The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-15

4 )
rrovements. Captain Slattery holds to
his original proposition that the ertire
harbor outline as suggested and rec
| commended by him should be included
it's Improvement. His letter. submitted
| through the Committee on Harbors,
etc. by E E. Paxton. chairman, was
as follows:
SLATTERY'S RECOMMENDATION
Honolulu, T. H. Oct. II, 1906.
| Honolulu Chamber of Commerce, Ho-
nolulu, T. H.
Sirs: In reference to the recent dis
| cussionS before the Chamber of Com
merce. concerning continuing the i'm
provennnts of Honolulu harbor, and
the recommendations of the Pilots
| Association, 1 desire to call the atten-
ton of the chamber to the following
| points:
First The present project for the
| Improvement of Honolulu harbor con-
| templates dredging to a depth Of
| thirty-five feet that portion of the
harbor now occupied by the marine
| railway There is no question but that
| this railway is a menace to navigation,
and should be removed. Before COM
! ,nencing work on the Improvement of
| the harbor [ considered the advisable
| ity of recommending to the Secretary
| of War that the owners of this marine
railway be required to remove the
| same, because it constituted a menace
to navigation. I decided, however. that
it would not be advisable to require
the removal of this railway until a new
one or a drydock was constructed. IT
the Secretary of War required the re-
moval of this railway, on the grounds
that it was a menace to navigation, as
it undoubtedly is, it is highly probable
that no compensa ton would be allow
ed the owners. For these reasons, no
action was taken toward the removal
of the marine railway, and the work
in that part of the harbor was ac-
cordingly abandoned until such time as
the present marine railway should be
removed 1t does not appear likely
that a new railway Or drydock can
be constructed and the present railway
removed, in time for work to be done
in that portion of the harbor, from
appropriations made in the next River
and Harbor Bill. In my opinion, it
ask for appropriations for this work
in the coming River and Harbor Bill,
as it is almost certain that another
River and Harbor Bill will be passed
before it will be possible to undertake
work in this corner of the harbor
Second. There is no other work, ex-
cept the above. provided for in the
present project for the improvement
of Honolulu harbor, in the Waikiki
end of the harbor, and it will be use
less to attempt to get Appropriations
for any work not covered in the prof.
ect. If further improvements in that
portion of the harbor are desired, au-
thority should be asked from Con-
gress, for the preparation of further
projects l doubt, however, if any such
authority will be given. or, if given,
if any further Improvement in that
portion of the harbor would be rec
commended. Any deepening between
the present limit of the Improvement
and the channel wharf is matter for
private individuals to undertake,
rather than the Federal Government.
If the Federal Government at any time
acquires the channel wharf, this condi-
ton will. of course. be changed.
Third. In regard to the stone wall
protecting the reclaimed land immedi-
ately seaward of the lighthouse. I beg
to state that even if appropriations
were obtained for building stone wall
around this spit, that the same char
acter of wall would be built as the
existing one. This character of wall
has been used extensively in the Unit
ed States, in jetty construction, for
the purpose of protecting navigable
che ms he
stone in the present wall is compare
lively light. but the wave action is
likewise comparatively light. and, as a
general rule runs nearly parallel to
the wall, and not perpendicular to it.
OF the $4,000 remaining available for
harbor improvements, under control of
this office | expect to reserve about
10000 for the maintenance of this wall
and existing bulkheads This sum
Will I think. without doubt enable me
to keep this wall in such condition as
TO prevent the sand behind 1t getting
back into the harbor.. There is no one
more anxious to prevent such cataS-
trophe than I. 1t is, therefore in my
opinion, unnecessary to ask special ap-
preparation for maintaining this wall
OF building a new wall. If a new wall
We're built it would be of exactly the
same character as the present wall
except that possibly heavier stones
would be used. Such a wall, however.
would not be built until it was clearly
demonstrated that the present wall was
insufficient. 1t would be highly advan-
tageous if a stone wall could be built
to replace the present timber buikhead
along the harbor side of this island,
and if a stone wall could be con-
tinued around the other two sides OF
the island. Any recommendation for
the continuing of the existing stone
wall would meet with my hearty ap-
prevail.
Fourth. II would. in my opinion be
! highly inadvisable for the delegate
from Hawaii to content himself with