The sun., 1903-03-29

ounce Of water drunk must also be conveyed
to the island, because at present there In
no sweet water on the island.
Furthermore, the gentlemen who have
been in the habit Of dropping down to
Sand Islsnd for the purpose Of bird shoot
ing during tho past century OF two have
not been regarded As human beings OF
thoroughly domesticated habits. Some OF
them have been known even to 30 far forget
themselves as TO kill and eat fellow man.
When that phase Of the situation was con-
templated II was seen at once that the
island would not only have to be oolonized
and fructified and provisioned. but 1t
would also have to be fortified.
sNios island. that said young Mr..
Mackay one day. after he had gone over
the situation with Mr.. Ward, the vice.
president Of the company. Wouldn't 1t
be pleasant II all our cable stations were
like that? However, We have undertaken
the job, and wen have . cable between
San Francisco and Manila that touches
only all-Arnsrican territory or Wen know
the reason Why
Sand Island is about three-quarters OF
mile long and half a mile WIDE, 80 that
the work Of fortification will not be par
ticularly difficult. BY o recent decision
| Of the Government at washington tne
Sss' ss will tho ps' d%sS SHsSe'f @
have been put under the jurisdiction OF
the Navy Department, and such fortifying
as they may need will be attended to by
the Secretary Of the Navy.
ton Of the cable viii begin early in May.
The cable ship will sail from London early
| In April, and as soon a. Il gets TO Manila
the work Of laying that section OF the cable
will begin. The section from Ina Manila TO to
cable ship will proceed to Sand Island and
| from there TO Honolulu. About the same
time that the cable ship sails from London
q oolonizing party 20 70 put 1t. VII leave
will be made up Of about fifteen men, in;
cluding the superintendent OF the sand
Island station, three OF four Telegraph
operators. some electricians. few laboreH'
q doctor and a small hospital stan.
much more formidable In It's outfit than
that Of the cable ship. They will carry
| with them q quantity OF canned goods,
medicines, bandages, surgical appliances
and general hospital stores, together with
| tents for temporary use and the materials
for building q permanent cable station and
houses for the crew. The Government re.
ports have II that water, character ana
constituency not very well established, nas
been found on Sand Island by digging Ten
suspected that this water In sweet water
| but that In not definitely known: =,
The oolonists will take with them vel
digger and the neceei ary peraphenaA 70
equip few drive wells. IL Is not believed
to take any such liberties with the bowels
of Sand Island as he might take with the
bowels of the earth In the United States
An artesian well, 30 or 100 feet deep in thif
country, is Just a plain ordinary Eve evsryl I,
they undertake. on Sand Island, TO push 9
well point very far toward the centre OF
the earth. they will strike the Pacific Ocean
before they have pushed great way, and
got instead Of sweet water an upfiow ol
old ocean.
Not only Is this possibility feared, but
IL IL also believed that water which car
he found 40 near the surface as ten or twelve
feet will become easily exhausted. II that
be true, then II wouldn't take many wells
sunk into an island half a mile wide and
three quarters Of Q mile long. TO exhaust the
! water supply. In that event. OF course
fresh water would be either q matter o,
importation, or IL would have TO be OBJ
tained by the dstillation OF sea water.
The company has already plenty o'
volunteers for its first station crew fol
Sand Island. How long they will he Willing
to stay and whether there will be any grea
amount Of difhcu'ty N setting I. relay fol
and the company in quite willing, unde
the circumstances. to let the future taxi
care Of IT,.
Unless, however, Sand Island Is past al
redemption, Il is quite within the posi-
bilities that in few years II may hav'
become one Of the loveliest spots in tn
southern Pacific. As soon a. the first cabl'
) crew has established itself, the compsn!
intends to begin the importation 70 the
island Of the best soil 10 be found In al
, that region Of the Pacific. II anybody gu
Sand Island way has three-quarters OF I
square mile Of A No. I soil for sale at rea
sonsble terms, he ought to get into oom
munication with Mr.. Mackay or Mr.. War
, as soon as possible The first dose Of soi
tonic will be followed by another and ye
another, until the native soil has becom
: vigorous enough to support any old kin,
Of vegetation. The company Is determined
before II gets through with Sand Island
that the desert shall blossom as the rose.