The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-10-19
DRY DOCK
A NECESSITY

harbor. owned either by the Federal or
Territorial governments, or conducted
as private enterprise. was brought be
fore a special meeting Of the trustees
of the Chamber OF Commerce yesterday
afternoon at o'clock.
The importance Of a drydock for Ho-
nolulu was brought up In letter from
c. S. Holloway, but not in his capacity
as Superintendent OF Public Works.
The letter was addressed to II. /.
Spalding and read by the latter to the
trustees.
The meeting was called to consider
action on the resolution presented last
week wednesday by the Committee on
Harbors and Transportation, relative to
a report on proposed harbor improve
ments. The report urged the necessity
for adopting the recommendations oil
Captain Slattery, Engineering Corps IN
charge of harbor work here for the
United States Government.
These recommendations included "a
the removal of the sand spit on which
lis located the present harbor lighthouse
and (2) the dredging of a large area,
comprising about six acres, on the ma
kai edge of the harbor basin near the
quarantine wharf and pier, and owned
nv the Dowsett estate and the Oahu
Railway & Land Company. The reso-
luton embodied these Recommendations.
On the motion of Mr.. Spalding last
week the resolution was held up to
give the trustees time and opportunity
to go over the report and accompanying
resolution carefully, and to ascertain
the views of local people as to the most
urgent needs for harbor Improvement.
Present at the meeting were j. f.
Morgan in the chair; Alex Garvie, act
ing secretary; Mr.. Petrie, assistant to
the secretary, and Trustees w. A. Bow
en-. w. F. Pfotenhauer. l.. Tenney Peck,
f. I. Spalding and Il. Il. Paxton.
Mr.. Paxton for the Committee on
Harbors and Transportation, said that
that was accepted at the last meeting
Since that meeting he had discussed the
matter carefully with others. Inc
United States representative here mad
outlined a scheme for harbor improve
Inent, and these recommendations mad
been along the standpoint OF what
seems to work for better harbor faclll- |
ties and from the standpoint of econ ,
omy, and 1t seemed well to the commit
tee that the recommendations and opln-
ions expressed therein should be re-
spected.
The speaker then offered an amend
ment to the effect that in asking for
n congressional appropriation Tor the
proposed improvements outlined IN the
report, II all improvements could not
be covered, then to make the effort to
procure enough funds at least to re-
move the obstruction known as the
lighthouse point.
This supplemental amendment to the
report itself was Incorporated In the
report by vote and then the question
of the resolution came up.
Mr.. Spalding said that when the COM
mittee made its report at the last meet
ing he as did others recognized 1t as
a carefully prepared report, but in view
OF the Importance of the matter and
the fact that the trustees generally had
not given it sufficient consideration to
decide offhand, he had moved that the
adoption of the report and resolution
be postponed for week.
During the past week. he contin-
ued. "in company with yourself (Mr.
Morgan) / visited the pilots and they
certainly ought to be in n position to
know the requirements of the harbor.
They agreed that the removal of the
lighthouse spit was of primary import
ance
''They were not prepared to adopt
the Slattery recommendations along the {
Dowsetl and oahu Railway estates.
They dwelt upon the necessity of en-
larging the harbor at the Waikiki end {
in the vicinity of the naval wharves.
They believed that If the marine rail- (
way could be removed and that portion I
Of the harbor deepened 1t would be of S
next Importance to the removal of the a
lighthouse spit.
1T was also learned by us that there b
was urgent need for retaining wall v
to be built along the newly-made ISL I
and makai OF the lighthouse spit. 1t I
Is shown that If a southerly storm came /
up the present wall rocks would be
blown into the channel and the sand
would follow it up.
II also interviewed the Superintend- |
emit of Public Works on this matter
and he has given me written report.
He says that in submitting the report
his ideas must be accepted coming from
him personally and not as an official"
Mr.. Holloway's suggestions for the
of the harbor at various
points were elaborate.
Taking into consideration the fact
that the big vessels using the naval
wharves, and those which will eventu-
ally use the newly constructed slips at {
the foot OF Alakea and Kilauea streets,
need room for maneuvering, he said 1t
would appear that the most important 8
Improvement would be the cutting away
Of the lighthouse spit. This would give ;
ample room for these big vessels. Fur
thermore better facilities would be CIV
en- to vessels using the Bishop wharves.
Mr.. Holloway recognized the import /
ancr of the Eva end of the harbor
aad Its growing use for oil and general
cargo steamers and other big craft. He
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