The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-08-02

pending the suit for the con-
domination of the lands about the east
shores of the harbor, the Impotence
which is felt in the Department at
Washington is very great. Delegate
Wilcox during his last trip to the cap
ital found that there is n very decided
feeling there in favor of a speedy be-
ginning of work on the station, when
the question of the lands is settled.
Pending the acquiring of the lands
which are to provide the location for
the station, the Navy Department has
stopped, or rather held up, the larger
portion of the appropriations for this
station. When the Navy took charge
here it was first a coaling depot; later
the name was changed to Honolulu
Naval Station, and now the title under
which appropriations for the use OF
the local establishment is made, is "Ha-
waiian Naval Station" This means
that any moneys given by Congress for
the Islands may be used in any portion
of the group.
In the last Naval appropriation bill
the sum of s107.300 was set aside for the
use of this station. The items under
this were as follows: Machine shop,
$50, 600; foundry, $4,000; Communicates
residence, $4,000; grading and fencing.
$40 coo: office buildings, $1,000; watch
mans cottage, $500; water system,
81 900: dock crane, $780, By it's action
the Department has held up the build
ing of the two shops, the dock crane
and the commentaries house while the
remaining Sl6,5 500 only may be spent at
this time. The principal item is that
for the grading and fencing. This
money, at least part of it, will be used
lie, ri ntn
ing the sheds and the offices, and in
building fences and sidewalks. Not all
the money will be expended now and
there will be a certain sum which will
be available for the first work when the
new grounds are under the Govern
ment. The action on the part of the
Navy Department in stopping the
items mentioned indicates that there is
a belief at headquarters that there will
be no delay in getting down to work at
Pearl Harbor.
From plans and recommendations
there will be several millions spent be-
fore what is intended is accomplished
at the new station. When all the plant
has been prepared it is the belief OF the
Navy Department men that the sta
ton will be the second in size in the
Pacific. Mare Island only will be larger.
This would mean that there would be a
full equipment for doing all kinds of
work, and ample drydock facilities for
the handling of all shipping. The dry
dock features have been carefully
worked out by Captain Pond and En-
gineer White. Along the shores OF the
proposed reservation there are several
locations which are ideal for the con-
struction of docks. One of these,
lent site, on account of the easy dredg-
ing which would be possible there.
The recommendation of the officers
here will be that there be built, at the
same time. two docks. side by side, OF
$50 feet in length, and large enough to
take In the heaviest battleship which
may be sent this way. In building two
docks the cost will be much less than
should they be built at different times,
and not so much more than If the work
was confined to one dock. This will
make It possible for the docking Of two
cruisers at one time for painting pur-
poses, and would be a great saving In
time and operating expense. The docks
which will be built will be of stone, as
the experiments in the line OF cheap
wooden docks have never met with sue
cess and have no supporters in the line
OF the Navy. In fact, there has been
lost to the Government several thou
sand dollars by the building of the
docks at Norfolk and New York, and
stone docks will be the only kind of
Stationary ones which will be built in
the future.
There will be recommendations made
in the next report of the Secretary Of
War it is expected, to further improve
ri Tn ha
there have been several reports upon
the Improvement of the channel. The
cost of doing this work will be less
than was then estimated, as is shown
by the fact that while the estimate for
the dredging of coral sand was then
put at 80 cents, the contract which has
been let Is at the rate of Az cents.
There are a half-dozen points of coral
reef which should be cut off and the
total amount will cost less than $780,
900. This would give an entrance chan
mel of something like 800 feet in width
and thirty feet In depth.
The plans for the improvement of
the Navy reservation, when the Hala-
wa lands have been acquired, have not
yet been completed. The idea of plac-
ing Naval hospital on Punchbowl,
for which twenty acres of land was re-
served will be abandoned. For this
purpose the lands which are to be ac-
qured on Ford's Island will be used.
The lines of the proposed reservation on
the Island We're drawn so as to allow
the site for the hospital to have, sufIi-
cient grounds and to occupy the high
est location on the Island.
The proposed station lands have been
extended greatly by the authorities at
Washington, over the recommendations
of the local officials. According to the
plans made here the reservation was to
comprise the lands which extend from
the main entrance OF the harbor to the
line of the railroad. the small island
and part Of Ford's Island But 1t was
decided later to take in all the water