The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-16
ROOM FOR BIG SHIPS.


might well call attention to the condi-
tions of Honolulu harbor at this time.
That there is much to be done if the
growing traffic of the western ocean
shall flow through this port is realized
by all and what form this improvement
shall take will be discussed more and
more until a recommendation is made
to Congress during the coming session.
The size of the new ships of the Pa
cific Mail Company will play part in
opening the eyes of the people here to
the needs of harbor improvements. The
Korea and Siberia, which should APP
pear here before the end of the year
are 572 feet long and 63 feet wide. Their
depth is not inordinate at all, for they
will draw only q feet, while the trans
port Hancock has come into port with
IS feet under water. 1t is the other di-
mansions which will offer the objection
to bringing the ships inside. That this
is true must be argued from the fact
that the battleship Oregon laid outside
when she came here last on her way to
the Coast. Not because the ship was
too deep, but from the fact that the
channel is so narrow that with a val
liable ship it is not thought wise to run
kia.
Even now with the new ships of the
Oceanic Company there is extreme care
necessary when the turnings of the
channel are encountered. What then
will be IL necessity for watchfulness
when the Nip being handled is of twice
the size? There w some probability
that when the new ships of the Great
Eofthern road are ready for service,
and are sent out to ply between the
Sound and the Orient that there will be
q detour made for the purpose of TAX
ing up the trade Of the Islands These
vessels are nearly as large as the new
ships of the Pacific Mail, and they will
have to be handled with as much care
in the matter of the harbor facilities.
These are conditions, >not theories. If
a naval officer will not bring his ship
of ZOO tons into harbor for coal, but
will lie outside and coal from barges
will there be any objection to coming
in. from the skipper of a new $4,000. GOO
merchant ship full of freight? Is it not
best to look the situation in the face
and decide as to the course which must
be followed if there appears any danger
that this port will be given an overlook
because of the danger Of it's channel or
the small size of the harbor itself?
Steamers have grown within the past
few years until the 3000-ton ship is be-
ing forced off the regular runs by the
big ones. The channel into Honolulu
harbor was dredged when the smaller
ship was the great vessel Since that
time there has been no keeping pace
with the Improvement in the ships in
the clearing of the approaches and the
expansion of the harbor room The
channel through which a ship of sixty
three feet width should come in of right
ought to be four times the width of the
vessel This is minimum. The chan
mel is not three times this distance
Then again. what will be done for
for should this new class of
leviathans come in now without any
improvements there would be a stop
page of business for a time, for to place
one alongside the Pacific Mail dock
would put one of the adjoining docks
out Of commission.
What then is the remedy? Shall ii
be best to simply wait and see if there
is any trouble with these big ships, or
try and enlarge the harbor facilities so
that there will never be any danger 0t
trouble? In the first place there has
been for years necessity for greate~
room. The plans which have been sub
mitted in the past have all taken into
only the affording of more
docking space. The time is come, with
the ships of so great length. that there
must be more free room Shall this be
gained by cutting out the reefs and
L inc he In, IF no
ent business portion larger or making
new grounds? In Pearl Harbor open
ing there is little of aid. for the dredg-
ing at the mouth of the harbor will
not be of sufficient width to give free
dom to the new carriers. There re
mains plan which has been freely
quoted in the past and which offers
many advantages This is the dredg-
ing of an opening from the present
channel to Kalihi harbor, and then
again the widening of the channel out
TO sea, so that the harbor will have
two entrances, through which the
greatest shipse might come and go.
There would be brought into the di-
rect use for wharf purposes then all
the waterfrontage along the Kalihi ba-
sin, with the added advantage of low
ample rail connection and the barber
thus formed would accommodate a
merchant fleet which would carry tie
entire output ofeour mills at once
This is an enterprise which would en-
gage the best efforts of the United
states engineers for many years and
perhaps the Territory is too young II
nope for such appropriations as would
be necessary to bring through the
work. But the lighter task of widening
.pe present harbor opening and the
clearing out of the harbor where it mas
become silted from constant washings
- not too much to be cpntempia Jed
even at this time. The expense would
not be large and the benefits more than
commensurate Arguments in ple':ty
there are for the work, but should neg
lect permit one of those ships to come
here and fail to enter the harbor argu
ments will fall before a reality
-%--
CHINESE IMMIGRATION.