The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-12-12
UNCLE SANS
HARBOR WORK
Lieut.. Slattery's Task
in Hawaiian
Waters.

copy of the annual report upon the
Improvement of Pearl and Honolulu
harbors, Hawaii, in the charge of J. r.
Slattery, First Lieutenant, Corps of
| Engineers, y. S. A, has been received
from the author. The report gives
much valuable information concerning
the commercial aspect of the harbor of
Honolulu
The first portion of the report con-
tains an extract from the annual re-
port Of the Chief of Engineers to the
Secretary of War, as follows:
Office of the Chief of Engineers,
United States Army
Washington. Sept. 30, 1905.
IMPROVEMENT OF HARBORS IN
THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
This district was in the charge of
First Lieut.. j. r. Slattery, Corps of
Engineers. Division engineer, Col. w.
H. Heuer, Corps of Engineers.
l. Pearl Harbor.-GThis work was in
the charge of Col. w. H. Heuer. Corps
of Engineers, until April IA, 1861 This
harbor is miles west of Honolulu.
Before improvement there was a bar at
it's entrance with a low-water depth of
10 feet on its crest and a coral reef
on either side. A full description of
the harbor is found in Senate Execu-
tive Document No. AZ, Fifty third Con-
gress, second session. The project for
Improvement contemplated dredging a
channel 200 feet wide and 80 feet deep
at mean low water, at an estimated
cost of 100000. Congress approved
this propect by appropriating 100000
in the act of March 3, 1899
Contract was made in 1901 for doing
the work required. Dredging was be-
gun in March, 1902, and completed in
August 1903 which resulted in a chan
mel 200 feet wide and fully so feet (and
generally 81 feeD in depth at low
water entirely across the bar from deep
water in the ocean to deep water
in the harbor. at an expenditure of
99.323.62. The channel has maintained
itself.
AS yet there is no commercial activ-
ity in the harbor, Inside the bar the
channel is so crooked and the turns so
sharp that it is not safe for the navi-
cation of large vessels. No estimate
for remedying this defect has yet been
range of tides at the entrance is about
IA inches.
The work, so far as authorized and
appropriated for, has been completed
in accordance with the project. The
head of navigation is at the head of
each loch forming the harbor. No fur
ther funds under the existing project
are required.
July l. 1904, balance unexpended..$676.3 .3S
July ! 1905, h .ance uneXpended.. 676.3S
2 honolulu Iarbor, Hawaii.-This
harbor IS situated on the south coast
of the island of Oahu. 1t is formed by
a coral reef. q narrow channel through
the reef affording access to the harbor.
The entrance channel and harbor prop
er were dredged from time to time by
the monarchical, republican and Terri
torial governments of Hawaii prior to
July 1, 1904 On this date there exist
ed an entrance channel having a depth
of about 50 feet and a minimum width
of about 200 feet at mean low water.
The harbor proper Chat portion COM
mencing at the lighthouse and extend
ing to the mouth of the Nuuanu river)
had a general width of 800 feet The
water for about 200 feet Immediately
along the wharves had depth of from
80 to 80 feet. Elsewhere there was
only about q feet at low water The
bend at the lighthouse point was so
sharp as to be somewhat difficult for
large vessels to get around. The sha.-
low water in the harbor made it i'm
possible for the largest vessels call
ing at the port to enter the harbor
when at all heavily laden. The mar
rowness of the harbor made turning
difficult for all ships
The river and harbor act of March
g. 1905 provides as follows:
Improving harbor at Honolulu.
Hawaii: In accordance with the
report and surveys made by the
land department of the government
of the Sandwich Islands prior to
annexation and the further report
of Lieutenant Slattery, two hun
dred thousand dollars: Provided,
That a contract or contracts may
be entered into for such materials
and work as may be necessary to
prosecute said work to be paid /
for as appropriations may from
time to time be made by law, not
to exceed in the aggregate two hun
dred thousand dollars in excess of :
the amount herein appropriated.
The amounts herein appropriated
and authorized may be expended
upon sections one, two, and three.
it being the intention to provide
first for the completion of section
one. and the Secretary of War is
authorized and directed to cause
resurvey of said harbor to be made.
The project thus approved is printed
herewith in Appendix IKE 1t pro
-ides for an entrance channel 30 feet
eep and 400 feet wide at mean low
5ater from deep water at the entrance
0 the lighthouse point: for easing the
Continued on Page 81