The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-13
Boards Report on
Our Defenses
Complete.
GREAT GUNS AT
MANY LOCATIONS
Fortifications May Extend From
KokO Head to BARRIERS Point
to Protect the Island.
= OR more than twenty miles the
= Kona coast of the Island of Ca

- OR more than twenty miles the
Rona coast of the Island of Ca
hu will be fortified in such a
manner as to make the island practi-
cally impregnable. The report Of the
Board OF Fortificatlons which has been
investigating the coast line for the pur-
pose OF locating needed batteries was
completed and signed yesterday. Col.
Heuer, president OF the board, will take
it with him in the Alameda today and
will forward it to Washington at once.
The work Of the Board has been ac-
complished with remarkable rapidity.
Arriving here Thursday morning last
the members despite rain and mud
spent that day. covering the Waikiki
district and without the least let up
pushed their task through to compile
ton. This involved the exploration Of
Pearl Harbor covering nearly thirty
possible locations for high power guns.
inspecting the only available pass and
Punchbowl which has been suggested
as a desirable site for a great fortifca-
ton. Not only have some twelve Ioca-
tfons been chosen for batteries, but it
is understood that one central artillery
camp or station has been surveyed and
the location will be recommended.
The Board is composed of two en-
gineer and two artillery officers, and the
result of their deliberations covers not
only number and location of fortified
points but also size of armament and
estimate of probable cost Every MEM
Der of the Board observes a degree of
secrecy as to all that has been accom-
pIished and the full details of the work
will only be known when the Chief of
Engineers at Washington, after re-
view of the report, discloses its pur-
port.
1t is understood that the Board will
not recommend any turret batteries.
Instead of this system of defenses
which is esteemed by many prominent
engineer officers to be still in an ex-
perimentaI stage, the older and more
approved system of low Notifications |
with disappearing carriages for the
high power rifles will be the general |
type of defenses. The carriages of this |
type are used to mount the eight, ten
and twelve inch breech loading rifles
now being manufactured for coast de-
lenses. 1t is the belief of artiilerists |
that with heavy walls the fortifications
Of riff
are the most advantageous and outclass
the proposed turret. the chief advocates
Of which are naval officers.
While the principal batteries of the
twelve or more. so far located on pa
per. viii be OF this type there may be
some OF the larger guns. such as the
great sixteen inch rifles now being con-
structed at watervIeit. placed on COM
points. like the harbor mouth
and the Pearl Harbor entrance. These
guns are too heavy for the disappearing
-arriage as developed up TO this time
and they are always mounted in bar
bette. behind armored shields. which
furnish complete protection FOR ord
nance and artillerist.
For the perfect protection Of the isl
and and the government works. the
chain OF Notifications VIII embrace
.mplacements for guns at Waialae bay.
,u Diamond Head. ut Waikiki, at the
iiarbor mouth. at Pearl Harbor and be- ;
vond commanding WaiInae bay Ow- 4
lns 20 the fact that the mountain
passes may be easily defended little {
fear is felt that any enemy viii ever 5