Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-04
pichilinque harbor, but Occupies the south

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eastern end of San Juan Nepomucino Is
land. off the inner -slaeFe-of Lower Cali
fornia. This island Is one and one-halr
miles long, and near sur coal depot Is a
small hill seventy-hve feet high. sloping to
a salt lagoon, yielding large quantities of
salt
A large hoard of treasure is hidden in the
neighborhood of the station according to
tradition OF the natives. Whether this is
true or not. the sea theaeabouts abouuds
with treasure. The nearby town of La Paz
the capital of Lower California. is the CEN
ter of the pearl trade az this region, and
sxer once Leading port for the export Of
commonly bring up shells from a depth OF
eight fathoms. La PAP % a town of some
400 population. Cortes landed there in
1875, and it was during5h4 stay on the bay
that he received the news of his disgrace.
The climate of this Mexican depot is very
healthy, though red hotfnp Summer. Snakes
are very numerous and verYomous and ter
rible hurricanes are feared in the autumn
months. The small harbor of Pichilinuue
is one of the best on the Pacific coast, being
protected on all sides. Vessels Obliged to
remain in the neighborh0od during the bad
season-June to November 5-lie up there
Our coaling station is now complete, the
equipment having cost ABOUT $25,OOO Last
year Uncle Sam deposited 5000 tons of coaI
there. 1t being admitted by the Mexican au-
any kind IS -
Mid-Paciflc Stations.
We now have three mid-Pacifc naval
stations in the course of construction or
projected. The most important of these
will be at Pearl Harbors adjacent to Homo
lulu. 1t will cover 720 acres The War
Department will protect it with most COM
plete harbor and channel defenses; but it
will be some years before this great sta
ton will be completed. and meanwhile
Uncle Sam will maintain n coal depot at
Honolulu. in whose harbor he already
owns very valuable land, buildings, slips
and piers devoted to that purpose.
Tutuila, Samoa, has advanced from a
mere naval coal depot to naval station
The port of Page Page, where this Sa-
moan station Is located Is to the South
Pacific what Pearl Harbor will be to the
North Pacific. 1t is already a port of call
for the line steamers plying between Aus
tralia and San Francisco and Is rapidly
increasing In Importance.
Our Guam station will be very valuable
The port Of San Louis d'Apra has been Sc
rolling by giving $4,000 for the acquisi-
ton Of land. After it's capture Uncle Sam
retained Guam for the express purpose OF
establishing naval coal depot there, and
1t was later that its value as full-fiedged
naval station was seen. 1t will be a valu-
able port Of call for coal and other sup
plies to ships plying between our Pacific
coast and the Philippines.
Eight Philippine stations have been es-
tablished by the Navy Department Ca
proper. Besides this there are seven coal
Ing depots in the archipelago-at Police
Mindanao; Port Isabella, Basilan; Port
Cebu. Cebu; Iloilo. Panay: Olongapo, Sual
and Port Salomangue, Luzon.
The worlds largest floating steel dry dock
Is to be erected at the Cavite naval station
1t will cost over a million dollars and will
be 500 feet long by 100 feet wide. 1t will
hit ship Of 10000 tons and will be capable
OF removal from place to place. Uncle Sam
IS In sore need of dry dock in the orient
Now he has to send his big fighting ships
or the Asiatic fleet to Hong Kong or Shang-
nal. and even as far as Nagasaki. Japan,
when they want repairs or cleaning,
Acquiring Foreign Sites.
To scatter naval coal depots all over the
world Is now our policy, AS stated, the
negotiations are perfected, by diplomatic
arrangement and are Confidential. At Yo-
kohama depot has already been estab-
lished. and 1900 tons Of coal were stored
there last year..
GoIhto harbor, on the Pacific side of the
lsthmus of Panama, has been sought nv
Uncle Sam since before the civil war This
harbor and Chtriqui Lagoon, on the oppo-
site side of the isthmus, have both been the
subject sun OF long diplomatic correspondence,
hanging in the balance pending a boundary
dispute between Colombia and Costa Rica.
In view OF new phases of the interoceanIc
canal problem we need these points more
than ever as military and naval bases
Iney lie, respectively. west and east Of the
boundary between Colombia and Costa
hca. Just after the civil war: Congress
MADE a preliminary appropriation Of 5000. :
10 eo Ior the colonization OF Chiriaui with our
Golf1to harbor on the Pacific side ia a
great salt lake, whose waters are never
troubled 1t Is six miles long by a mile
ana half wide. Chiriqui Lagoon on the
Atlantic side is also an excellent harhor
and Is situated midway between Aspinwali
and Greytown.
Also on the Galapagos Islands. the homo
OF the giant sea turtles, Uncle Sam has
hao MS covetous eye for some time. This
group Hes in the Pacific off Ecuador and
belongs to that republic It would afford
an excellent base for the defense of the
lstnmlan canal from the Pacific side
coaling depot on Socotra Island, in the
indlan ocean, just south of Arabia, and in
the Gulf of Aden-the southern vestibuIe
10 the Red sea and Suez CANALS said to
nave been given to us by John Bull, whose
sovereignty extends over this little dot of
land, the home of Arabs and Bedoufns
In the Azores we have also been seeking
site for similar depot. These isles in
the Atlantic, about third the distance
from Spain to America, would be to us
what her Bermuda depot is to Great
Britain.