The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-30
MUST PLAN DEFENSES
ON ALL THE ISLANDS
Admiral Evans Believes the Question
of Works Will Be Settled by
a Mixed Board.

{ this port. This is bound to become the
greatest coaling station in the world
when that canal Is built. The demands
then made upon a dock yard would be
| very heavy, and il would be work upon
merchant vessels. All these things
J must be considered when the scope of
the yard is decided upon by the general
board
The site chosen for the yard is an
ideal one The land lies just as it should
and the frontage is very fine. There is
plenty of swinging room and the chan
mel is deep. The only point which must
be settled Is the matter of defense.
hope the members of the Notifications
board will see their way clear to fix
plan for the placing of some sort OF
works upon the outer reef, a system of
steel turrets perhaps. That would place
the defenses fou4 miles from the yard
and would keep the ships of an attack
ing fleet at least two miles further
away. With range of six miles shoot
ing at a target is a difficult matter, es-
pecially in sea way.
] If this is not done there will be little
security for the buildings and works of
the yard. Should there be no proper
defenses the ships of an enemy could
lie off and with twelve and eight inch
guns simply riddle the buildings of the
yard.
I'm case there should be an attack.
! or feet should be bottled up in the
| harbor, the deep water anchorages in
| the west lochs could be used, but /
think the site for the yards selected by
Capt. Merry is the very best that could
/ be chosen in the entire harbor.
| There is one other point, in the event
of the enemy catching fleet in bot
tle-mouthed harbor there must be suf-
ficient defense at the mouth to provide
for the ships getting out and forming
some line of battle. Where the ships
must come out in line the result will
be that which befel Cervera at Santiago,
for the enemy will cut up the fleet be-
fore it can be got into formation. This
would be the case at Pearl Harbor un-
less the batteries could be moved out
to the reef, and the extra mile of range
| had. There has been much change in
defensive methods. For instance if an
army man should say that Punchbowl
was the proper site for battery, we
would say put your works there and
welcome and we would then be able
to demand the surrender of this city,
or we could demolish it, and the city
would surrender too. Therefore 1 be-
lieve there will be a mixed board to
decide upon the scheme for the defense
of this group before anything Is done
LAS to a Pacific cable L believe the
Navy will build one very soon. Wheth-
er or not a private corporation does
so it is my opinion that the Navy viii
lay cable, and that it VIII be au-
thorized this year. There is a growing
| demand for cables Tor military pur-
poses and the opinion at Washington is
that this Pacific cable should be con-
F., structed at once"
Admiral Evans and Admiral Glass call
ed upon Governor Dole yesterday morn
ing and had a most pleasant chat. They
told the Governor that it was an un-
! official call, and that he would not be
expected to return it, but the Governor
accompanied by the Attorney General,
waited upon the naval officers at the
hotel last evening. Judge Estee dined
with the party and later Senator George
| r. Carter called and spent few min
utes in general conversation.