The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-11-15
TRUSTEES RECEIVE
REPORT ON HARBOR
OF COMMERCE. RE
CEINED REPORT FROM CAP
TAIN SIATTERN.

CEIVED REPORT FROM CAP
TAIN SLATTERY.
10 the Trustees of the Chamber of
Commerce yesterday afternoon Cap
tain j. r. Slattery Engih eering Corps,
made a report ON the work i'm the har-
Dor He also offered number OF rec
concentrations His letter to that body
was as follows:
Honolulu, T. H., oct. II, 1906.
Honolulu Chamber of Commerce, Ho-
nolulu, T, Il,
Sirs:-In reference to the recent dis
cussions before the Chamber of Com
mcrce, concerning continuing the inn
provements Of Honolulu harbor. and
the recommendations of the Pilots
Association, I 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
mencing work on the Improvement of
| the harbor, I considered the advisable
| ity of recommending to the Secretary
of War that the owners or tNis 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
new one or a drydock wa> constructed.
| If the Secretary of War required the
! removal of this railway in the
grounds that it was a menace to navi-
| cation, as it undoubtedly is it Is high
| ~ probable that no compensation
! would be allowed the owners. For these
! reasons, no action was taken toward
! the removal of the marine railway,
| and the work in that part of the har-
| Dor was accordingly abandoned until
| such time as the present marine rail-
! way 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
| harbor from appropriations made in
the next River and Harbor bill. In my
! opinion, it would therefore be much
| better not to ask for appropriations
for his work i'm 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 il will be use
less to attempt to get appropriations
for any work not covered in the pro-
ject If further improvements in that
portion of the harbor are desired, au-
thorty 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 a matter for
private individuals to undertake,
rather than the Federal Government.
If the Federal Government at any time
acquires the channel wharf, this con-
dition will, of course, be changed
Third.-In regard to the stone wall
protecting the reclaimed lard immedi-
ately seaWard OF the lighthouse, beg
to state that even if appropriations
were obtained for building a stone wal
around this Spit that the same char
acter of wall would be built as the
existing one. This character of wal
has been used extensively IN the Unit.
ed states, in jetty construction, foi
the purpose of protecting navigable
channels against filling with sand. Tn,
stone i'm the present wall is compare.
lively light, but the wave action i.
likewise comparatively light, and as q
general rule, runs nearly parallel t.
the wall, and not perpendicular to it
Of the $4,000 remaining available fol
harbor improvements, under control OF
TINS office, | expect to reserve about
$4,000 for the maintenance of this wal
/ and existing bulkheads. This sun
WILL l think, without doubt, enable me
to keep this wall in such condition as
TO prevent the sand behind it gettina
back into the harbor. There is no one
more anxious to prevent such a catas.
trophe than /. 1t is, therefore. in my
opinion, unnecessary to ask special an.
. preparations for maintaining this wal
or building a new wall. If a new wal
were built it would be of exactly the
same character as the present wall
, except that possibly heavier stones
j. A. Hogg, H. X. Schoelefeld, Rev
j. w. Wadman and 81 deck.
Per S. S. Claudine, from Mani norris
November l5.-F Klamp, w. Pfoten.
! hauer. r. Romano, r. H. Anderson
Mrs NJ Hiram and son, Mrs. II. c