Geographic maps of the United States
Navy.
There was an attempt made to lay
cable between Molokai and Maui, bu'
it was cheap cable as it turned out
and not the kind to resist the strong
currents in that channel. 1t never
amounted to anything and it was
eventually carried away by the cur
rents. That is the narrowest channel
and a favorable place to experiment.
/ do not see that there can be any spe-
cial obstacle to the laying of cables
between the islands, If the community
wants them am speaking from the
geographical and marine aspects of the
proposition. II it is found on further
investigation that better floor way
could be found outside the channels
that would be the only change. The
greatest difficulty would be found in
the channel between Hawaii and Maui.
las to the plans OF the Mackay COM
pany in bringing their cable to the ISL
ands / do not see how they can i'm
prove on making Oahu the first and
main landing place. By so doing they
would avoid risks by coming direct TO
Oahu In case of war ii would be
easier TO protect, and the complica-
tions arising from this source wodld
be at the minimum. To run it to Ha-
wall and then branch up to Oahu
and thence on to the westward, would
be TO make the cable vulnerable"
Mr.. James Gordon Spencer, secretary
OF the Chamber of Commerce, said:
THE connection of the islands by cable
would be a great advantage. 1t would
Of course be of more value to the plan
ters than to the merchants. though on
many occasions the dealers find 1t nee
essary to have quick communication