The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-05-23


new dock should and probably will be
CONSTRUCTED within a short distance of
| the present dock. No new pumping
plan would be required, it is stated,
the present plan being ample for all
contingencies. Because of the charact-
er of the soil adjoining the present
dock, it is believed that an
other dock could be constructed of
piling, driven in white sand to bedrock,
the construction being exactly like that
| of the present dock. 1t is a fact that
the natural conditions of soil and tides
at Bremerton make it possible for the
government to construct first-class
dock Of piling at very small cost,
compared with the cost of Eastern
docks.
| The advantage in having new dock
lies in the, fact that under present cir
cumstancesN the big battle-ships of the
navy on the Pacific Coast have to wait
their turn at Bremerton, because there
is no other United States dock on the
coast capable of handling them. The
Wisconsin and Oregon are due here
withina month to undergo extensive re-
pairs. The Wisconsin goes on within
few weeks, and while she Is in the dock
the Oregon will be kept waiting. The
Ohio, it is stated, will go to the Brem-
erton dock after being completed in
/ San Francisco.
] In addition to a new dock of the ca
| pacity of the present structure, Con-
gress will be asked for appropriations
covering a number of greatly needed
improvements. Among these are tor
pedo storage plant, costing approx
Imately $250,000, and a general store
house to cost about 100000.
During President McKinleys visit to
the Sound, Secretary of the Navy Long
and Rear Admiral Melville, chief of the
bureau of construction, will visit the
dock. Senator Foster and Representa-
tives Cushman and Jones will pay the
dock visit, at the invitation of Cap
tain Burwell, the commandant, about
the same time.
! It is believed that with the inferma-
ton lately furnished to the navy de-
partment regarding the efficiency Of
the Puget Sound naval station, the
War Department will order its Pacific
Coast transports sent to Bremerton to
receive such alterations and repairs as
they may need this year
Illuminated Life Buoys.
| Consul General Guenther, at Frank
fort, Germany, in a communication to
the State Department says that recent
| improvements have been made in
means of saving lives at sea. He says
| it has often happened that on account
of darkness life belts could not be seen
when thrown to persons who had fall
len overheard at night To remedy
this, he says, a new apparatus has
i been made which weighs thirty-three
pounds and produces light of $50 can
die power The buoy is of a globular
| form, carries from two to four feet
| belts and supports a long cylinder of
sheet tin, having twelve apartments
filled with carbide of calcium, which
are arranged at different elevations.
When the apparatus is thrown into the
sea, says the Consul-General, the water
passes through the perforations in the
| bottom of the cylinder and, coming In
contact with the carbide, generates
acetylene gas. Each compartment is
connected with burner by pipe,
proper valves preventing the escape of
! the gas, other than through the burn
ers. When the volume of gas in the
cylinder decreases, hydrostatic pressure
opens the valves and allows water to
enter the next compartment to generate
an additional supply of gas. The gas
is lighted electrically and ignition takes
place in about twenty-five seconds after
the buoy is thrown into the sea. The
flame is protected from the wind by
glass and burns steadily and with in
tensity for about three or four hours.
! The Consul-General also states that
the cleaning and filing Of the appara-
| mil nd
also that the cost of a charge is but IL
cents.
| In conclusion the Consul General
says that the advantages claimed for
the invention are: First, that 1t can
be used on all kinds of vessels; second,
that It may be used for general light
| ing purposes, and, third, its cheapness
| and light weight.
Encounter With Whales.
The government telegraph construc-
ton party engaged in stringing poles
to Dawson are now working about six
ty miles above Port Essington, on the
Skeena river. The steamer Princess
Louise brought down to Vancouver
from the North story Of an exciting
adventure between some members of
the construction party and a number
VI "heIicS' IHc ihSiueHt is related upon
the authority Of Superintendent Charl-
son. who Is in charge Of the telegraph
builders.
When the whales were espied near
the head Of Work channel two Peter
borough canoes were launched, and the
men afioat began to shoot the giant
fish, who were huddled up in the mar
row channel. The whales are reported
to have turned on the. cameo opd
smashed one to atoms. The amateur ,,
whale hunters were rescued by their ,
companions.