The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-05

The channel leading into the Pearl
Harbor lochs and recently dredged by
the United States government has still
many reefs and other distractions to
free navigation. One of these reefs is
considered a natural protection rather
than menace but it is generally ac-
cepted that others will be cleared away.
In the lochs themselves are many pro-
jecting spits and unexpected reefs in the
middle of natural channels that Will
| ably be removed as soon as the
lochs are opened up for general naviga-
ton. A
THE PRINCIPAL OBSTACLES.
The accompanying map shows the
principal obstacles. In the main chan
mel on the right hand or starboard side
| in entering, all that now remain of +he
many piles driven by the dredging COM
pany and of those that were in 9lace
before they started operations, are two
| dolphins, formed each of three baulks
of heavy timber meeting at the apex.
| Other piles are removed but some are
submerged close to the surface. Mark
| ing rods of three inch pipe were driven
down. Some of these have been broken
|
are a serious menace to entering boats.
They lie on the starboard side of the
channel on entering but no buoys have
yet been placed to mark the entrance
of the channel as with the bell and
spar buoys in Honolulu harbor. The
dolphins already mentioned are nearly
| half way UP the channel and a vacht,
tug or vessel not knowing the waters
ior1,f ell OFT ~
nolulu to enter the channel inshore
from the proposed entrance and strike
the submerged piles. These dangers
will be obviated later when the en-
trance marks are placed.
WRECKED DREDGER A MENACE.
The sunken dredger, which is mark
| ed by a buoy, which is however gem
orally well to leeward of the wreck. IS
| on the edge of the right channel and
| directly in the road of the old bear
! ings of the Puuloa tower and the line
| where the Waianae range strikes the
plain These bearings are marked on
the chart and will be generally used
until the channel is finally buoyed. In
ordinary weather the hull shows a
brown patch on the water as it lies a
scant fathom beneath the surface, but
| Will TIE SulI lIcS, IL - A-A
distinguishable and the buoy is small.
Many moorings left by the dredgers are
swinging loose in the channel. These
are too small to hurt any but a small
boat.
| Following the channel in to the cross
on the chart marked small stake" an
incoming vessel under steam or in tow
| is compelled to turn a sharp corner and
skirting a hard coral reef three feet
| below the water. with some portions
above at low tide. 1t is thought that
this corner will be taken out.
A NATURAL PROTECTION
The second corner also marked small
stake and still more abrupt. is the
one considered a natural protection as
| incoming vessels are forced to proceed
slowly and, in the case of an enemy.
they could be shelled to pieces by land
batteries.
The next stake is on the port or left
! hand side of the channel and marks
| the extremity of the shark pen'' built
! in bygone days as a trap for unwary
sharks who found themselves caught
within it's walls by an ebbing tide. This
work and it's reef foundation will prob
ably be removed.
Next comes the spit on which the
railroad wharf is built and which neceS-
states a sharp turn to the left. The
spit can be easily dredged without
blasting.
On the right hand side at the point