The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-03-04
To
GET CABLE
Rock Where Next
Landing Will
Be Made.
Ships Give Place as
Wide Berth as
Possible.
Little Coral Group That Is Now
Of Value TO United
States.

Shipping men will be interested in
the report of the survey of the Midway
Islands. just ordered published by the
Navy Department at Washington. 1t
! will be remembered' that Captain
Pond made survey of the islands in
the tug Iroquois about two years ago,
at which time the Importance of the
group suddenly became apparent, in
the knowledge of the fact that the
Pacific Gable would probably make
! one of its landings there. There are
! eleven or twelve little rocks in the
Midway group. about 1900 miles in
northwesterly direction from this city,
and they became the property of the
United States by the annexation of the
! Hawaiian group. The islands have
been visited but little Sailors, in fact,
give them as wide a berth as possible
as they are most dangerous when
ships get close in.
Many maps have not even shown
them. because they are insignificant
islets. but they are likely to be of some
Importance to use as cable station,
breaking the long distance of nearly
3. 800 miles between Honolulu and Guam
There is no question but a direct cable
from Honolulu to Guam might be sue
cessfully laid, but all agree that it is
better to maintain an intermediate
station at Midway Islands. Wake
island has also been mentioned as this
intermediate station, but Midway is
likely to be chosen.
The report of Captain Pond is to the
effect that this little group got its name
from the fact that it is almost in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean between
Asia and America. 1t is nothing but
a low coral atoll. nearly eighteen miles
in circumference. inclosing two islands
known as Sand Island and Eastern
Island and two small islets.
Sand Island. the largest of the group,
one and a quarter miles west of East |
ern Island. is nearly one and three
OF a mile wide, and forty-three feet
high at it's highest point, which is the
top of a sand dune. The average ele- |
walton of the Island above sea level is |
from three to ten feet.
The island is composed entirely of |
n.
cred with bushes and some grass. the !
breeding ground of the tern or sea |
swallow. The area of vegetation is |
increasing. The sand dunes are prac- |
tically a permanent feature of the |
topography. being protected by their |
covering of bushes: but gales some |
times blow the sand in dense clouds |
over the island.
In 1887 the bark Wandering Minstrel !
was wrecked on the reef that surrounds /
the islands. and Captain Walker. with !
his family and crew, lived for fourteen /
months on these coral sands. 1t was
a terrible experience. The party had ;
nothing to eat except fish, birds and
eggs. which they collected in the wa
ters OF the lagoon and on the islands.
Several of the castaways who lived 1
on Sand Island died from scurvy, and l
others were sadly afflicted with this
dread disease; those who took refuge
on Eastern Island, however. were not II
Captain walker and the II
survivors of his party spent two
winters on the islands. He re-
ports that in the winter months
October to ApriD gales are of
very frequent occurrence. and though
there are a few days of fine weather
a rough. westerly sea is
usually breaking against the reef.
Eastern Island, at the southeast ex-
trernity of the group is about one and
one-fourth miles in length and a half
mile in width, from six to twelve feet
high and thickly covered with shrub
berry and coarse grass. The lagoon in
which these islands stand is filled with
dark blue water, varying from three
to twelve fathoms in depth None but
small vessels can enter the lagoon
Excellent water may be obtained on
Sand Island by digging about five feet
but the we'll must be boarded up. sides
and bottom. to prevent it from filling
with sand. The well fills with water
rapidly. the water being milky white
at first. but settling in few days and
perfectly clear. 1t is slightly
sweet in taste.