The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-01-21
TO PRESS
WORK On
DEFENSES
Plans Now Before
Chief Of the
Bureau.
Trom an Occasional Correspondent

" --Brigadier General Gillespie,
Chief of Engineers, Is hard at
work upon the report of the board,
which recently investigated the island
of Oahu, with view of selecting the
proper defensive arrangements, which
are needed there. This report, as al
ready noted in the Advertiser, was
asked for by, him from Col. Heuer, as
soon as that officer returned to San
Francisco, and he has now at work
upon 1t several OF his assistants, with
a view OF obtaining various opinions
upon some portions of the report
All that may be expected at the pres
ent time is an appropriation for the in
auguration of the work, and it will be
pleasing to the army engineers IL the
Committees on Fortifications permit to
remain in the bill appropriations for
the commencement of work at Pearl
Harbor. There may be enough in the
amount provided for the erection of
one fortress at the entrance to Homo
lulu Harbor. and from the general ap-
preparations for guns, there may be
squeezed out something for the send
ing of high power pieces of lighter cal
iber than will be needed in those
works, for emergency use along the
shore line, where there will be finally
some lighter forts placed Should this
accomplishment be the result of the
campaign of the engineers bureau
there will be much congratulation. But
of course this must be taken only as a
matter of Inauguration of the work,
for 1t is understood that General Gill
lespie will approve the entire plan as
recommended by the Board of Officers.
Just what has been recommended
will not be known until the report has
been sent to the President, but some
points have been gathered. The plan
FOR Pearl Harbor embraces the con-
struction of very complete fortifica-
ton upon the eastern shore of the en-
trance, at first. There is to be placed
there. when the fun scope of the prof.
ect is reached, four twelve-inch guns,
according to the present plans. These
are to be separated by considerable
distance. but the works about each will
be connected and they will be supplied
from one general bomb-proof store
house. There will be magazines in the
rock and every precaution taken to
prevent the chance of the forts being
cut off. with time the plan is to con-
struct at point further west of the
mouth of the harbor than the present
settlement. another fortress which will
be similarly equipped With great guns.
and these two, it Is planned. win pro-
tect the entire waterfront from Hon
olulu to BARRIERS Point.
NO TURRET BATTERIES.
There will be nothing of the turret bat
terry about the Notifications of Honolulu.
The works will be of the substantial
type, which will permit practice with the
greatest guns afloat, and will offer to
any projectile that may be thrown
against it. wall of sand and masonry
which will render safe the men and guns
which 1t will shelter. The objection urg-
ed to the suggestion that there be placed
on the reefs turret battery Is made
that such works would be subject to
great dange' in that the transportation
Of men and supplies during an engage
ment would be hazardous, while shore
batteries would have their men at hand
or close enough to come to the relief OF
the crews OF the guns.
At the entrance to the Honolulu Har-
Dor there may be placed at once a bat
terry Of two 12-lnch guns. the fortress
being placed on the east end of the sea-
wall, which extends from the channel
shores. This location was considered by
the officers most favorably and there Is
said to be a decided belief that there VIII
be speedy action taken to secure the in
corporation of this plan into any gen.
eral scheme which Is to be undertaken
at this time. There will be numerous
other lighter batteries stationed along
the entire waterfront of the city, but
these may have to wait for a better sea-
son. as projects for the insular possess
sions are to be quite extensive.
Talking of Notifications for the de-
Tense of Honolulu. it has just developed
here that there was at one time a most
determined effort made on the part OF
the navy to secure control of the scheme
of defense for the Islands. 1t Is learned
here that at one time there was under
serious consideration the making of suv-
gestions that there be committed into
the hands of the sailors the plans for
defensive operations around Honolulu
and Hilo. to the head Of the Navy. This
would have meant the stationing at Pearl
Harbor and Honolulu OF monitors and
battlesh.ps. which would constitute the
defensive force of the city and statio>
This was not carried through, owing to
the fact that II early developed that the
problem was one for the War Office, and
the sending of board was sufficient to
indicate that the work would be carried
on by the regular branch of the service
to which Is committed such matters usu-
ally.
HAD WRONG BACKING.
We have had several Hawaiians here
during the past month, and they have
been treated to some eccentricities on
the part of the Office seeking and legls-
lation-securing lobbyists. The men who
have sought and failed to obtain, have
had the hardest kind of fights and it was
due to some of the men whom they had
pushing them. that at least one or two
found that their road was very rocky.
One OF the unsuccessful ones was
young Mr.. Thompson. the attorney, who
has many friends here. and was most
genially received, for he Is known as a
good fellow all the time. But he could
not be judge. He could not tell why il
was that he seemed to be unable to get
any further than a mere calling