The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-05-08

When the late J0nn w. MaCkay con-
ceived the idea of laying an all-Amer-
lean cable between the United States
and the Philippine Islands. he didn't
know that he would have to COLOMBO
an island in the Pacific to complete the
Job. Such Is the case. however, and
here is the story.
Mr.. Mackay proposed to the United
States Government to lay what should
be known as an all-American cable be-
tween San Francisco and Manila, with
cable stations at Honolulu and Guam.
His company got the concession.
When the surveys were made, 1t was
found that it would be too expensive
and pretty hazardous to lay the cable
from Honolulu clear through to Guam
without a midway station. There were
plenty of islands between the Hawaiian
group, and Guam. owned by various
foreign Governments. any one Of which
would have been only too glad to give
the cable company the necessary con-
cessionr to land the cable and erect a
cable station.
The handiest of all the islands be-
tween Honolulu and Guam would have
been the Marshall Islands. owned by
Germany. The German Emperor was
not only quite willing to let the COM
pany appropriate any one of those is
lands for a cable station. but let it be
known to the company that 1t would
be very nice thing all around If one
of the islands was taken.
President Roosevelt would not toler-
ate the idea of the cable touching any
land between San Francisco and Ma
Mia. other than land owned by the
United States, and 50 an American is
land had to be found. The only other
land in that particular part Of the
world owned by our Government was
the Midway Islands. These islands
were they on a straight line between
Honolulu and Guam, would be about
equi-distant from the two. The is
lands are, however, considerably to the
north of both Honolulu and Guam.
They were the only available territory,
though, and so the cable station had to
be put on one of those islands
Probably not many persons in these
o,,fo E ha
way Islands. The name is rather pre-
tentious but as matter of fact the
group consists of Just two small is
lands, and both are about as barren as
the Desert of Cobb. One of the islands
is called Green Island, because as many
as four skinny, sickly-looking shrubs
are to be found growing on one of the
sand dunes. The other island is sand
Island, and it's name doesn't belle it.
So far as anybody has ever discovered.
not living thing ever allowed itself to
grow there. That is the piece of land
which has been selected for the cable
station. Sand Island was selected rath-
err than Green Island because the shore
approaches We're better
So far as the memory of man runneth
the only useful purpose that Sand Is
land ever served has been to furnish
nesting place for certain birds of rare
plumage which wing their flight from
one island to another in the Southern
Pacific The plumage of the Sand Is
land birds has always had ms yet
in Asiatic ports, and some of the half
civilized tribes of neighboring islands
have made it their business for many
years to visit the island every now and
then on bird-slaughtering expedition.
When after the death of John w.
Mackay his place had been taken by his
son, Clarence HI. Mackey, the latter's
attention was called to the Midway ca
Bile station proposition, and 1t was sug-
gested to him that the company might
find some difficulty in colonizing the
island sufficiently for cable purposes.
After young Mr.. Mackay had gone over
the whole Sand Island situation, he
realized that the company would not
only have to find men who were willing
to take up their abode in barren is
land in the Pacific for a reasonably
long period. but that every pound of
provisions consumed by the colonists
would nave TO De carried there, and In
the beginning every ounce of water
drunk must also be conveyed to the is
land, because at present there is no
sweet water on the island.
Furthermore, the gentlemen who
have been in the habit Of dropping
down to Sand Island for the purpose
of bird shooting during the past CEN
fury or two have not been regarded az
human beings of thoroughly domes-
ticated habits. Some of them have
been known even to so far forget them
selves as to kill and eat a fellow man.
When that phase of the situation was
contemplated 1t was seen at once that
the island would not only have to be
colonized and fructifed and provision
ed but 1t would also have to be forth
fed.
mice island, that" said young Mr..