The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-21
TO PRESS
WORK ON
DEFENSES.
Plans Now Before
Chief of the
Bureau.
NO IUKREIS FOR
HARBOR BATTERIES
May Remove Lepers TO an Island
In the Philippine Group.
Want Information.
rrom an Occasional Correspondent,

CFrom an Occasional Correspondent
w -Brigadier General Gillespie,
W Chief Of Engineers, is hard at
work upon the report of the board,
which recently investigated the island
of Oahu, with a 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 If the
Committees on Fortifcations 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 or
one fortress at the entrance to Homo
proprtations 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 fortiflca-
tion upon the eastern shore of the en-
trance, at first. There is to be placed
there. when the full scope of the prof.
ect is reached, four twelve-inch guns
according to the present plans. These
are to be separated by a 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
preyent the chance of the forts being
cut off. With time the plan is to con-
struct at a point further west of the
mouth of the harbor than the present
settlement. another fortress which viii
be similarly equipped with great guns,
and these two, 1t is planned, viii pro-
tect the entire waterfront from Hon
oIuIu TO BARRIERS Point.
NO TURRET BATTERIES.
There will be nothing of the turret bat
terv about the Notifications of Honolulu.
The works will be of the substantial
TYNE which will permit practice with the
greatest guns ahoat. and VIII offer TO
any projectile that may be thrown
against IL, a wall of sand and masonry
which will render safe the men ana guns
which II will shelter. The objection urg-
cd to the suggestion that there be placed
on the reefs a turret battery is made
that such works would be subject to
preat danger In that the transportation
of men and supplies during an engage
n,ent would be hazardous. while shore
batteries would have their men at hand
or cIose enough TO come to the relief OF
the crews of the guns
A. the entrance to the Honolulu Har- !
bor there may be placed at once bat
terv of two i2-inch' guns, the fortress
f,ains placed on the east end OF the sea-
wau which extends from the channel
rbores This location was considered by
,ba officers most favorably and there Is
said to be 4 decided belief that there VIII
10 speedy action taken TO secure the in
CORPORATION of this plan into any gen.
erai scheme which Is to be undertaken
at This time. There will be numerous
other lighter batteries stationed along
tn. entire waterfront of the city, but
tbesa may have to wait for better sea-
son. as projects for the insular possess
sioos are to be quite extensive.
TaIlxine of fortifications for the de-
fense of Honolulu. II has just developed
here that there was at one tiine most