The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-12-26

THE PEARL
HARbOR BAR
Rapid Progress Is
Made in Good
Weather.

winds or calm weather. there is in
sight nothing which will prevent the
early and satisfactory completion OF
the dredging which will mean the
opening of Pearl Harbor for ships
drawing thirty feet of water. within a
short time Despite the many dill
culties encountered and the set-backs
from accidents and weather. there has
been completed the excavation OF some
AZ, 900 cubic yards of the total estimated
2O0,0 600 yards, which must be moved.
The recent work of the small dredg-
er, which is now putting in two shifts
of twelve hours each day on the
contract. demonstrates that the me-
chanical difficulties which were en-
countered when the task was under
taken, are practically solved, and all
that now remains is to catch the
weather which will permit of the work
being pushed, and the result will be
satisfactory to the contractors, Cotton
Brothers, and the sub-contractors, the
Hawaiian Dredging Company. The
work has been prosecuted with vigor
when It is possible to work at ALL and
the progress has been up to every an
| ticipation.
The problem of using suction
| dredge upon the excavation was one
which was difficult of solution but the
success which has attended efforts of
! the men interested in the contract has
been gained by the exercise of great
ingenuity and a thorough knowledge
of the capacity of the machine with
which Capt. Parker has been able to
do SO much work. When the task
was undertaken w. f. Dillingham;
went to San Francisco and there was
| unable to find an engineer who could
furnish any suggestion as to the kind
of suction pipe which should be used,
for the purpose of bringing the work
constantly to the suction end of the
pipe. The usual form of deep sea
dredge, that used in New York and
Liverpool harbors. is a vessel which
contains not only the dredging ma
chinery but also the storage tanks
|
| inGlly taken to sea for dumping pur-
purposes.
The departure of providing n scow
5redge, with other scows for the
transportation of the material taker
out, to the dumping grounds, was on'
which offered no precedents from
which to work, and the result was tina
the contract was undertaken with M
80 IA u
would serve to guide the managers
Mr. Dillingham; had to return will
such supplies as might be found avail
able and the results which have at
tended the work, have disclosed tina
none of the previously formed plans
We're based on correct ideas of thu
variety Of experiences which Were t,
be undergone by men and machines
The first thing to be done was thu
removal of the revolving cutter knives
which are of service in getting into tn
hard mud and the softer coral. which
is often encountered in inside work
There We're difficulties in the way o
providing a suitable nose for the sue
tion pipe, which would keep it eve
up to the work, and yet would proven
its being seriously damaged by tn
constant grinding of the roll of the ma
chine. The pipe was fitted witt
kruckle joints, rubber webbed hos
joints We're tried and every plan t
compensate for the pitching of tn
scow, and at length the problem
seem to have been solved. The dredg
ing machines now work upon a scoy
which has been given freeboar
above the deck and there has been n
secession as yet when the waves hav
endangered the machine or the mer
as was the case with the larger ma
chine which was lost when it's weathe
! anchor cable broke, and permitted tn
scow to swing into the wind present
ing to the breaking waves an unpro
tected stern.
When the contract was taken over b
Cotton Bros. there had been dug on
by the scoop dredge OF the first com
/. pany which undertook the work, some
thing like $4,000 yard. of material. Thl
, was brought up from holes which wer
/ made by the clamshell bucket, and ther
J was no regularity of the excavation a
! all. II was only after long and tire
0 some experiment that capt Parker &c
= his machine in shape for undertaken
the work with great degree Of suret
!, OF performance, This was after IA
Il hard southern blow OF a few weeks pas
!. when the larger dredger was lost. TIL
!. smaller machine was then hauled on
/ Ia the channel, In wind which wa
from the northeast and work was be
gun In earnest,
A The receiving scows had been foun
\ tlght ana the pumping went on wlthol
= interruption for week during whic
n there was taken out total OF l.0l
yards Of material, Then the Wind shift
ed 90 the southery ana again N
. dredge had 10 seek the security OF Pea
- liarbor Finally week ago II vi
. sent out again ana work was resume
! az O'Clock on Tuesday last, with
/. thirty minutes after the anchors ha
' boon dropped Thr lasl report, that
1, Monday moW.us cola Chat up 10 sui